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One other thing to keep in mind... often visitors (families)
come with an range of what they expect to spend for their
experience.  If you have things like an IMAX, giftshop, planetarium,
or other things that you up charge for, you might suck off some
dollars from those activities for the new profit center you are
adding (the simulator).  Sometimes the only way to know is to
try it and see what happens... but this is why limiting your
capital investment (by renting one or getting an outside operator
to bring one in with a fee split) can protect you.

Like everything you need to weigh how this contributes to meeting
your mission.  Sometimes the fit is great and thus the return isn't
as important as what contributes to the visitor experience, other
times, it's just for the $$ to support your mission driven programs.
Then the return should be much greater, since you are giving up
real estate in your museum and the time staff could be spending
on other things.

David

David Taylor
AHHA Museum Services
  "Now I Understand"
    (206) 363-8126
   e-mail:   [log in to unmask]
http://www.AHHA-MuseumServices.com
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> From: Karen Courtman <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Informal Science Education Network
> <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 10:06:28 -0600
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Motion simulator insights?
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> hey lori, the answer is it was a bust for us when we tried it at The Science
> Place.  It was a 10 seater, from doran, a nice unit, but there were all
> sorts of permutations to its presence:  like we did it during the state fair
> of texas, but it was located opposite from the main fair pathways.
>
> it certainly didn't make money and it was a money loser for the guy who
> funded it (an entepreneur if i remember).
>
> our loss was in staffing - required one staff person full time while in
> operation.  believe the ride was one of about 6 minute duration.....we
> charged either 3 or 5 dollars
>
> having said that, i think there is an easy way for you to determine what the
> likely outcome might be.....just look at the variables and apply some good
> old algebra..
>
> 1.  what is your hightest possible throughput?
> 2.  what is your attendance pattern during the day? summer vs school year?
> weekend?
> 3.  what's the cost to operate? staff? lease?purchase?
> 4.  the variable you want to solve for is what percentage of our visitors
> have to ride this thing in order to break even? once you know that, you can
> use experience to weight the answer for school groups vs. weekends/summer.
> I would graph some ranges to find out, for instance, if 10% less people than
> you expected ride it, how much money are we going to lose?
> 5.  finally?  poll your audience to test if they will indeed match your fill
> rate.
>
> i'm not trying to be a "grumpy gill" (from saving nemo), just urging you and
> staff to take a hard look at the propsition.
>
> jeff courtman
> mind-works
>
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