Behind The Scenes Of Bravo
by Ingrid Hoffmeister

Billed in the past as Celebrating Arts & Business Partnerships, Bravo San Diego has been bringing the arts and business and civic leaders together since 1999. The organizers of the elegantly packaged evening have so far — at least on the surface — made all the right moves, aligning themselves with San Diego’s nobility and fashionable set, making it a not-to-be-missed black-tie affair. Guests stroll around the first three floors of The Westgate Hotel, watching 72 performing arts groups — until this year, all members of San Diego Performing Arts League (PAL) — on more than 15 stages. As many as 60 of San Diego’s finest restaurants donate food and drink for the upwards of 1,500 guests.

But lately there has been a faint backbeat to the vibrant performances, a collective whisper about Bravo’s leadership, financing, and focus. Many attendees have been confused about who exactly receives funds raised, and how much income is channeled back into the event. Many thought the event benefited the evening’s performers. Others figured the money went directly to performing arts groups throughout San Diego. Both assumptions were wrong.

Between 1999 and 2003, proceeds from Bravo supported the programs of PAL, which matches arts organizations with volunteer business professionals. Toni Robin, marketing and public relations director for PAL, states that as a service organization that acts as a kind of chamber of commerce for the performing arts, it provides programs and services to its members — but not funding. The donated proceeds from Bravo actually help PAL pay personnel, since their programs are very staff-intensive.

The firm number of accrued proceeds, however, lies somewhere in a land of confusion. Preston Turegano, arts and entertainment writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, clarified in his November 21, 2003 article that such an extravaganza does not come cheap, writing that “League financial records indicate the first four Bravo San Diego’s generated $1,048,374 in income, but cleared $529,533 after expenses totaling $518,841.” Rob Appel, producer and director of the event until 2003, stated in an interview in the October 2003 issue of this magazine, that Bravo raised a net total of $542,000 over the same four years. This leaves a $12,467 differential between his figures and those of Turegano’s article.

This on top of recent figures claiming $727,000 combined net proceeds through 2003. Which means they made around $200,000 net in 2003, a year when attendance was lower than previous years.

Along with inconsistent income statements comes speculation that commitments to performers were not honored. Approximately 25 of last year’s performing groups did not receive the $250 honorarium designated to participants. Alan Ziter, former executive director of PAL, commented by telephone, saying, “We had 50 performing slots that received honorariums — but the response to participate was so overwhelming that 25 artists agreed to perform for nothing, just to participate in the event.”

In January of this year, PAL stated in a press release it will no longer be involved in Bravo in order to focus all efforts on their core mission of helping their members.

“Bravo San Diego has been a very effective tool for connecting the arts and business communities,” says current PAL president Andrew Brooks. “We are very pleased with what we have accomplished. Now, we are focusing our efforts on the League’s core priorities: selling tickets through Arts Tix and Arts Tix Online, increasing attendance and visibility for the performances of our member organizations, and providing a variety of services that assist with their organizational development.”

And so begins the 2004 Bravo event. Though founded under the informality of a gentleman’s handshake, this year that gentleman’s handshake has been exchanged for incorporation into a nonprofit organization with a board of directors. As a 501(c3), the board will meet quarterly to monitor the progress of the Bravo Steering Committee.

Bravo’s new executive director, Ron deHarte, believes some of the past public misconceptions regarding funding stem not from intent toward malice, but rather a rapid evolution of the event, “Bravo is an interesting phenomenon. The community looked at Bravo as an all-inclusive event that represented the performing arts in San Diego — not as an event for raising funds for a specific Business for the Arts program. The problem is, Bravo became bigger than the organization — it took on a life of its own.”

Under deHarte’s guidance during this first year in its break from affiliation with PAL, Bravo is establishing the Bravo San Diego Performing Arts Fund. A portion of the fund’s interest earnings will be distributed to eligible organizations each year. Nonprofit organizations whose primary function is “To create, perform, present or otherwise promote theatre, music and dance in San Diego,” may apply. The remaining sum will stay in the fund until it reaches $1 million, when an arts endowment is to be established. This year, deHarte would like to raise $50,000 net.

Honorariums are to increase dramatically to $1,000 per group, and Bravo welcomes all nonprofit groups to participate in auditions (in previous years, all performing participants had to be members of PAL). The cost to host the event at the Westgate remains the same. But according to deHarte, the deal is good. “Fifty thousand dollars is given to the hotel for the event, but it provides $120,000 worth of services. It is a labor-intensive week and the hotel utilizes their entire staff over a number of days to facilitate the event.” Going on to shed further light on cost-related issues, he says, “I am an independent contractor with a ten-month contract at $5,200 a month. We also give a total of $45,000 in honorariums to support production crews, as we have 72 performing groups on 16 stages all requiring sound, lights, etc. Beginning in September, we shall employ a support person for three months and a fundraiser. Everyone else is a volunteer.”

For many, these new organizational clarifications and changes should go a long way toward assuaging notions of foul play. For others, all the past confusion has created a stigma, and there remains concern over income, spending, and actual arts impact. Some performing groups are reluctant to participate, with their doors and mouths tightly closed and words like “off the record” or “remaining anonymous” leaking out as the mantra of the moment. It appears that fear of reprisal in the form of “not receiving grants” plays a role in this reticence.

On the flip side, not everyone’s pleased with the change in affiliation. Mainly Mozart’s director of administration Dalouge Smith says, “We will not be participating this year. With the withdrawal of PAL, our board did not see enough benefit. As members of PAL, we have in the past received a variety of benefits and services and participated because it was a direct program of PAL.”

With new efforts being put forth and past concerns still abounding, the 6th annual Bravo extravaganza on November 20 will once again take place at the Westgate, and will include 72 performing arts groups and more than 65 food and wine stations.

Says deHarte, “What is so important is that the gala event remains true to [the original] vision of providing an exceptional function for matching business leaders with the performing arts community. There is no better platform for artists to expose their talents to the business and corporate community.”