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This post was written by the Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.

How are audience behaviours changing – and what does that mean for Ottawa’s arts and culture sector?

AudienceAmp Ottawa 2026 returns April 7 at Club SAW, bringing together local and national experts for a one-day forum on audience engagement and marketing, including an initial look at Ottawa’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) District.

This year’s theme, “Audience Shift: Fostering Deeper Connections with Today’s Audiences” explores how organizations can adapt to evolving expectations and build more meaningful relationships with their communities.

“Audiences aren’t connecting the same way anymore,” says event co-founder and Sprott School of Business instructor Carole Anne Piccinin. “AudienceAmp is about helping attendees make sense of that shift and giving them practical ways to respond.”

Bringing together leading voices from across Ottawa and Canada’s arts and culture research, and marketing sectors, AudienceAmp offers a focused day of insights, tools, and strategies grounded in the latest audience engagement research and real-world practice.

The line-up includes Alex Sarian (author, The Audacity of Relevance: Critical conversations on the future of arts and culture), Shannon Urie of the National Arts Centre, Nik Nanos (Nanos Research), alongside Frederic Julien from CAPACOA and Sho Sengupta, Spruce Creative, and leading local artists and organizations demonstrating excellence in audience engagement.

In a featured panel, Alexandra Badzak (Ottawa Art Gallery) joins Andrew Vincent (Spruce Creative) and Andrew Peck (Downtown Rideau BIA) to discuss the vision, brand, launch behind Ottawa’s new Arts, Culture and Entertainment district, a new city-building cultural initiative, and what it means for collaboration, visibility, and audience growth.

In addition, there will be a special panel on Audience Relationship Management in Practice: Tools & Strategic Applications. Expect the latest research insights, practical tools, and real-world examples to help strengthen audience connections at AudienceAmp Ottawa.

Who should attend

AudienceAmp is designed for:

Arts and culture organization leaders and marketers
Cultural tourism professionals
Artists and creatives
BIAs, community organizations, and associations
Anyone working to grow and engage arts and culture audiences

AudienceAmp will take place on Tuesday, April 7 at Club SAW in Ottawa. Tickets start at $55 for adults and $20 for students (includes lunch). For the full agenda and to register, visit Eventbrite.

Partners of AudienceAmp: Nanos Research, National Arts Centre | Centre national des Arts, Business / Arts, Sprott School of Business, SAW

About AudienceAmp Ottawa
AudienceAmp is Ottawa’s only one-day forum dedicated to arts and culture marketing and audience engagement. Developed in collaboration with sector partners, the event brings together research, strategy, and practical tools to help organizations build stronger, more meaningful audience connections.

This event is presented by the Marketing in Arts and Culture Sector Team at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business – instructors Carole Anne Piccinin and Victoria Steele.


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