Local arts and culture patrons in the know already use ShowUp.com to find out what's going on in the Valley.
Starting Aug. 24, the Web site will expand its scope to Flagstaff as well. This comes only a few months after ShowUp.com began serving the metropolitan Tucson area.
"Flagstaff and Tucson have really vibrant arts and cultural happenings that in many ways are very different from what goes on in the Valley," says Matt Lehrman, executive director of Alliance for Audience, the nonprofit organization that founded ShowUp.com in November 2004. Alliance for Audience provides marketing and development services to its nearly 200 member arts and cultural organizations; ShowUp.com is the public face of the organization.
"I've been really impressed that there is a local scene in Tucson that is every bit as rich as what goes on in Phoenix.
"During the summer, I'll take any excuse to go and enjoy a day in Flagstaff," he says, "and knowing that I can go and enjoy the cool weather and that there's theater and concerts and festivals is going to make me stay a little bit longer."
When ShowUp.com begins serving Flagstaff, arts and culture patrons in the northern part of the state will have a comprehensive calendar of theater, dance, music, visual art, festivals and more; the ability to purchase some tickets through the Web site; and the "You've Got Shows" newsletter, an e-mail subscription list that details upcoming events.
And it won't stop there, according to Lehrman. "We are in discussion with a number of other communities around the state as well," he says. "I would expect that we'll be fully statewide within the next 6-12 months."
Although ShowUp.com is expanding its reach throughout the state, it hasn't been neglecting the Valley of the Sun.
Another relatively new development is the Culture Pass, available at Valley public libraries. Patrons select one of 14 Valley cultural attractions, including Children's Museum of Phoenix, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Phoenix Zoo, Taliesin West, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the Bead Museum, then check out a pass that allows up to four people free admission to the attraction for a week.
The Culture Pass program, which began in April, "has been a tremendous success," says Lehrman.
Another way ShowUp.com gets the word out about what's going on is through Lehrman's weekly television guest spots. He appears on Channel 3 during "Good Morning Arizona" on Saturdays, on "Your Life A-Z" on Thursdays and once a month on "Good Day Arizona."
"I talk about what's going on in the Valley," Lehrman says, "but increasingly, I'm talking about what's going on around the state. In this economy, where people are not traveling out of state as much, knowing that there are fun things to do just a couple of hours away to the north or south is a great benefit.
"The TV appearances are encouraging Phoenix residents to go and enjoy the best of Arizona elsewhere, as well as enjoy what's out here in the Valley."
Jewish News recently entered into a partnership with Alliance for Audience and ShowUp.com; the two organizations will trade ad space and e-mail blasts to their respective subscription lists.
"We are delighted to be working with Alliance for Audience and ShowUp.com to connect our readers with the wonderful cultural resources of our Valley and our state," says Jewish News Publisher Flo Eckstein. "Matt Lehrman and his organization are a class act."
As the Web site approaches its fifth anniversary, Lehrman is proud that the original vision for the site has come to fruition.
"Everything about ShowUp.com's services is about raising the visibility of the arts and cultural community and inviting people to attend," he says.
"The vision has not only turned into a reality, but it's far exceeded everything that we've ever imagined."
