reopening

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: 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.

View the full recording here.

Here are the main takeaways.

Webinar Transcript: Succeeding With Timed Ticketing As A Cultural Organization

As museums and cultural institutions work to reopen, many are taking important steps to facilitate physical distancing, contract tracing, and enable contactless entry. One key way organizations are doing this is by introducing timed ticketing for visitors, which has the benefit of managing capacity, reducing admissions lines, and limiting interactions between staff and guests. However, timed ticketing is new territory for most museums. Many are looking for best practices and wondering how to roll this out to their visitors to ensure a successful reopening.

Join Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Kate Porter (Communications and Development Manager @ Las Vegas Natural History Museum), Laura McArthur (Database Operations Manager @ Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art) & Stephanie Cabezas (Visitor Relations Manager @ Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens) for a discussion about all things timed ticketing! Each of these panelists has introduced timed ticketing (some very recently), and they will be available to share best practices and answer questions in this dialogue.

Watch the recording here.

Read the full transcript below.

Webinar Transcript: Membership Mondays: Navigating Challenges & Setbacks During Reopening

The road to reopening museums and cultural organizations can be a challenging one. From changing regulations and protocols, shifting reopening dates, and stop-and-start plans, there can be many setbacks when planning to welcome visitors back. Perhaps you’ve had to push back your reopening date, or reopened your museum only to close again. Perhaps you are struggling to stay connected with your members and audience, and communicate these ever-changing plans. This webinar is for you!

Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Alice Stryker (Director, Individual Giving @ Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum) & Julia Propp (Director of Membership @ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) as they talk through ways to navigate these challenges and setbacks. This webinar will specifically address these issues in the context of membership, focusing on revising plans, communication with members, and more!

Watch the recording here.

View the full transcript below.

Webinar Transcript: Membership Lightning Talks: Launching New Initiatives & Benefits in Museum Membership

Over a month ago, we were thrilled to host a webinar on virtual memberships, which explored ways to create virtual value for members through exclusive digital programming, virtual membership levels, and more. Over the past month, we’ve seen a surge of new and exciting initiatives launched in membership programs at museums of all kinds, which add value for members, as well as help solve new challenges around engagement, membership extensions, and more. To showcase some of these new initiatives, we’re excited to pilot a “Membership Lightning Talks” session.

Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth & Partnership @ Cuseum) with special guests Heather Wilson (Deputy Director @ Cameron Art Museum), Sarah Burgess (Senior Donor Relations Coordinator @ Virginia Museum of Fine Arts), Cat Clark (Corporate & Foundation Relations Manager @ Mattatuck Museum), Laura Hacker (Manager of Visitor and Membership Services @ Concord Museum), Laura Conte (Membership and Patron Services Coordinator @ Taubman Museum of Art) & Amanda Ackermann (Membership Coordinator @ Museum of Discovery and Science) for this special session. Each panelist will share a new initiative they’ve launched to create value for members, which will be followed by a discussion, feedback session, and Q&A among these membership professionals!

Watch the recording here.

Read below for the full transcript:

Webinar Highlights: Membership Mondays: Re-Engaging and Re-Welcoming Members After Coronavirus Closures

As museums and cultural organizations begin to reopen, one of the biggest challenges membership professionals may be facing is how to re-engage and re-welcome members again. Organizations are concerned about how they can reconnect with lapsed or nonresponsive members, and are looking for strategies and tips to drive renewals.

This Monday, over 1,100 people joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Daniella Cabezas (Associate Director of Special Events & Corporate Relations @ Miami Children’s Museum), Amy Marks (Director, Membership & Development Services @ Space Center Houston) & Ann Meisel (Client Services & Membership Manager @ Poster House) as they discussed strategies and plans for re-engaging with members after a long period of being closed.

Watch the full recording here.

Here are the major takeaways.

How Your Museum Can Save by Switching to Digital Membership Cards

Across the world, museums and cultural institutions of all kinds are facing the financial ramifications of COVID-19. According to a study by the UNESCO, around 90% of the world’s cultural institutions had to temporarily close due to the pandemic. Months after closing their doors, some museums may just be entering into a phased re-opening period, and others may be closed for many more weeks or months longer. As a result, organizations of all sizes are bracing for a significant loss in revenue and looking for areas to cut costs and increase efficiency.

