Over-the-Rhine arts organization
Elementz recently produced Explore OTR cards, which will drive business from the arts to restaurants and retail in the neighborhood. The cards are based on a concept seen in Kentucky where groups of businesses get together and create a process to get customers to go to the businesses.
“The cards are for people who might come to OTR for arts events, but who don’t think of the neighborhood as a place to stay and shop,” says Tom Kent, executive director of Elementz.
Explore OTR cards are free, and will be handed out by smaller arts organizations after performances—the
Art Academy of Cincinnati,
Art Beyond Boundaries, the
Cincinnati Boychoir, Elementz and
Know Theatre.
Patrons can then visit up to five of the 21 businesses listed on the card and get them initialed.
Park + Vine,
Rhinehaus, the
YMCA, The Anchor Restaurant in
Washington Park,
Taste of Belgium and
Sweet Sistah Splash are just a few of the diverse restaurants and retail options that are participating in the Explore OTR cards.
Once they’ve visited five businesses, patrons can redeem the cards at larger arts organizations such as
American Legacy Tours, the
Cincinnati Ballet, the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,
Ensemble Theatre and Know Theatre for deals like 20 percent off tickets for the Queen City Underground Tour and buy one, get one free tickets at Know Theatre.
Each offer has an expiration date, with some expiring in November, others in May, Kent says.
“We’re trying to build an alliance between arts organizations and the customers who come to see the shows,” he says. “Local businesses make the neighborhood thrive, and the cards will also help bring in a more diverse audience as membership builds.”
Elementz will be collecting the cards after they’re redeemed for the discounts, and keeping track of where people redeemed them and which businesses were visited.
The cards are currently being printed, and will be handed out at
LumenoCity next weekend.
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