Rick Lester

Rick built TRG Arts on a 30-year career in entertainment marketing. Since founding the firm in 1995 as Lester & Associates, Rick and his partners have developed TRG into America’s largest consulting company dedicated to arts and culture as well as the largest provider of cooperative programs like Chicago’s Community Cultural Database. Rick leads TRG’s counsel on patron behavior trends and their impact on patronage and revenue generation for organizations and communities. His pioneering work in demand management, pricing and cost-of-sale focus in marketing have become industry best practices. Hundreds of organizations in North America have generated successful revenue and audience results by following the data-driven strategies and counsel that Rick and his TRG colleagues recommend. He is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist nationwide and lead contributor to Analysis by TRG Arts, the firm’s blog on arts and cultural consumer behavior.