Portland Center Stage Selects Tessitura Software; Innovative & Proven Software Solution Meets the Needs of An Innovative Theatre Company.

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PORTLAND, Ore. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2003

Portland Center Stage determined that Tessitura was their choice for arts enterprise software the first time they saw it. They desired a significant upgrade from an old ticketing / fundraising system in order to better meet customer needs. Tessitura(TM) met all their specifications for an integrated software management system for box office operations, fundraising, reporting, marketing and customer relations management. In selecting Tessitura Software, Portland Center Stage joins numerous leading North American arts organizations including The Metropolitan Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Kennedy Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, City Center, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Opera, and the Center Theatre Group.

Tessitura, originally developed by the Metropolitan Opera for its own use, was implemented in 1998 and is now widely used in the arts field. Smeeta Sharon, who is responsible for Business Operations at the Met, noted that "The rapid acceptance of Tessitura by a growing number of arts organizations is highly gratifying. The Met designed Tessitura to enhance customer relationships, and improve business practices by efficiently driving revenue transactions and boosting fundraising productivity. The end result is organizational improvement. We are pleased to share this powerful technology with other arts organizations through our Impresario, L.L.C. subsidiary."

Now in its 16th season, Portland Center Stage is the city's largest professional theater company. A resident company of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, it is also an affiliate of the League of Regional Theatres, Actor's Equity Association and Theatre Communications Group. In May 2000, Portland Center Stage embarked on a period of dynamic change when its fourth artistic director, Chris Coleman, joined the company. With a new artistic vision that is vast, eclectic and committed to audience enrichment, Portland Center Stage dares to create theater that is as ravishing, innovative and thought-provoking as our wildest dreams.

Jack Rubin, business and marketing director for Tessitura and President of the Tessitura Network, commented, "Portland Center Stage quickly saw how Tessitura can improve customer relationships and business functions. They also determined that the Tessitura Network nonprofit business model is refreshing in a market primarily dominated by a few companies who earn large transaction fees from arts organizations or their customers. Licensees have been switching from competitive box office and fundraising systems since 2000 when the Metropolitan Opera started offering their proprietary system to other arts organizations under license. Tessitura takes 'constituent management' to another level. Customer service is considerably enhanced, customer retention is improved and fund raising and marketing campaigns are able to be more targeted and efficient. Tessitura licensees also receive an Internet interface that provides real time transaction capability."

About Tessitura(TM)

Tessitura is an enterprise software application that enables an integrated approach to "constituent management" for arts organizations. Using a single database of information, the system empowers the user organization to record, track and manage all contacts with its constituents, conduct highly targeted and cost-efficient marketing and fund raising appeals, handle all ticketing and membership transactions and provide detailed and flexible performance reports. Besides seamlessly providing efficient business, ticketing and development department operations, a key benefit of the system is its ability for relationship managers to have a full view of each constituent -- their history, preferences and all contacts with the institution. Tessitura is owned by Impresario, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Metropolitan Opera.