Cuseum’s CEO & Founder, Brendan Ciecko, was recently featured on Blooloop’s premiere “50 Museum Influencers” list, and we couldn’t be more proud. Blooloop’s 2020 list is designed to “shine a spotlight on 50 people whose innovation and creativity are helping museums through this uniquely challenging time.”
Creating a Seamless Visitor Journey in the Age of Coronavirus
With the escalation and continued risks of COVID-19, the traditional process of visiting museums and cultural attractions has transformed in many ways. As visitor-facing sites are beginning to reopen, many are finding that they have to rethink the visitor journey end-to-end in order to facilitate a seamless, contactless experience.
In the pre-visit phase, guests may be doing significantly more research and preparation for their visit, even reserving tickets and parking passes in advance to avoid onsite contact. Once onsite, previous experiences, like touch screens interactives, shared audio guides, and hands-on activities, now pose high risks, and guests are seeking contactless alternatives. Post-visit, the need to follow up with visitors, solicit feedback, and convert them into members and donors is more pressing than ever.
In thinking through the evolving visitor journey in the era of Coronavirus, there are a number of challenges and potential solutions to consider. Here, we will explore how you can reimagine every phase of the visitor journey to adapt to changes and set your organization up for success when re-welcoming guests.
Webinar Highlights: Alumni Engagement in the Era of Coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of alumni relations, sparking new questions and concerns, as well as opportunities for alumni associations. Since the escalation of Coronavirus, traditional methods for alumni engagement, such as class reunions, sporting events, tailgates, homecoming, in-person social events, alumni chapter meetups, and networking opportunities have been cancelled. In response, alumni associations are pivoting to digital and virtual strategies to keep alumni engaged and actively involved.
Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Jennifer Chambers (Assistant Vice President, Lifelong Learning @ Duke Alumni), Veronica Dominguez (Associate Director of Alumni Engagement @ UTSA Alumni Association), & Serena Bettis (Coordinator of Alumni and Parent Relations @ Southwestern University Alumni) as they do a deep dive into shifting alumni engagement tactics. This webinar will explore many aspects of digital engagement, including virtual events, programs, and networking opportunities, as well as digital communications.
Here are the main takeaways:
Webinar Highlights: Membership Mondays: Preparing Your Team for the New Normal
In response to the challenges and changes related to COVID-19, museum closures, and, now, museum reopenings, one of the greatest challenges membership and visitor relations leaders have faced is preparing their teams for the new normal. From reorganizing teams to meet new demands, training frontline staff, and preparing staff for new protocols onsite, managing a team amidst a pandemic is no small task!
Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Usha Subramanian (Senior Director of Membership and Visitor Services @ Field Museum), Jill Hammons, Director of Membership @ USS Midway Museum), and Kelsey Enderle (Director of Guest Services @ Cincinnati Museum Center) as they talk through successes, challenges, and strategies for preparing your team for this “new normal.” This webinar will be particularly focused on membership and visitor services.
Here are the main takeaways.
Webinar Highlights: Small But Mighty: Navigating The New Normal As A Small Or Mid-Sized Museum
Now, more than three months after lockdown began, museums are gradually beginning to reopen their doors to visitors. While cultural organizations face many common hurdles, small and mid-sized institutions, with fewer staff and resources, may be facing unique challenges around this “new normal”. Many may be concerned that they lack the budgets and bandwidth needed to implement necessary changes, like contactless experience design and new digital initiatives.
This Wednesday, around 800 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), John Echeveste (CEO @ LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes), Maryam Nabi (Director of Marketing & Communications @ Conservatory of Flowers), & Rich Bradway (Director of Digital Learning and Engagement @ Norman Rockwell Museum) as they talked through strategies to navigate the new normal as a smaller cultural institution, doing a deep dive into the unique challenges that small to mid-sized organizations face.
Watch the full recording here.
Here are some of the main takeaways.
Webinar Transcript: Small But Mighty: Navigating The New Normal As A Small Or Mid-Sized Museum
Now, more than three months after lockdown began, museums are gradually beginning to reopen their doors to visitors. While cultural organizations face many common hurdles, small and mid-sized institutions, with fewer staff and resources, may be facing unique challenges around this “new normal”. Many may be concerned that they lack the budgets and bandwidth needed to implement necessary changes, like contactless experience design and new digital initiatives.
