Business Strategy and Operations Plan (2007 - present)

The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation and development of the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. The theater will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009 and has been operating as a not-for-profit organization since 1991.  AMS was engaged by the Apollo Theater Foundation to assist Board and professional leadership in developing a successful strategy for operations once the theater completes a $68 million capital campaign and renovation in 2011.

The Apollo is unique in New York City's pantheon of cultural institutions. It is both an essential community asset, anchoring the 125th Street cultural corridor with vibrant live performances and educational programs and an internationally recognized brand that includes the world-renowned Amateur Night at the Apollo. The "Apollo Experience" is appreciated by residents, visitors and leading artists across Harlem and around the world.

AMS was charged with addressing questions about how best to achieve an ambitious vision, leverage the institution's history, facility and brand, understand the marketplace and develop institutional capacity. AMS conducted a Situation Analysis and Environmental Scan, led Defining Successs workshops, developed multiple operating scenarios, provided support to the Apollo's management team, facilitated Board workshops and developed a detailed business plan. The result is a sophisticated strategy which recognizes the complex relationship between mission, business model and operating structure and the local and national environment in which a company operates. As part of the on-going consulting engagement, the Apollo Theater Foundation has re-organized its organizational structure, developed new partnerships to leverage its brand, attracted new partners to its facility, developed new strategies to expand its reach and impact and has begun to build its internal capabilities.