As concert attendees, you hear me thank our sponsors, underwriters and others who help financially support that event.\u00a0I imagine, a lot of times, you take it for granted and know that you are going to hear the similar rhetoric as before.\u00a0I\u2019ve been there.\u00a0I know how it is.\u00a0But I want everyone to know just how valuable these supporters are.\u00a0And to the sponsor, there is great value in potential buyers hearing their name repeatedly mentioned.\u00a0You know this from all the TV and radio ads you have ever seen and heard.<\/p>\n
Specifically to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, we have seen enormous growth in the amount of support we have been fortunate to acquire.\u00a0We are now in the midst of planning for our 10th season.\u00a0 A few of us have been around for every year \u2026 and even beyond that while in the planning stages of our facility and its operation.<\/p>\n
I remember the first complete season and budget I ever put together.\u00a0We had an operating budget of about 15 percent of what we currently have.\u00a0Our offerings of events, i.e., concerts, speakers, shows, rentals, have increased by nearly 300 percent.\u00a0 But even more so, the quality and cost of the events we are bringing in have experienced a big crescendo over the nine years.\u00a0If our average concert used to cost around $15,000, we are now looking at more than double that as an average, and our highest priced events are now much more.<\/p>\n
This is all part of our growth.\u00a0 My board, our staff and I are extremely appreciative to all who have contributed to this growth.\u00a0 In the industry of performing arts, I get to talk with many other presenters throughout the region and country who have experienced a diminuendo (sorry for all the musical terms, but I guess that\u2019s how I think!) in their events and quality of offerings to their patrons.<\/p>\n
The growth we have experienced could not happen without you, the ticket buyers, as well as the sponsors and underwriters.\u00a0The value we can now offer to these people has grown exponentially! Our reach in the region has increased to a much broader clientele. Our goal is to make a sponsor\u2019s support one of their best reasons for investing their money.<\/p>\n
Ticket buyers used to represent a huge percentage of our overall budget.\u00a0 Now, even with our huge growth in ticket buyers, our sponsors have stepped up to represent a more industry standard part of our budget.\u00a0 So when you hear that Van Wert Federal Savings Bank and StateWide Ford are our season sponsors, know that their support is invaluable to us, and you the ticket buyer.\u00a0Or when a presenting or supporting sponsor has given to a certain concert, let them know how much you appreciate them.\u00a0They have just made your ticket more affordable.<\/p>\n
They have also allowed us to step up our game by bringing even more appealing concerts and artists to Van Wert.\u00a0That deserves a special \u201cpat on the back\u201d and maybe even a \u201cgoing out of your way\u201d to thank them.<\/p>\n
There are so many individuals, businesses and corporations to thank for the success of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.\u00a0So the next time you hear us thank a certain underwriter or sponsor, take notice and be thankful, with us, for what they have provided all of us.\u00a0 It is a team effort between them, you, the ticket buyer, and us to continue making this work.<\/p>\n
I am thankful and grateful for all the supporters of the arts.\u00a0It enriches our community as well as our economy.\u00a0We in Van Wert are provided something most other communities our size envy.\u00a0I know this because I am told quite often.\u00a0Let\u2019s never take for granted what we have, where we have come from, and where we expect to go.<\/p>\n
It is now March and soon it will be time to announce the Fountain Park Summer Music Series. In the meantime, The Van Wert County Foundation is taking names of non-profit organizations that would like to serve food and raise some funds at one of the summer concerts.\u00a0 It is a whole new line-up and there will be some big things in store this summer.\u00a0Call The Van Wert County Foundation (419.238.1743), stop by (138 E. Main St.), or email me at paul@vanwertcountyfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n FIN\u00c9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As concert attendees, you hear me thank our sponsors, underwriters and others who help financially support that event.\u00a0I imagine, a lot of times, you take it for granted and know that you are going to hear the similar rhetoric as before.\u00a0I\u2019ve been there.\u00a0I know how it is.\u00a0But I want everyone to know just how valuable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-03 03:49:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74167\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}