The DFW area is packed with interesting performance venues, museums and galleries. But keeping track of their programming and spotting things that fit your tastes can eat up a lot of time.
The Dallas-based entertainment platform provider, ARTSonepass has created a space for users to find events happening around the region, based on their location and personal preferences. And by offering users an engaging and convenient experience, the company hopes to be a resource for strengthening the arts community in North Texas.
“The arts have been hurting for more audience for some time, and we’re trying to solve that problem… so we have kind of a one-stop shop,” said Sharad Elhence, founder and CEO at ARTSonepass. “Our goal is not to tell people you have to come to the Dallas Arts District. Our goal is to make people aware of small or large arts events that are happening in their neighborhood, where they are… We’re trying to democratize the arts in a way.”
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Launched in 2017, ARTSonepass already has a few thousand users, and has worked with more than 60 arts and entertainment organizations in the area. The platform tracks users' geolocation (with permission), as well as information about what they choose to buy, click on and save. With this, the platform gives users a variety of events and options from four broad categories: visual arts and music, preforming arts, history, and science and nature.
“Arts organizations today are doing a really good job of promoting themselves to the audience that knows them, but what about people that are not aware of [a place] or are from a different area,” Elhence said. “We are trying to make that sphere bigger for every arts organization, from where they pull their audience.”
In addition to creating an easy-to-use experience for customers, Elhence said the ARTSonepass platform will help organizations as well. Unlike other event finding and ticket purchasing platforms, ARTSonepass doesn’t encourage organizations to discount ticket prices, which Elhence called “a race to the bottom.” Instead, the company works to bring attention to different organizations by creating bundle packages, like a ‘theater sampler’ that offers three tickets to three different theaters at a lower rate, so that consumers can experience more, and businesses can benefit by more exposure.
"We’re trying to democratize the arts in a way."
“The arts are a huge industry; it employs tens of thousands of people in our community, adds billions to our local economy… it’s an important industry to nurture and grow,” Elhence said.
However, he added that art is important for a community, beyond the financial impact. Recalling a story of being awestruck by a Caravaggio painting he saw in Vienna, Elhence said that the arts bring people together through shared experience, and by adding a level of beauty and inspiration to the community.
Currently, ARTSonepass operates in the North Texas area, but the company has eyes on the future. The eight-person team are working on developing a better user interface in expectation of future growth. It is also working on creating an administrative side to the platform, to allow organizations to customize their pages and offerings. Elhence also said that while ideally the platform would eventually be expanded into nearly every market in the country, the company will likely be looking to expand first to Austin and Houston in the near future.
“We want people to enjoy whether they are on a budget or not, whether they are in downtown or not, young or old, whether they’re into museums or something else; there is something you can enjoy regardless of your preferences,” Elhence said. “We’re still trying to strike that fine balance between growing our user base and ensuring that our user experience is optimal.”
