The results are in for the AFTA Arts Economic Impact Study (AEP6)!
Eat More Art founder Sarah O'Connell collected a year of Southern Nevada surveys for the AEP6.
Eighteen months ago, we raised a call for Southern Nevada Arts to stand up and BE COUNTED for the first time ever as official partners in the national Arts and Economic Prosperity (AEP6) study; a survey every five years measuring the value added by nonprofit arts to our GDP and quality of life.
Working with partners at the City of Las Vegas, Clark County Public Art, the Nevada Arts Council and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, local nonprofit cultural organizations, and venues gathered DATA about the impact of their operations on the taxpayer's bottom line on our unprecedented post-COVID economy.
Audiences across Nevada were asked questions about spending & travel habits and why they love local arts.
The work was worth it. For the first time ever, Las Vegas and Clark County have specific DATA on the impact of the nonprofit arts sector on our creative economy and beyond. The AEP6 Study's national figures show the average amount an attendee invests when attending a nonprofit culture event beyond an entrance fee is $38; Las Vegas audiences spend 25% more at around $47 per person.
According to the LVCVA's "Visitor Profile"Â individuals in 2022 spent four times as much as they did in 2021 on shows and entertainment. While attendance for Arts is down post-COVID, Southern Nevada is poised to outpace other regions' ROI on the events it chooses to promote for cultural tourism. The AEP6 figures indicate that the LVCVA and other decision makers leave money on the table when they fail to promote off-Strip events presented by the cultural community.
Tourists don't just come to Las Vegas for Sports and commercial Strip entertainment; according to the AEP6 study, local arts inspire visitors to part with their cash at over 75% above the national average of $60, spending roughly $107 per person above the ticket price.
Both national and Southern Nevada audiences agree that the Arts are more than quality entertainment, they add meaning, civic pride, and a thriving sense of community to our lives.
Eat More Art Vegas will continue to analyze the DATA for useful takeaways in the weeks ahead, but in the meantime, check out the full report and celebrate the vibrant cultural life along with the local Creative Workforce who bring us together as a community and the visitors of the world to our door!
Thank you to everyone who attended events and took part in this groundbreaking effort to prove the value of Arts and Culture in Southern Nevada’s one of a kind Creative Economy. We can’t wait to join you out there and EAT MORE ART!