SummerStage Announces New Twitter Account @SummerStage

Today, SummerStage announces its new home on Twitter: @SummerStage. Created in late March, the @SummerStage account has acquired almost 800 followers in less than two months and is currently on pace to crack a thousand before the festival's first shows on June 1 (Melody Gardot with The New York Pops in Central Park and Jay Electronica in Red Hook Park, Brooklyn).

@SummerStage will provide the newest information about changes and added special guests to the festival's extensive schedule of more than 100 performances from 250 artists in all five boroughs. SummerStage's Twitter feed will also provide information about entry to shows at our Rumsey Playfield location in Central Park

Rachel Black, the General Manager of SummerStage says that the festival is "always working harder to make getting in to see the shows as easy as possible. One of the most important parts of that puzzle is communication. That's where we think Twitter can help. Starting an hour prior to doors for Central Park SummerStage shows, the @SummerStage Twitter feed will update every fifteen minutes with our best on-site estimation as to the current wait time to enter the concert space. We hope this greater transparency will make it easier for concertgoers to plan appropriately."

@SummerStage has already given its Twitter followers an exclusive early first look at the complete SummerStage schedule and given away multiple pairs of guaranteed entry tickets for The Specials in Central Park on August 22 and St. Vincent in Central Park on August 1. Upcoming promotions include ticket giveaways to The xx in Central Park on August 8, Raphael Saadiq in Central Park on July 17, Pavement in Central Park on September 21 and Public Enemy in Central Park on August 15.

Nora Lanning, the head of SummerStage's Marketing department, calls the new Twitter account "a great opportunity for us to speak directly to our audience and an open channel to hear what our audience has to say. We'll be utilizing Twitter as our first response system to update the general public about our lineup, our stage and any surprise guests or special opportunities that present themselves over the course of the season. Our goal is to make our Twitter followers feel like true SummerStage insiders."

For our complete lineup, most up-to-date scheduling and information for all SummerStage programming, visit us on the web at http://www.SummerStage.org

City Parks Foundation (CPF) funds SummerStage. CPF is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.