Join Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), John Echeveste (CEO @ LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes), Maryam Nabi (Director of Marketing & Communications @ Conservatory of Flowers), & Rich Bradway (Director of Digital Learning and Engagement @ Norman Rockwell Museum) as they talk through strategies to navigate the new normal as a smaller cultural institution, doing a deep dive into the unique challenges that small to mid-sized organizations face.
View the full transcript below.
Coronavirus: The Unexpected Driver of Digital Innovation at Museums and Cultural Attractions
COVID-19 brought much of the world to a standstill. As the government implemented stay at home orders, museums and tourist attractions dutifully closed their doors. After the initial days and weeks of closures, what seemed like a temporary situation began to set in as a new reality, and new concerns seized the attention of the entire cultural industry – what will the future hold?
Webinar Transcript: Exploring the Future of Museums in the Era of Coronavirus
Two months ago, the escalation of the coronavirus crisis forced many museums and cultural institutions to close their doors to visitors. In response, many organizations shifted their efforts to engaging visitors through digital platforms, many making impressive pivots and accelerating their digital transformations. Now, as museums prepare to reopen and plan for the near and long term future, new concerns are seizing the attention of the entire cultural industry – what will the future hold? Will there be new business and engagement models? And what does the physically-distanced museum experience look like?
Last Wednesday, more than 3,600 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Franklin Sirmans (Director @ Pérez Art Museum Miami), Karen Wong (Deputy Director @ New Museum) & Lath Carlson (Executive Director @ Museum of the Future) as they evaluated the profound impacts of coronavirus and offered insights about what the future will hold for museums.
View the video recording here.
Read the full transcript below.
5 Things to Keep in Mind as You Prepare to Reopen Your Museum
In the past few weeks, we’ve examined tips and strategies for planning for reopening, how to create a “contactless” museum experience, and how leveraging a mobile app can help museums engage their visitors in a safe way upon reopening. Although there still isn’t any one-size-fits-all approach, by learning from the triumphs and challenges of organizations that have already reopened, museums can equip themselves to initiate smooth reopenings.
Read on to get the latest tips on reopening:
Webinar Transcript: Membership Mondays: Membership Marketing, Audience Shifts & Community, Engagement Shifts after Coronavirus
After almost two months of coronavirus closures, many museums and cultural organizations are preparing to welcome visitors and members back. However, while organizations may be reopening, many are doing so in a graduated way and facing new challenges. In particular, many are realizing that tourism will be down for quite some time, which has the potential to profoundly affect admissions and membership revenue. At the same time, cultural organizations may have renewed appeal to local audiences as the world embraces a “stay local” or “staycation” mentality for the foreseeable future.
Last Monday, 1,600 people joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Tim O’Connell (Director of Membership & Annual Giving @ North Carolina Museum of Art), Julie Knight (Director of Membership @ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), Sewon Barrera (Digital Marketing Manager @ Exploratorium) & Daniel Vincent (Director of Membership @ Trustees of Reservations) as they discussed shifts in audiences and membership marketing strategy in light of coronavirus. The webinar addressed how organizations can reorient the value propositions of membership and double down on local audience development to survive and thrive in the coronavirus era.
Watch the full recording here.
Read the full transcript below.
Webinar Transcript: Experimenting with New Digital Revenue Streams On the Road to Reopening
Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums, zoos, and cultural attractions to close their doors, many have admirably turned their attention to new digital content projects, virtual public programs, and online events to help keep audiences engaged. Now, after two months of closures, many organizations are also beginning to monetize these digital initiatives through entrance fees, “pay what you wish” models, and other methods. Even as organizations open their doors (or plan to open their doors) to visitors once again, many are finding that the reduced capacity and restrictions on physical events and summer camps are placing greater importance on generating revenue through digital engagement initiatives.
On May 13, 2020, over 3,300 museum professionals joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Michelle Mileham (Director of Education @ Tracy Aviary), Christian Ramirez (Public Programs Manager @ Phoenix Art Museum) & Laura Houston (Director of Education @ Elmwood Park Zoo) as they explored various ways to monetize virtual programming and digital offerings. This webinar explored ways to monetize traditional programming that has been shifted to digital platforms, as well as creative ideas that have generated new revenue streams. This discussion also addressed some of the challenges related to reopening that cultural organizations are continuing to face.
