business committee for the arts
FORUM FOR NEW IDEAS
Tuesday May 5, 2009
8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Microsoft, 1290 Avenue of the Americas,
New York City
Speakers:
- Jonathan Spector, CEO, The Conference Board Workforce Readiness Initiative
- Krista Pilot, Senior Vice President, Dan Klores Communications
- Randy Cohen, Vice President of Local Arts Advancement, Americans for the Arts
At this Forum, business leaders discussed the value of including the arts as part of a company’s giving guidelines and corporate culture. Businesses that support the arts understand that investing in the arts pays dividends for companies by advancing visibility; enhancing brands; showcasing commitment to diversity; bolstering employee morale; and helping attract, train, and retain new talent. The arts deliver economic and social benefits to the communities, generating jobs, and galvanizing neighborhood revitalization efforts.
In the current economic climate, businesses are looking for ways to increase productivity and profits while improving employee morale and encouraging innovation. Given this position, this year’s speakers reflected on how the arts can act as a key catalyst in reaching these objectives. Speakers explored the core issues that businesses are facing today and how the arts can be a channel of improvement in these areas. As research from the Conference Board shows, businesses see participation in the arts as one of the top indicators of employee creativity and innovation. In addition, the arts have been shown to improve employee morale.
Speakers
Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts, gives an introduction the BCA’s Forum for New Ideas.
Jonathan Spector is Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Board, Inc., the global research and business membership group. The Conference Board, which connects over 2,000 enterprises in 60 nations, is the most widely-cited private source of business intelligence. Publisher of the Consumer Confidence Index, the Leading Economic Indicators and other reports on economic trends and best management practices, The Conference Board convenes some 20,000 executives annually in council, conference and meeting programs. Mr. Spector is the co-author of We Are Smarter Than Me (Pearson Publishing, 2007), which highlights the ways in which businesses can harness the power of collective intelligence.
Mr. Spector spoke on the current state of the business world; touching on topics concerning the current corporate mindset, what executives are looking for, and why employee engagement is important.
Krista Pilot joined Dan Klores Communications in May 2007 as Senior Vice President for corporate accounts and business development. Prior to joining DKC she served as director of community affairs for United Technologies Corporation (NYSE-UTX). She was responsible for corporate social responsibility (CSR) at UTC, including reporting and relationships with external groups such as non-governmental organizations, socially responsible investment firms and rating agencies. She also led UTC's philanthropic activities and volunteerism on a national and international basis.
Ms. Pilot started with UTC in 1997 in the company's Washington, DC office. Her experience in public affairs began in electoral politics. She worked on the re-election campaigns of U.S. Senator Byron Dorgon, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, and the Senate race of then Delaware Attorney General Charles Oberly.
Ms. Pilot expanded on the need for creativity in the workplace given the state of the economy. Businesses can think creatively or work with arts organizations to overcome challenges.
Randy Cohen is among the most noted experts in the field of arts funding, research, policy, and using the arts to address community development issues. He published the two premiere economic studies of the arts industry—Arts & Economic Prosperity, the national impact study of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences and Creative Industries, a statistical mapping study of the nation’s 650,000 arts businesses.
Mr. Cohen spoke on the importance of engagement at the workplace and how arts can be used as a channel to build a more engaged and dedicated workforce.
For questions, send us an e-mail or call 202.371.2830, x1116.
Forum for New Ideas Archive