Austin Symphony pitches expanded movie and pop collaborations to boost tourism

Justice Zimmerman, chief executive officer and executive director of the Austin Symphony, told the Austin Tourism Commission on July 9 that the orchestra is pursuing program and partnership changes intended to increase tourism and local attendance.

Zimmerman said the symphony plans to double the number of nights for its movie-score concert series next year, calling the movie shows “family friendly” and an “accessible entry point” for people new to orchestral music. He said the orchestra already draws out-of-area visitors: “we've got about 3,000 people coming from out of state or beyond 50 miles to come to our shows.”

The commission heard several reasons the symphony’s leadership believes expanding these offerings could lift tourism: arts tourists typically stay longer, spend more on hotels and dining, and return more often than average visitors, Zimmerman said. He cited national examples from Pittsburgh and Boston to illustrate a broader economic return, saying those orchestras show “a 4 to 1 return on investment” in economic-impact studies.

Zimmerman described other tactics to grow concert tourism: more collaborations with pop and local acts across genres (hip hop, country, rock), multi-day packages with hotels, and “uniquely Austin” programming that links the symphony with the city’s live-music brand. He also highlighted audience trends — including “classical curious” new attendees and crossover interest driven by film and video-game scores — as opportunities to broaden the orchestra’s market.

Commissioners asked about touring and offsite performances. Zimmerman said the orchestra’s mission covers “all of Central Texas” and that the symphony wants to “meet our community where they are” by playing both at the Long Center and at smaller venues and festivals, including cooperative programming with ACL and Red River Cultural District partners. He noted a ticket on-sale date for single tickets: August 7 (single-ticket sales at austinsymphony.org), and called out plans to approach venues and guest artists to create multi-day, visit-oriented experiences.

Zimmerman framed the effort as economic and cultural: the symphony is a nonprofit that seeks to be “of service to this community” while generating economic activity that supports the city. He answered commissioners’ questions about audience development, local partnerships and outreach to the tech sector as potential philanthropic and corporate partners.

The presentation concluded with commissioners expressing support and interest in cross-sector collaborations between the symphony, local festivals and hospitality partners.