Expand Your Dome. Expand Your Audience.
Dome and giant screen venues have more programming possibilities than ever. New projection systems, LED domes, immersive audio, live performance tools, and flexible content platforms have expanded what these spaces can do. But the bigger question is not what is possible. The bigger question is what is right for your venue, your audience, your mission, and your community.
This GSCA webinar will take a practical look at how theaters, planetariums, and immersive venues are making programming choices that expand their audiences and reshape how their institutions are perceived. The conversation will move beyond technology and focus on strategy: what venues are programming, why they are choosing it, what has worked, what has not, and what resources are required.
Panelists will share real-world examples of daytime and evening programming, including educational shows, immersive experiences, Hollywood films, music programs, live performances, cultural programming, sound baths, yoga, artist collaborations, and locally created content. The discussion will also explore how venues balance mission and revenue, how they manage audience expectations, and how alternative programming can attract visitors who may not otherwise think of a museum, science center, planetarium, or giant screen theater as a place for them.
This candid conversation will be especially useful for GSCA members considering how to activate their spaces in new ways, whether they have a new dome, an upgraded theater, or an existing venue they want to use more creatively.
Key Questions
- What programming choices are actually working in dome and immersive venues?
- How do venues decide what fits their audience and community?
- What is the right balance between mission, revenue, and experimentation?
- How can evening programming bring in new audiences?
- When does Hollywood content make sense?
- What can venues create themselves, and what should they license?
- How much staff, budget, and institutional support are required?
- How can less-resourced venues start small and build confidence?
- What lessons have venues learned from programs that did not work?
Format
This webinar will be a candid, moderator-led conversation with practical examples from the field. Each panelist will briefly introduce their venue, audiences, and programming goals before moving into a broader discussion about strategy, lessons learned, and opportunities for GSCA members.
The session will include time for attendee questions and shared examples through the chat, with the possibility of a follow-up conversation if members have additional stories or challenges to explore.
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