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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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I think the best way to build a sense of urgency, to prompt a visit, is 
"something new." It can be a new gallery, special exhibit, film, or 
program, but if there is something new then that can prompt a visit 
among repeat visitors. It may also give you something to promote in 
newsletters, the regional press, and remind people that they haven't 
visited in a while.

One thing to think about with traveling exhibitions and large-format 
films is time of year and your attendance pattern. If you book a 
blockbuster (and to some extent you can tell that from attendance at 
other sites) make sure to book it for summer if that is the season you 
are open the most hours and have highest week-day visitation. Booking it 
in the fall with kids back in school and adults back at work can cut 
into the number of possible visitors substantially. But . . . a special 
exhibition may not substantially increase visitation if it is not a 
"must see" and you have tourists and infrequent visitors--they want to 
see your entire facility and may not take the time for a film or special 
exhibition.

I'd like to hear people's experiences in building special audiences in 
lower attendance times. For example, I really don't think you can 
provide a good experience for seniors and stroller parents AT THE SAME 
TIME. The_same spaces _will work, but putting those two audiences 
together at the _same time_ has issues with sound levels, pacing through 
spaces, and safety (those strollers get used like trucks and run over 
people and older brothers and sisters zip right by people moving more 
slowly and carefully). In evaluation studies, I've identified a 
"children first" etiquette when children are present with adults (all 
ages, not just seniors) being much more likely to use interactives when 
children are NOT present. Families with children will always be one 
important audience for science centers. Yet, with changing demographics, 
if they are the ONLY audience considered then visitation will fall--to 
use Marilyn's analogy, there are just not as many of those fish in the 
pond as there used to be. We may need to think of ways to make science 
center "adult friendly," not just in terms of content but in terms of 
experience.

I agree with Marilyn that mining those attendance patterns and visitor 
surveys to really understand what works with your own audience is 
essential.

Carey

Carey Tisdal
Tisdal Consulting


On 5/29/2013 2:49 PM, marilyn hoyt wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Some old saws are still really key....build on the high seasons.  Don't
> stew around trying to get more visitors to come during low seasons. (+10% -
> 22% are typical averages over time.  So plus 10% on your highest attendance
> is going to get you a lot more new or repeat visitors than 10% more of low
> attendance periods.
> ----
> Lots and lots of the field use well-built, age appropriate, audience
> appropriate traveling shows during long, high attendance periods (usually
> summers when families are out and about) This business about "appropriate"
> is really important to think about...it leads to "titanic" in Southern
> California, "bodies" in Arizona and "Dead Sea Scrolls" in
> Minnesota....really different audiences reflected by these choices. What
> will make your 37 year old mom decision-maker (or whatever your surveys
> have demonstrated is the decision-maker) pop in the SUV with a spouse or a
> friend and the kids and come on over?  (Don't know?  Ooo...gosh, time to
> start compiling daily stats from admissions.  In just a couple years you'll
> see your attendance patterns illustrate such certainty that you know
> exactly when to spend $ on special shows and "bring 'em back when they want
> to come."  The exception is spring vacation which wanders around with the
> moon.)
> ----
> Shorter high-volume attendance periods like spring vacation or Christmas -
> New Years may do just as well with a "special exhibition" that you invent.
> Then money spent for equipment, special exhibits, program props, films and
> stay with you year after year.  It can take years to find the right mix of
> "exhibits we already have but that can be themed," just plain fun like "a
> holiday parade of kids making XXXX science craft every day at 3:30" and
> some other special content like cool films or an inflatable walk-in
> snowglobe with a photographer option plus special offerings in the gift
> store, holiday cookies in the snack area and/or.....  The key is not to
> throw ten's of thousands of dollars at special traveling exhibition rental
> for jut a  a week or two if you know you can't get it + more $$$' for extra
> staffing in return.
> -----
> Helpful?  I hope so...  We all look for the magic bullet to drive
> gazillions to our doors.  But I'm impressed that visitor surveys and focus
> groups tell us over and over "we come every summer to see the summer show.
>   We come every Christmas with our out of town guests.  We come during
> spring vacation if we are not going out of town."  Fish where the fish
> are....
>
>
> On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:07 PM, Stephanie Nemcsok <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>> institutions.
>>
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Hello Lovely Science Centre Folks,
>>
>> I'm curious about what you're doing at your institutions to create a sense
>> of urgency and convince people to take that leap of faith and visit you.
>> What have you found works or doesn't work: Large spectacles? Scientist
>> celebrities to speak? Holiday-related programming? Gala events? Special
>> event weekends? Themed months of programming?
>>
>> I'm looking for any examples and/or lessons learned from these types of
>> large programming events.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for sharing your time and experience!
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> Stephanie Nemcsok | Public Programmer, Content
>>
>> TELUS Spark, the new Science Centre
>>
>> 220 St. George's Drive NE
>> Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2E 5T2
>>
>> C.403.817.6878 | F.403.817.6901
>>
>> SparkScience.ca<http://sparkscience.ca/>
>>
>> First major travelling exhibition NOW OPEN! How to Make a Monster – The
>> Art and Technology of Animatronics<http://sparkscience.ca/HTMM/?fullSite=1>
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