Watch the video recording here.
Read the full transcript below:
How Mobile Apps can Help with Social Distancing and Safety for your Museum’s Reopening
One effective way to support social distancing and facilitate a safe reopening at your museum is by adopting a mobile app visitors can use on their own device. Such an app can serve as an all-in-one place to communicate health and safety information, welcome visitors, provide audio and mixed media experiences, and assist in contactless revenue generation.
Read on to learn four ways a mobile app can help enable a safe reopening and assure the safety of your staff and visitors:
Webinar Transcript: Membership Mondays: Reimagining Revenue Streams & Events
Due to COVID-19, many museums and cultural organizations are facing significant disruptions to revenue with the absence of gate attendance and on-site purchases. From membership extensions, halted acquisition campaigns, canceled events, to public funding cuts, many other traditional revenue streams have also been interrupted. Even as organizations prepare to reopen and welcome members back, traditional events and other common revenue sources may be diminished or even off the table entirely for quite some time.
Despite the challenges, by rethinking the membership business model, initiating virtual events, and seeking out new revenue opportunities, membership departments and cultural institutions have the potential to bounce back, and membership can continue to be a primary revenue stream.
Over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Claire Byfield (Membership Manager: Engagement @ British Museum), Tom Knowles (Membership Events Manager @ British Museum) & Rosie Siemer (Founder & CEO @ FIVESEED Membership Consulting) as they discussed how membership, revenue, and events can be reimagined to bolster museums and ensure their financial health going into the future.
Webinar Highlights: Membership Mondays: Planning For Reopening After Coronavirus
Over the past several months, museums have been occupied with adapting to widespread coronavirus closures. Membership professionals have worked hard to adjust their communication, messaging, and membership fulfillment strategies, while continuing to reinforce the value of membership while physical sites are closed. Now, approaching two months into closures, many cultural organizations are beginning to think about plans for reopening, and some have already begun. What strategies, workflows, and policies can help facilitate a safe and successful reopening?
On May 4, 2020, over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Meghan McCauley (Director of Membership and Visitor Services @ Perez Art Museum Miami), Aidan Vega (Director of Membership @ Philadelphia Museum of Art), Laura Schmid (Membership Manager @ Cincinnati Nature Center), & Kristi Masterson (Director of Engagement and Operations @ Cincinnati Nature Center) as they discussed the steps and process of reopening. This conversation included voices from organizations that have already opened to members, as well as those planning to do so in the coming weeks and months!
Webinar Transcript: Membership Mondays: Planning For Reopening After Coronavirus
Over the past several months, museums have been occupied with adapting to widespread coronavirus closures. Membership professionals have worked hard to adjust their communication, messaging, and membership fulfillment strategies, while continuing to reinforce the value of membership while physical sites are closed. Now, approaching two months into closures, many cultural organizations are beginning to think about plans for reopening, and some have already begun. What strategies, workflows, and policies can help facilitate a safe and successful reopening?
On May 4, 2020, over 2,000 guests joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Meghan McCauley (Director of Membership and Visitor Services @ Perez Art Museum Miami), Aidan Vega (Director of Membership @ Philadelphia Museum of Art), Laura Schmid (Membership Manager @ Cincinnati Nature Center), & Kristi Masterson (Director of Engagement and Operations @ Cincinnati Nature Center) as they discussed the steps and process of reopening. This conversation included voices from organizations that have already opened to members, as well as those planning to do so in the coming weeks and months!
Webinar Highlights: How to Manage a Remote Internship Program at Your Museum
Many museums across the country pride themselves on their robust internship programs. Internships are a chance for students to learn about the cultural industry, gain valuable skills, and, for students of Museum Studies, earn credit towards their degrees. Stimulating and dynamic internships are also essential to ensuring that the cultural sector is cultivating top talent and attracting young professionals who are prepared to make an impact.
With the ongoing coronavirus closures, however, the state of many museum internship programs is uncertain. Many museums expect to be closed into the summer, potentially disrupting the ability to bring interns on site. As a result, museums may be considering initiating remote internship programs, which can be beneficial students while providing museums much-needed extra help. However, this is completely new territory for many organizations across the country.
