What is Audience Benchmarks 2026?
Performing Arts Forum’s Audience Benchmarks initiative (previously referred to as Audience Insights) uses audience data to help you and your colleagues better understand your audiences. The results will help you grow and broaden audiences, advocate for your organisation and make the case for funding.
(Previous years Audience Insights data can be found here)
There are two strands:
- Understanding audience behaviour by analysing key ticketing insights for 2025 from your box office data and comparing them to 2019 and 2022 to 2024. This strand is designed and delivered by Heather Maitland. New this year are some benchmarks around social media effectiveness*
- Understanding audience engagement and attitudes via automated post-event surveys, and comparing your results with the average for all Irish organisations in 2025. This strand is designed and delivered by Katy Raines and her team at Indigo. The results of the post event surveys for 2025 are all in and crunched, but it’s not too late to join the 2026 cohort FREE if you’re not already signed up. Contact Indigo to find out more: support@indigo-ltd.com.
Submit your data
*It’s now time to kick off this data strand – the more participating organisations, the more useful the results.
Below is your guide to extracting the necessary information from your ticketing system and social media analytics and a results form. Please pass them to the most appropriate people on your team:
- Data Specification Guide (PDF)
- Ticketsolve Step-by-Step (PDF)
- Add your results here (Ticketsolve) or Add your results here (Other systems)
What next?
- Heather will analyse your results and send you a report comparing your organisation to the average for similar organisations.
- Heather Maitland and Katy Raines will be the only people to see your results apart from you.
- We’ll be presenting the results of both strands at a webinar on April 29 at 11am. Register for this webinar here
We’re looking forward to sharing Audience Benchmark findings with you and your team. If you need any other information to get started, just email heather@heathermaitland.co.uk