Arts and Entertainment

Spotlight event attendance matches admission

By Haley Otman GVL A&E Editor
2/3/2010

As the Grand Valley State University student population grows to more than 24,000, attendance also has increased for Spotlight Productions' campus entertainment events.

Spotlight, GVSU's programming board, uses its allocated budget as part of the Office of Student Life to bring music, comedy and other entertainment to the student body and occasionally the surrounding Grand Rapids area.

"I definitely think that the type of event we have has a bearing on how many students we will get," said Allison Webster, a second-year graduate student who serves as adviser to Spotlight Productions.

During the past couple of years, Spotlight has seen an increase in attendance to all events.

GVSU reported a 42.6 percent change in enrollment during the past 10 years in its 2009 Accountability Report, but Spotlight has held its largest events in the same two places for quite some time: the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center and the Fieldhouse Arena for events with more than the 500-person capacity of the Grand River Room.

"We plan (our events) in the biggest rooms they have," said Jaimie Biermann, president of Spotlight Productions. "(Increased enrollment is) a big factor-- more students means they have to find things to do."

The comedy shows have seen the biggest increase in attendance recently, as the Grand River Room has often filled to standing room only.

Webster attributes the large audiences to advertising by word-of-mouth, fliers, online sources and also the willingness of students to try new comedy acts more than new acts in other entertainment genres.

"People are more apt to see a comedian that they don't know as opposed to a music act that they don't know," she said.

Nikole Hoffman, Spotlight's vice president of records, said increasing numbers at their events is a main goal and has been for a while.

"We definitely get good numbers for the sizes of the rooms we have," Hoffman said, though the oganization still looks to increase the number of people at their events and the number of events they hold in general.

The group averages one event per week and has had that amount for the three years Hoffman has been a part of Spotlight.

A way to bring in larger audiences and schedule more events is to increase brand recognition, which is exactly what Spotlight hopes to do.

Each of the three Spotlight committees (music, comedy and events, and traditions on campus) schedule many events, such as the regular movie showings in the Kirkhof Center, open mic nights and Sibs & Kids Weekend.

To advertise all of its events, Spotlight passes out fliers, sets up tables in the Kirkhof Center and uses online ads and social media to keep the group on the minds of the student body.

"I think Spotlight's name has finally gotten out there," Webster said.

For example, the last comedy show filled to standing room only.

"We maxed out on how many people could be in the Grand River Room," said Emily Zogas, the vice president of finance for Spotlight. "That was awesome to have that many people come."

To keep up with the larger student body, Spotlight's member base has also grown.

Webster encourages any student to attend their weekly meetings, held Mondays at 9 p.m. in room 2263 of the Kirkhof Center.

arts@lanthorn.com

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