Van Gogh art exhibit proves huge success and desirability in the Milwaukee community
In 2021, Kane helped a local entertainment district announce that Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience was coming to its convention center. After two extensions, a six-month stay and over 200,000 tickets sold, Beyond Van Gogh stands as the highest grossing event in both the convention center and the exhibit’s history.
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience features more than 300 of Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic artworks and takes the art lover into a three-dimensional world that exhilarates the senses. While journeying through Beyond Van Gogh, guests witness Van Gogh’s masterpieces, including instantly recognizable classics such as “The Starry Night,” “Sunflowers,” and “Café Terrace at Night,” now freed from their frames. Van Gogh’s art comes to life by appearing and disappearing, flowing across multiple surfaces, and heightening the senses with their immense detail.
One of the first major public events since the beginning of the pandemic and subsequent restrictions, Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience was an ideal installation for physical distancing and allowed for guests of all ages, from across Milwaukee and beyond, to have a unique and valuable consumer experience.
As the Wisconsin Center prepared to host an immersive Van Gogh experience, they brought on Kane to raise awareness and garner media attention to drive ticket sales. Looking toward local and regional media, our media efforts included exclusive media tours, onsite media coordination and coordinating local social media influencers to visit the exhibit.
When the exhibit was named the highest-grossing event in the entertainment district’s history before it even opened to the public, Kane and the client knew it had the potential to create an even larger economic impact than first anticipated.
“Not only did the exhibit welcome visitors to see an art experience like no other, but it gave locals a reason to connect with their convention center. The staff demonstrated phenomenal customer service experiences to every patron, especially knowing that it was the first time out to a public event for many guests. It truly was the perfect residency at the perfect time.”
SOLUTION
Kane conducted proactive media relations and interview/story coordination with local outlets to achieve the following objectives:
By the end of April 2021, secure 3-5 media placements that share messaging about the exhibit in local and regional outlets.
By the end of August 2021, coordinate 4-5 broadcast segments that provide a visual preview of the exhibit and use key messaging.
By the end of October, communicate via media relations and stakeholder communications the economic impact the Van Gogh exhibit and related visitor activity brought to Milwaukee.
Between April and July, through the use of media relations and partnership outreach, sell 25,000 tickets to the exhibit.
RESULTS
From the campaign’s start in April 2021 to its completion in January 2022, Kane’s media efforts resulted in the following:
Held a media preview day for local news outlets and influencers to share the exhibit with more than ten local stations present
80 news placements and 51 broadcast segments with area media outlets
149 social media mentions, with a potential social reach of 1.378 million
A potential media reach (news & broadcast) of 241.4 million
Average value equivalency of $2.2 million
Over 200,000 tickets sold
