Do not index
Do not index
Happy New Year! We’ve kicked off with a reflection on 2023. Last year was a chapter of growth, innovation, and new collaborations for ARTSVP, and in this wrap-up blog post, we invite you to join us in recapping the journey. We’ve gained some wonderful new clients, hit some huge milestones and are more dedicated to the world of Arts and Culture than ever before. Let's relive the excitement and growth that have defined our collective efforts over the past twelve months.
A New Direction: Art Fairs
In the past year, we proudly shifted our focus to a specific sector of the art world—Art Fairs. By honing in on this particular niche, we've not only streamlined our efforts but have also gained a profound understanding of the complexities within it. This approach has allowed us to prioritise the quality of our service and understand the nuances of art fair operations far more effectively.
Being able to gather feedback from tens of thousands of guests in just a few days has had a huge impact on how quickly we make decisions and improve our features. We can't wait to roll out even more exciting updates to the platform in the next year, and we want to give a big shoutout to all our clients who have spent countless hours helping us make our offering even better.
Highlights of the year
Exhibitor Portals
A significant milestone and game-changer this year was the launch of Exhibitor Portals. A completely unique, industry-first release. These portals empower participating galleries in art fairs to generate unique, single-use invites and distribute them directly to their clients via our platform. Galleries can now not only take control of the personalisation of invites, but also see when bookings are made and even get notified when their guests enter the building.
We have already witnessed numerous fairs experiencing significant improvements in their operations with Portals. Some examples include the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London and the Independent Art Fair in New York. We eagerly anticipate many more clients rolling them out in 2024 and have already planned some exciting updates due to roll out in the next few months.
Software Updates
Based on client feedback, we've enhanced our dashboard and features. In refining our onboarding process, we've focused on UI improvements to enhance platform intuitiveness.
Some highlights of 2023
- Sending Invites - Clients can send invites directly from ARTSVP without needing to download links and perform mail-merge. This has save hundres of hours and stress from our existing clients.
- Gallery Portals w/ Activity Feed - Galleries and exhibitors can now mange their own invites and see when their guests have booked and arrive at the fair.
- Waitlist - When an event is full, clients can join a waitlist that allows the organiser to later accept extra bookings
- API V2 - A bit techy - see docs here
- Apple Wallet - All tickets can now be added to Apple and Google Wallet on all bookings.
- Analytics & Data Visualization - Something we will continue to develop in 2024, providing real time insights to our clients.
- Contacts - Clients can now upload their contacts, create lists and send invites in less steps than ever.
Some Stats
In 2023 we worked with 27 Art Fairs
519,693 guests have booked to attend events in the last 12 months
ARTSVP clients have distributed 475,740 invites
Since the launch in the late Spring with a select group of client 364 portals have been created
Over $2.2 million in ticket sales processed
Building Connections: Partnerships, Collaborations and Interviews
This year has been filled with exciting collaborations that fostered a closer contact with our clients. These collaborations have not only strengthened our professional relationships but have also allowed us to better understand the unique needs and aspirations of our clients.
We’ve been partnering with bigger scale events such as London Gallery Weekend or Atlanta Art Week, actively supporting and advising on their setups.
This year we've also had the pleasure of conversing with some of our esteemed clients, such as The Koppel Project, and other art-world luminaries like Pauline Loeb, the founder of artfairmag.com. An upcoming interview with Nazy Vassegh, the founder of Eye of the Collector, promises to offer a unique perspective. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to delve into this interview in the coming months.
Team Meetings in person
2023 presented us with more opportunities than ever to meet in person. Despite our geographically dispersed work environment, characterised by remote interactions on a daily basis, we recognise the intrinsic value of face-to-face connections. Throughout the past year, we dedicated more efforts to meet as a complete team or in smaller, location-specific groups whenever feasible. Between Portugal, England and Spain, these invaluable in-person encounters not only strengthened our professional bonds but also added a layer of human connection to our collaborative efforts, contributing to the overall success and vibrancy of the ARTSVP team.
Some of our activities as a team in 2023:
- Visited Art Fairs in London
- Ran Half Marathon in Lisbon
- Coasteering activity in Algarve, Portugal
- Participated to Web Summit’s conference in Lisbon
- Tapas nights in Madrid
Goals for next year
After refining our offerings to better meet the needs of our clients, we're setting ambitious goals for the upcoming year. One key objective is to expand our talented team, bringing in fresh perspectives and expertise to further elevate our services. Moreover, we aspire to scale up our operations and, more significantly, extend our reach to connect with a broader audience. We're enthusiastic about the prospect of growing our presence into new geographical areas and making a positive impact on an even larger scale.
Upcoming art fairs we're working with
We are now eagerly anticipating the new fairs we will be collaborating with in 2024 over the next few months:
• 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, February 8-11, 2024, Marrakech. Dedicated to art from Africa and its diaspora. The program includes events and gatherings across Marrakech that celebrate the rich cultural landscape of the city.
• Frieze Los Angeles, February 28 - March 3, 2024. Santa Monica Airport. Fifth edition with new public spaces, a new Focus director, and new local and international exhibitors.
• Felix Art Fair, February 28 - March 3, 2024. Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles. An art fair created with the intention to foster intimate experiences that prioritise conversation, collaboration, and community.
• Collect, February 28 - March 3, 2024. Somerset House, London. The leading international art fair for contemporary craft and design is going to celebrate 20 years this edition.
• Collectible, 7 - 10 March 2024. Vanderborght Building, Brussels. Platform specialised in 21st century design for the showcase and discovery of the best in collectible design.
• Dallas Art Fair, April 4 - 7, 2024. In the heart of the downtown arts district, the fair offers the opportunity to engage with a rich selection of modern and contemporary artworks presented by leading national and international galleries.
• Plural: Montreal Contemporary Art Fair, April 12 - 14, 2024. Celebrates the best of contemporary art in Canada. Formerly known as the Papier Art Fair, Plural is organised by the Contemporary Art Galleries Association.
• Fairs in New York this spring
◦ Independent
◦ NADA
◦ Future Fair
◦ Photography Show
◦ Frieze New York
• Market Art Fair, 17–19 May 2024. Spritmuseum, Stockholm. Initiated by galleries representing the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the fair has become a trusted meeting and market place in the heart of the Nordic art industry.
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