The 2022 Visitor Experience Conference was sponsored by Gateway Ticketing Systems.
Keynote Address by Kendra Greendeer
Kendra Greendeer, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and descendant of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, is a Ph.D. candidate in Art History and a Paul Mellon Guest Predoctoral Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Her dissertation “Rematriating Indigeneity in Contemporary Native American Arts” explores the work of contemporary Native women artists’ and their creations as expressions and enactments
of Indigenous place that work to restructure colonial spaces, including the museum.
Keynote Address sponsored by ACME Ticketing & Social Good
Presentations
Starting From Scratch:
A Museum Metamorphosis
In December of 2020, the Delaware Museum of Natural History closed for the last time and in May of 2022, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science opened in its place. In this session, we will share the story of our Museum Metamorphosis, from a complete redesign of the entire museum to a full rebranding to a brand new guest experience philosophy.
Takeaways:
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The knowledge that change isn't as scary as you think, and it is necessary for growth and survival
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Tangible advice for navigating major construction projects
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Insight into strategic planning involved in an undertaking of this scale
Objectives:
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Give an honest depiction of what it took to take the museum down to the studs and start over
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Share tips for keeping the mission alive without a physical space
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Encourage institutions to be willing to change anything and everything to better serve their guests
TL;DR - We redesigned, rebranded, & renamed our museum and started over from scratch.
Engaging Museum Visitors in Research:
Lessons Learned from a National Social Impact Study
The Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) team will explore the importance of measuring museum social impact and tools soon available. MOMSI host museums will then share their visitor recruitment and selection process, how they retained visitors for the study, and lessons learned from participating in the project.
Takeaways:
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Attendees will understand current developments in measuring museum social impact and increase their understanding of social science research methods.
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Attendees will explore the successes and challenges of engaging community members at their museums, especially as it pertains to research.
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Attendees will learn about a social impact toolkit that will soon be available and how they can use social impact data for strategic changes in their own museums.
Objectives:
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Attendees will learn about a national social impact study and explore social impact data.
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Attendees will hear how museums recruited visitors for a national research study, including successes and challenges in community outreach and engagement.
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Attendees will learn what incentives museums used to encourage visitor engagement in a research study.
TL;DR - Learn how your museum can measure social impact & hear about the successes and challenges faced by museums currently engaging in this work.
"All in Favor..." Community Engagement & Realizing Your Capital Projects
When Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida launched its strategic vision of Innovating for a Greener Future with a new master plan to preserve and protect the world's only living museum dedicated to the study of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and other tropical plants, community engagement was key! With Phase 1 currently under construction, Overland shares strategies for engagement that build consensus, collaboration, and investment across public and private sectors for capital projects.
Takeaways:
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Choosing the Right Partner - Why it matters and evaluating what matters most
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High-level understanding of Overland's Human Handprint™ Methodology and how it creates a framework for community engagement, consensus-building and setting a unified vision with diverse stakeholders
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Strategies, technology and tools for successfully navigating the public/private process to gain approval and move into construction on Phase 1 of the master plan
Objectives:
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The future of our civic and cultural treasures relies on participation, collaboration and investment across public, private and non-governmental sectors to not only preserve and protect, but innovate and create places that invite, educate and enrich the lives of people today and generations to come.
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Cities have grown up around historic civic and cultural places. Community engagement that invites diverse voices, perspectives, ideas and feedback yields better design outcomes and sustainable, inclusive places that enrich the community's cultural, social and economic fabric and protect the earth.
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Introduce Overland's Human Handprint™ methodology and how it provides a framework for guiding complex projects, community engagement and consensus-building across the 5 pillars of aspiration, inspiration, relationships, stewardship and well-being, particularly for our non-profit clients in the areas of civic, cultural, social good and educational sectors.
TL;DR - Overland’s work with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens brought the community together around a unified vision of innovating for a greener future and preserving this urban oasis in downtown Sarasota.
How to go From Intern to Manager - Pandemic Optional
Going from a student internship to a visitor experience manager is hard on its own, but trying to during a pandemic presents a whole new set of challenges. Learn how the Rock Hall navigated COVID through someone who experienced it during a unique period of accelerated personal and professional growth.
Takeaways:
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Nothing is accomplished alone
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Every challenge is an opportunity
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Find what centers you
Objectives:
To demonstrate how individuals can:
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Flourish under the right mentors
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Find comfort outside of their comfort zone
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Empower a team by empowering themselves
TL;DR - Learn how institutions navigated COVID through the eyes of folks who experienced the joys and challenges of accelerated growth.
Using Data to Speak the Visitor Story and Trends
We use data in someway shape or form for our everyday work. Find out how we can also use data to leverage with decision makers and assess the future of our institution alongside a new strategic plan and what visitorship will propel to.
Takeaways:
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Learning how to easily use data and tell a compelling story at the same time.
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How to get your leadership to care of the data and use it in things such as strategic plans and decision making.
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How to ensure more voices are heard and understanding the data from top down.
Objectives:
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How to turn data into a compelling story from the visitor experience standpoint for the whole institution to understand.
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What data should we be looking at and how can we make it relevant to what is going on in our institution today.
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How to leverage our institution to look, use, and ask for the data being presented on behalf of the visitor experience.
TL;DR - Using data to tell stories for the frontline and excecutives. Use these stories and data points to support strategic plans and the constant evolution of visitorship.
Put your Donor Data to Work! Using Data and Digital Tools to Improve Donor Acquisition
Are you leveraging the full power of your donor data? Learn how to use data you already have to unlock your donor acquisition potential. Combined with digital marketing tools and best practices, discover tactics for strategically growing your donor base with ease.
Takeaways:
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Marketing best practices related to personas, data appends, and social media targeting
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Data-informed strategies for identifying new prospective donors
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Tips for time-saving strategies for donor acquisition
Objectives:
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Analyze and leverage their own donor data to craft fundraising strategies,
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Learn digital marketing best practices related to donor acquisition.
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Identify areas for improvement in their existing donor acquisition tactics.
TL;DR - Combine your existing donor data with marketing best practices to grow your donor base and increase revenue.
Critical Investment: Creating Career Pathways for Frontline Staff
Every institution's greatest asset is their frontline team and every institution's most critical challenge is to create opportunity for the pool of talented people carrying visitor experiences. In this session we will share the Barnes innovative approach to frontline staff development by introducing you to our internal Pathways Program with a focus on our Gallery Specialist role and look at how incentivizing employment boosts morale, establishes department stability, retains employees, and creates the mental bandwidth for positive visitor engagement.
Takeaways:
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Renewed respect for the labor of frontline workers
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Share senior leadership buy-in strategies
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Attendees will learn about a social impact toolkit that will soon be available and how they can use social Actionable items to incentivize a department
Objectives:
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Demo career exposure and development programs
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Examine your employees' dynamics, culture, and particular needs to determine areas to incentivize
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Share frontline success stories