2023 was another exciting and productive year for Cuseum! We formed valuable partnerships with diverse and dynamic organizations around the globe, welcomed new team members to the Cuseum family, and unveiled even more innovative products, research, and solutions.
In the past 12 months, we collaborated with a wide range of cultural nonprofits, as well as organizations and businesses dedicated to serving their members, visitors, and guests. This included partnerships with museums, zoos, aquariums, science and nature centers, associations, botanical gardens, universities, and public attractions of different shapes and sizes.
Throughout the year, we launched cutting-edge digital solutions for membership, played a key role in shaping the art and culture sector, and continued to support our partner organizations. The year 2023 presented great opportunities and fostered even more meaningful connections. Our sincere gratitude goes out to everyone who played a part in this journey. 🎉
January
Cuseum kicked off the year by supporting organizations such as the University of Massachusetts Boston, Aspen Art Museum, Dyck Arboretum, Springfield Museums, Richard Nixon Foundation, Montpelier Foundation, and Stamford Museum & Nature Center in launching their digital membership programs.
Image: University of Massachusetts Boston, Source: shiksha.com
➡️ January also marked the launch of 2 new exciting features: enabling our partners to further customize email templates, and automatically resend Digital Membership Cards upon renewal or other milestones. We’ve developed these new features as part of our commitment to providing our customers with the freedom to self-serve and the tools to increase their success.
We wrapped up the month with our first Membership Mondays webinar of the year — “What Does Membership Look Like in 2023? Innovation & Engagement in the Year Ahead.” In this session, Cuseum joined with leaders from the Science Museum of Minnesota, Imagination Station, and Santa Barbara Zoo to share valuable strategies for increasing membership and enhancing engagement throughout 2023. We discussed ambitious goals, new ways to engage members, and innovative ways to generate revenue as we looked ahead at the ever-changing cultural landscape.
📺 Dive into the insights of “Membership Mondays: Unveiling Digital Engagement Strategies.” Watch here!
February
In February, Cuseum played a vital role in the launch of the digital membership programs at Harvard Art Museums, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Guild Hall, and Los Rios Community College District among others.
Image: Harvard Art Museums, Source: lesvants.com
⚙️Also this month, Cuseum’s CEO Brendan Ciecko authored the inaugural chapter of REBOOT, a special report published by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). This report kicked off the series “Reopenings: What Museums Learned Leading Through Crisis.” and leveraged data, multimedia, and real-world case studies to examine the innovative strategies employed by organizations during unprecedented times.
“REBOOT” focuses on how institutions turned challenges into opportunities, using emerging technologies to enhance community engagement. This publication lays the groundwork for a broader exploration of lessons learned, providing insights to help organizations prepare and innovate for a digital future.
🖼️ Get inspired by the “REBOOT” report to discover innovative strategies and lessons learned.
March
In March, we were thrilled to welcome several organizations, including the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, and RedLine Contemporary Art Center, to the Cuseum family.
Image: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Source: grouptourmagazine.com
🔌 This month also marked a pivotal moment with the unveiling of our new integration with Zapier – a feature that simplifies and extends Cuseum’s connection to hundreds of CRMs and systems. Cuseum’s expanded connections via Zapier include popular platforms like Bloomerang and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, making it even faster and simpler for more organizations to save time and money, all while increasing overall convenience for both them and their members.
⚡Explore the transformative power of Zapier Integration in our blog. Read more!
🤖Also in March, in response to the explosive interest and questions around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tools like ChatGPT, Cuseum’s Founder & CEO Brendan Ciecko was invited by leading tech publication VentureBeat to share his perspective on AI-generated art and media.
📖Read “Generative AI: Imagining a Future of AI-Dominated Creativity,” on VentureBeat.
April
In April, we collaborated with a variety of clients, including the National Comedy Center, Heritage Hill, Union Chapel, and Magazzino Italian Art Foundation to launch cutting-edge digital membership programs.
Image: National Comedy Center, Source: comedycenter.org
Also, during this month, our CEO Brendan Ciecko presented at MuseWeb in Washington DC on the “Impact of Virtual Programs on Revenue Generation for Cultural Organizations.” The conference brought together hundreds of museum professionals for discussion and comradery around the tech-driven future of the museums and cultural sector. 🤝
👉 For a more in-depth exploration of this topic and additional findings, you can access our comprehensive report. Download a free copy.
Cuseum also hosted a webinar on “Maximizing Membership Revenue in the Digital Era,” where Cuseum’s Dan Sullivan joined industry leaders from Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, Space Center Houston, Oakland Zoo, and Trustees of Reservations to share essential methods, trends, and practical tips for membership professionals.
📺Watch “Maximizing Membership Revenue in the Digital Era” here.
May
In May, Cuseum was proud to support organizations like Bass Museum of Art, Capital Jewish Museum, Texas A&M University Athletics, and Nikki Beach Miami with getting their digital membership initiatives off the ground.
Image: Bass Museum of Art, Source: thebass.org
✈️ Later this month, members of the Cuseum team flew to Denver for AAM’s Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo 2023, the largest and most widely attended museum conference in the country.
Image: AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo 2023, Source: AAM
Cuseum’s CEO led voices from the Norman Rockwell Museum, Museum from African Diaspora, Balboa Park Online Collaborative, and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum on a lively panel discussion. Together, they explored current trends in engagement, and strategies to monetize digital initiatives, and discussed the future of virtual programming in the digital age.