On April 30, 2020 over 1,500 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO @ Founder @ Cuseum), Ahva Sadeghi (CEO & Co-Founder @ Symba), Phyllis Hecht (Director, M.A. in Museum Studies @ Johns Hopkins University), Sierra Van Ryck deGroot (Education Programs Manager @ Poster House), & Meagan Mahaffy (Education Associate & Internship Coordinator @ Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum) as they discussed how museums can successfully launch and manage remote internship programs in the age of coronavirus.
Webinar Transcript: How to Manage a Remote Internship Program at Your Museum
Many museums across the country pride themselves on their robust internship programs. Internships are a chance for students to learn about the cultural industry, gain valuable skills, and, for students of Museum Studies, earn credit towards their degrees. Stimulating and dynamic internships are also essential to ensuring that the cultural sector is cultivating top talent and attracting young professionals who are prepared to make an impact.
With the ongoing coronavirus closures, however, the state of many museum internship programs is uncertain. Many museums expect to be closed into the summer, potentially disrupting the ability to bring interns on-site. As a result, museums may be considering initiating remote internship programs, which can be beneficial students while providing museums much-needed extra help. However, this is completely new territory for many organizations across the country.
On April 30, 2020 over 1,500 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO @ Founder @ Cuseum), Ahva Sadeghi (CEO & Co-Founder @ Symba), Phyllis Hecht (Director, M.A. in Museum Studies @ Johns Hopkins University), Sierra Van Ryck deGroot (Education Programs Manager @ Poster House), & Meagan Mahaffy (Education Associate & Internship Coordinator @ Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum) as they discussed how museums can successfully launch and manage remote internship programs in the age of coronavirus.
Webinar Transcript: Preparing to Reopen: Strategy, Planning & Process on the Road to Reopening Museums
For nearly two months, museums across the country have been physically closed due to the coronavirus. In response, cultural professionals have developed and delivered exciting new content across a range of platforms to keep their audiences engaged during these unprecedented times. Now, as some states lift their stay-at-home orders and the world prepares to slowly reopen, museums are thinking about what reopening is going to look like.
On May 6, 2020, over 4,700 guests joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Mark Sabb (Senior Director of Innovation, Marketing & Engagement @ Museum of the African Diaspora), Holly Shen (Deputy Director @ San Jose Museum of Art) & Ellen Busch (Director of Historic Sites Operations @ Texas Historical Commission) as they talked through the strategy, operations, process, and planning involved in reopening your museum successfully. This webinar will explore strategic planning, design thinking, and innovative approaches to welcoming your audiences back.
How Museums & Attractions are Increasing Safety and Convenience with “Contactless” Experiences
Before the vast majority of the world’s museums and attractions were forced to temporarily close due the COVID-19 pandemic, visiting a museum was often a very social experience, involving various person-to-person interactions. From exchanges at the admissions and membership desks, interactions with fellow patrons, and special experiences involving touch screens or hands-on activities, moving through a museum previously put guests in close contact with shared devices as well as other visitors and staff.
Now, as we enter an era of social distancing, institutions are rethinking various aspects of the museum experience. New statewide regulations on sharing materials such as maps and traditional audio guides are affecting the traditional standards in which museums will operate in the upcoming months and years. As the shift to a “contactless” approach emerges, institutions are looking at ways to leverage technology to continue to bring modern conveniences and a safe experience to their visitors.
Webinar Highlights: Supporting Communities With Digital Programs During Coronavirus
As museums face ongoing challenges associated with the prolonged closures of their physical sites, communities are facing challenges of their own. Organizations are striving to produce vibrant, mission-driven content and programming, while also supporting the diverse needs of community members and constituents. How do you assess the needs of your community? How can your organization deliver content and resources that support the community? And how can museums imbue their mission into digital resources and programming?
On April 29, 2020 over 1,500 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Terri Freeman (President @ National Civil Rights Museum) & Mara Kurlandsky (Director of Digital Engagement @ National Museum of Women in the Arts) as they discussed how museums can serve their communities and further their own missions through digital initiatives. This webinar strived to address aspects of community engagement, digital programming, creating educational content, and more.