ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Speaking of marketing (which by the way a lot of people in the NFP 
world seem to think this is a dirty concept; I am whooly of the 
opinion that *everything* benefits from marketing, and in today's 
world, it's not just a good idea, but a necessity...we could all 
stand to take a few lessons from the FP world, as they spend millions 
of dollars on 30 second spots that excel at grabbing and keeping 
attention; isn't this exactly what we want to do, minus the millions 
of bucks?) how are you increasing your appeal to young adults?

We're all pretty good at reaching families, school groups, and teens, 
but how about people like me?  A young thirty-something, no kids, not 
married, looking for something hip to do for the evening?

I attended "Earth Dance" at the Oakland Museum (they cover natural 
history, not-so-natural history, and art) this past Friday night, an 
environmental film festival followed by hippie food (hey, we're in 
the Bay Area) and a DJ.  It's fabulous that museums are being brought 
out of the "stuffy" realm!  In the longer term, these nights seek to 
hook future donors, but in the Right Now, they're a great way to 
repackage the concept of "the museum," establishing the idea that a 
museum can be a vibrant, changing place

Art museums around the country are establishing "young membership" 
circles, and the Exploratorium was experimenting with themed arts 
nights, but how about the rest of us, where the "arts" may not be as 
obvious in what we do?  How can we become more relevant to young 
adult audiences?



-- 
Julia E. Berger
Lawrence Hall of Science
Science Education Specialist
Stay Tobacco Free!
510-642-7493
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