🗣 We also took part in a standout (standing room only!) session titled “The Power of Data-Driven Member Research to Drive Growth and Build Resilience.” This session, led by Dan Sullivan, Cuseum’s VP of Growth & Partnerships, along with Rosie Siemer of FIVESEED, provided a sneak peek into their groundbreaking research on member motivations.
📋 Check out our recap of AAM 2023 conference here.
✍ Closing out the month, Cuseum’s very own Dan Sullivan’s insightful article on museum membership was also featured in AAM’s Museum Magazine.
June
Countless new customers successfully initiated the switch to digital membership cards this month, including Missouri Botanical Garden, Society for Creative Anachronism, Citrus College, Artemizia, and Curatus.
Image: Missouri Botanical Garden, Source: theintelligencer.com
In June, we also hosted “Decoding Membership: Unveiling Hidden Motivations and Driving Engagement in Arts & Culture Organizations.” This webinar unveiled insights from the first phase of the Member Motivations Study, featuring voices from FIVESEED, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Salesforce, and BlueGator.
🔎 Interested in “decoding” membership? View the recording of this webinar recording here.
July
In July, we helped multiple organizations including the Corning Museum of Glass, American Bar Association, English-Speaking Union, Children’s Storybook Garden & Museum, Benson Hotel, and Bronx Museum of the Arts to get a running start with their digital membership initiatives.
Image: Corning Museum of Glass, Source: cmog.org
✈️ Cuseum headed to Boulder, Colorado, for CAMMP’s 2023 Alumni Conference. We had 3 intense days of learning and networking that kept us on our toes. Our conference booth was like a lively hub of excitement and our partnerships team was there to represent!
August
In August, we happily welcomed institutions such as The Ringling Museum, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Revolutionary Spaces, and many others to the Cuseum family. We successfully launched their digital membership cards and new ways for them to engage with constituents.
Image: Ringling Museum, Source: opalcollection.com
🚀 We made substantial performance improvements to our product, resulting in even faster generation, distribution, and updates to records. These enhancements aim to provide our partners with a quicker and smoother experience, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and continuous product improvements.
September
This month, we launched digital initiatives for the world-renowned American Museum of Natural History, Longview Museum of Fine Arts, Temple Beth-El, and 54 Below. We’re thrilled to help these organizations kick off their digital membership journey.
Image: American Museum of Natural History, Source: www.amnh.org
September also brought us to Columbus, Ohio for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Annual Conference in Columbus. Cuseum actively participated in AZA 2023 with insightful sessions, dynamic discussions, and collaborations with industry professionals.
✈️ Cuseum’s CEO & Founder, Brendan Ciecko was a keynote speaker at the 2023 ArtTech Forum held in Villars, Switzerland 🇨🇭. He presented about the progress and achievements of Cuseum over the past few years as well as shared his journey as an entrepreneur in the art and technology sector.
October
In October, Cuseum-powered digital initiatives went live for NYU Alumni Association, Pacific Whale Foundation, Young Affiliates of the Mint, West Indy Racquet Club, Haverford College Arboretum, and House of Victory, among many other exciting launches.
Image: New York University, Source: jamesgmartin.center
In other news, we rolled out major improvements to our support of Google Wallet, providing even more customization and personalization features. Building on the success of our work with Google Wallet, this enhancement brings more information upfront, simplifying things for members and enhancing accessibility for members. 🚀
Discover a smoother path to membership! Uncover all of the features of our Digital Membership Solution for a streamlined experience.
✈️ This month, we also headed to Denver for Blackbaud’s bbcon 2023 where Cuseum presented key insights on member engagement, digital programming, member benefits, and other trends in membership.
November
November was a celebration with many exciting launches with esteemed partners, including the world-famous Victoria & Albert Museum, Portland Art Museum, DC History Center, Design Museum Foundation, Van Vleck House & Gardens, Morgan Library & Museum, and Firstsite, to name a few.
Image: Victoria & Albert Museum, Source: vam.ac.uk
📝 We were also proud to present a new improvement that allows our customers to effortlessly edit individual member records without needing to sync back to their CRM. This enhancement empowers our customers with enhanced control and efficiency, all within Cuseum’s user-friendly interface.
Cuseum headed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in MCN 2023. This conference served as a valuable forum for inspiration, reflecting Cuseum’s dedication to staying connected and informed about the latest industry trends and fostering collaborations within the museum and cultural sector.
🌊Also this month, our Cuseum’s Dan Sullivan headed up to Portland, Maine for NEMA 2023 where he took the stage at the session titled “Game On: The Impact of Loyalty Programs on Engagement, Retention, and Revenue.” The talk highlighted the growing importance of loyalty programs and subscription-based models in fostering strong relationships and nurturing loyalty within museums and cultural organizations.
December
In the last month of the year, Cuseum showed no signs of slowing down with the launch of institutions like Air Zoo, Smart Museum of Art, Baseball Heritage Museum, and Palm Cay — but we also had a very special announcement…
🏆 December marked the launch of Cuseum’s newest product: Loyalty & Rewards Solution!
Cuseum’s new Loyalty & Rewards solution allows organizations to gain valuable data and insights from interactions with their stakeholders, empowering them to make informed decisions while cultivating long-lasting loyalty relationships and reducing member churn. We’re excited to raise the bar for member engagement and help our customers achieve new connections in the years to come.
Click here to boost members’ engagement and explore our Loyalty & Rewards Solution.
Stepping into 2024, we’re filled with anticipation for the exciting journey and opportunities this new year holds! ⭐