In this difficult time with limited financial resources, one way to reduce expenses is by switching from physical membership cards to digital membership cards. Along with a variety of benefits, including going green, adding value and convenience to members, and increasing membership renewals, a digital membership program can be a significant cost-cutting measure during these challenging fiscal times.

Webinar Transcript: Re-Opening Museums & Cultural Attractions: Succeeding in the Post-COVID Era with Digital Tools

As museums and cultural attractions begin to re-open, or move into the next phases of their reopening plans, many are facing new challenges, managing shifting customer expectations, rethinking the visitor journey, and adapting to a future of contactless experiences. In light of these new circumstances, organizations are seeking out new solutions that can facilitate safe and engaging experiences for visitors and members. What steps can be taken to ensure your guests feel safe and satisfied as they're welcomed back to your museum, post-COVID? What tools and solutions are available to help address new challenges? These questions are top of mind for many.

Join Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum) & Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships @ Cuseum) as they discuss the new visitor journey and how the museum experience can be optimized in light of this “new normal.” This webinar will examine ways to reduce physical touchpoints, introduce safe and engaging new service design, and leverage digital tools to ensure a comfortable and positive experience for visitors.

View the full recording or presentation slides here.

Read the full transcript below.

Webinar Transcript: Museum Think Tank: Tapping Into Fresh Ideas & Networks to Navigate the "New Normal"

As museums and cultural institutions prepare to reopen, many are facing considerable challenges and new hurdles. Across the globe, organizations have been tasked with rapidly creating new approaches, exploring models of operating, and serving their audiences with limited resources. To tackle these challenges, cultural professionals are turning to their colleagues within the field, as well as seeking inspiration and guidance from other industries to generate fresh ideas and leverage new networks.

To help bring together innovative thinkers from inside and outside the museum field, this webinar will take the form of a museum “Think Tank.” Join Brendan Ciecko (CEO & Founder @ Cuseum), Douglas Hegley (Chief Digital Officer @ Minneapolis Institute of Art), Effie Kapsalis (Senior Digital Program Officer @ Smithsonian Institution), Bob Mason (Co-Founder @ Brightcove / Managing Partner @ Argon Ventures) & Claude Grunitzky (Visiting Social Innovator @ Harvard Kennedy School) as they break down some of the most pressing challenges currently facing the museum field and offer up interdisciplinary solutions and ideas.

View the video recording here.

Read the full transcript below.

Webinar Transcript: The "Contactless" Future: Reimagining The Visitor Experience In The Era of Coronavirus

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 an interactive, tactile, and social experience, involving many 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, the visitor experience has historically been filled with physical touchpoints. Now, as museums prepare to reopen in an era of social distancing, many are imagining a “contactless” future.

Last Wednesday, over 4,400 people joined Brendan Ciecko (CEO and Founder @ Cuseum), Atiba Edwards (Executive VP & COO @ Brooklyn Children’s Museum), Andrea Montiel de Shuman (Digital Experience Designer @ Detroit Institute of Arts), & Don Undeen (Former Senior Manager of MediaLab @ Metropolitan Museum of Art) as they explored the evolving “visitor experience” and what the “contactless” future may hold. This webinar examined the merits of digital media, emerging technologies, and more!

Here, you can also view and add to the Coronavirus Preparedness Community Document. This is a living document for organizations to share their best practices.

View the video recording here.

Read the full transcript below.

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.

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 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.

Tips & Strategies for Reopening Museums After COVID-19 Closures

As museums make the transition to reopening, many organizations are looking for guidance on what this process will look like, what policies they should enact to ensure the safety of their staff and visitors, and how to facilitate a gradual reopening.

Whether you’re an art or history museum, children’s museum, science center, aquarium, zoo, botanical garden, or nature center will affect what specific policies and guidelines you follow, since every organization is facing different challenges. Some organizations may already be in the process of reopening, while others may be planning for a “soft reopening” months from now.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reopening, the following guidelines offer up some of the best practices for museums and cultural organizations as they begin to plan and execute smooth and safe transitions into reopening.

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