McDonald, K, Week 1

Hello and welcome to my blog! Before I get started, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a New England native but found my way down to North Carolina for about six years before I returned north for boarding school and college. Throughout my childhood and years of schooling I gained a love for sports. I played hockey for sixteen years and lacrosse for ten before I hung up the equipment for the last time. Other than sports, one of the things I am most passionate about is traveling. I have been to ten different countries but dream of traveling the world one day. I love traveling because I love nature, I love exploring new places, and I love learning about different people. Marketing is an industry where learning about people is part of the job and that is how I found my way to this class and this career path.

This first week of class has been an experience and it only makes me more excited for the rest of the term. The week started out with a few guest presenters, Matthew H. and Professor Kelly, who talked to us about the entertainment industry and marketing of the arts. They each shared some very insightful information which gave the class an inside look at what it is like to work in that industry. They noted that it is a hard life and it requires a passion for the industry that only some people have. They also outlined the four P's of marketing in the entertainment industry and highlighted how they may differ from other industries. This part of each talk was extremely engaging because industries like retail are industries that we, as students, are all familiar with, so it was easy to relate and understand the entertainment industry that much more. After gaining knowledge from the guest presenters, we were able to see it in action as we traveled to the Clemens Center on April 27th. 

Image taken by Kyra McDonald

The Clemens Center, located in Elmira, New York, is a theatre venue and it was the location of our class that day. We toured the theatre, including the stage and dressing rooms, and learned all the ins and outs of the theatre and promotion business. We talked with the Executive Director, Karen C., and she ran us through the specifics of the marketing projects she is currently working on. During this experiential learning trip we were able to apply our knowledge and see what we learned in action. This was an incredible experience and I look forward to our future experiential learning trips and the memories that will be made during them. 

Image taken by Kyra McDonald

Continuing on our stream of entertainment industry learning, we read sections of three books: The Definitive Guide to Entertainment Marketing by Lieberman and Esgate, Entertainment Industry by Mark Vinet, and Why We Play by Yasmeen Sharara. These sections gave us an integral introduction to the material we will be discussing all term. It also deepened our knowledge base and stretched our thinking. I enjoyed reading these books and discussing them in class. Why We Play by Yasmeen Sharara is the book that I relate most to because of the demographic of the author and who the book is written for. This book does express a little bit of bias but it is interesting nonetheless. I recommend all three books as they are all very informative and interesting. 

As you've read, this week was focused on the entertainment industry and performing arts marketing. We learned from guest speakers, experienced learning first hand at the Clemens Center, and started reading our books which allowed us to get deeper into the material. Overall the week was memorable and it got me excited for the rest of the term. Make sure to check back next week and keep up with all of our experiences! Ciao!