VINELAND — Officials with the Landis Theater Performing Arts Center are proposing a discount plan that they say will benefit the entertainment facility and local businesses.
Part of the plan involves businesses giving discounts to customers who show a ticket stub from the Landis.
The second part involves the theater giving special codes to businesses. Theater customers can then get a 10 percent discount on a ticket if they mention the code.
“The idea is to develop a better relationship with the theater and the businesses,” said Robert Dragotta, the Landis Theater’s interim executive director. “At the moment, there is no communication with the businesses about the Landis, and vice versa. It would be nice to do a supportive program where everybody wins.”
Building a relationship between the theater and local merchants, especially those in the downtown Landis Avenue business district, is something officials with Appel Farm Arts & Music Center said they want to do. Appel Farm is taking over theater operations in September, with some staff moving into the theater next month.
Officials with the Landis Theater Foundation said Appel Farm’s decades of work in the entertainment field will give the theater the professional operational staff that it has not had since it reopened in May 2010. That staff should turn around the theater’s financial condition, which was so bad that it could not pay staff or bills and had to ask city officials for a $500,000 line of credit to prevent the facility from closing.
City officials said the theater and the nearby Landis MarketPlace are crucial to turn the downtown Landis Avenue business district into a dining and entertainment destination.
Dragotta said the theater is currently sending email to local businesses to determine how many want to participate in the discount program. Participating businesses can set their own discount, although the theater is suggesting the discount be set at 10 percent, he said.
“It’s just in the beginning stages,” he said.
Dragotta said the discount program is not something new, and has been used in other locations — such as Media, Pa. — with much success.
“The more people we can get involved looking at what’s at the theater, the better off everybody will be,” he said.
Businesses interested in participating in the program can call the theater at 856-691-1121.
Contact Thomas Barlas:
609-226-9197
