A Standing Ovation: L.E.K.'s pro bono project helps Boston's Boch Center identify and engage the next generation of performing arts fans

L.E.K. Consulting completed a pro bono strategy project on behalf of Boston's Boch Center to help the nonprofit performing arts organization. The center is home to theater, classical and popular music, opera, musicals, dance and other performing arts. It also runs numerous education and community outreach initiatives and collaborations designed to inspire appreciation for art, culture and creativity. The Boch Center is located in Boston's theater district, about a mile from L.E.K.'s Boston headquarters. The firm brought to bear its expertise in strategy and entertainment to help create a roadmap for the Boch Center to expand its connection with millennial and younger audiences and philanthropists, says L.E.K. Managing Director and Boston office head Rob Haslehurst, a consumer-sector Partner at L.E.K. who co-led the project, which took place earlier this year. Consulting caught up with Haslehurst to discuss the project.

Consulting: Can you tell me a little bit about how this pro bono project came to be?

Haslehurst: L.E.K. does about four pro bono projects a year because we like to work on meaningful projects, in the cities where are offices are located. In this case, there's a member of our staff on the business development scene and before business school he had a role in the Boston arts scene and he was part of the Metropolitans Program at the Boch Center, which is essentially their young professionals program. When he spoke to the leadership team there he was aware that they could use some help around how they interacted and connected with younger members of the Arts community. We had some internal discussions about it and reached out to the center and had some conversations about it and eventually worked with them to develop the scope of the project and what we could bring to the Boch Center.