NEMA Conference 2022, Day 3

From November 2 through November 4, I attended the 2022 Annual NEMA (New England Museum Association) Conference as a General Scholarship Recipient, which I received thanks to “Connecticut Humanities and the Connecticut Office of the Arts; MassHumanities; Mass Cultural Council; Vermont Humanities; and NEMA Annual Appeal donors. After two years of attending virtually, the 104^th edition of the conference was back in-person at the Sheraton Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Reinventing Membership for a Hybrid Future

During the first session of the day, speakers Brendan Ciecko of Cuseum and Kathleen Porter of the Trustees spoke about their efforts to promote online and virtual programming for cultural organizations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this shift changed the way museum will interact with members in the future.

Ciecko emphasized the changes made by other cultural organizations, relating the findings of the Cuseum study to an upcoming publication “Museums in Crisis”, which will be issued by the American Alliance of Museums in 2023. He showcased a study demonstrating the drastic changes to the museum industry when organizations were forced to close their door. The plans of museums to go online was accelerated by six to ten years, with 94% of museums offering digital programs by end-of-year 2021. The most popular were virtual lectures at 84%, followed by virtual tours at 52%, and K-12 programming at 47%. With the opportunity to be back in-person, 63% of cultural organizations offered hybrid events at some point, with some attendees at the site while others are online. Charging from these programs is no issue and was done by 73% of organizations.

The Trustees served as a prime example of an organization that capitalized on the changes brought by the need to go online. Before the pandemic, its directory contained the email of only 50% of members. However, only a limited the number of guests could come to the site due to social distancing orders. Porter and fellow staff members managed to implement a ticketing system in six weeks, along with sending postcards to all members asking them to email the organization. This effort allowed the Trustees in increase their email list to 85% of their members within three weeks. They currently have a mailing list of about 300,000 with a newsletter open rate of 30% to 40%, astonishingly high for the industry! Porter noted that similar efforts in improving Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems would have taken two years before the pandemic.

Post-pandemic trends include an increase of in-person or hands-on events, improved digital communication, and higher expectations of technology. The Trustees adopt a “design sprint” approach often used by product developers to quickly bring a new product— or in the case of the Trustees, a new virtual event— to the market. To continue receiving visitors, attracting new members, and raising money during the pandemic, the Trustees utilized digital technology, putting QR codes on annual appeals and geotargeting audiences by IP addresses to serve ads targeted to their area. Thanks to these efforts, the Trustees have members in fifty states and twelve countries, some of whom have never visited but love the mission of the organization.

In the return to normalcy, the Trustees continue to host hybrid programming. They emphasize the sustainability associated with the use of digital materials or paper products by creating a digital version of their membership magazine and the option to have a paperless membership. The organization also tries to make their programming equitable by offering it live to paying members and later posting the video to YouTube for anyone to watch.

During the Q&A, Porter spoke on one of my favorite topics. She explained that while digital literacy and internet access is of great importance in the modern world, these tools are not always available to staff members and volunteers at local historical societies, especially those supported by an older population. She believed documentation through digital preservation may be the best way for these organizations to enter the online space. In some cases, it may be the only way to preserve a crumbling historic house. She encouraged attendees to put their collections online using accessible websites.

Start with Data, Finish with Engagement: Using Attitudinal Research to Engage with your Audience

The second session combined my loves of data, customer research, and history. Speakers Christine Tieri and Maryanne Gubala of Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) explained how they gathered attitudinal research from visitors and members to refocus the vision of New England’s largest living history museum. Tieri emphasized the importance of personal, quantitative data in studies. Focus groups generate qualitative data and are not statistically reliable, while third-party research is too generalized. To figure out what motivated the next generation to visit, OSV received help from Discover Central Mass (who had their own presentation during “Destination Marketing and Museums” on Day 1), the local chamber of commerce, and outside partner Audience Audit to send 16,000 survey emails and received 3,000 responses— a high number for the industry!

The data revealed that OSV visitors fell into four almost equal categories. While OSV staff had assumed most members were History Buffs who asked tons of questions, loved the specific 1830s interpretation, and wanted to learn hidden histories (another topic from Day 1), only a quarter of respondents were in this group. The three other designations were Hands-On Explorers who loved the outdoors, especially farm animals and traditional craft; Family Focusers who wanted to keep the kids entertained and were equally likely to visit the Big E or go to Six Flags; and Guide Groupies who love bus tours, nice weather, and curated experiences.

The study found no major correlation between group affiliation and income or age, although three-quarters of respondents were women. Most people had first visited OSV as children with family members (71%) or on a field trip (61%). Historical accuracy was important to all groups, as 89% of respondents wanted to know that the costumed interpreters were trained historians, not just actors. The survey was so well-received that 70% of respondents, or about 2,000 people, agreed to join the Village Insiders Panel (VIP) to regularly answer questionnaires, beta test programs, act as brand ambassadors, and receive additional perks from OSV. This panel allows OSV staff from all departments— including the store, membership, collections, and research departments— to share early ideas with potential visitors.

In addition to the survey, OSV hosted an audience activation workshop called “The Big Think” where staff generated ideas to connect with the four different categories. Front line staff received cheat sheets to identify the categories of new visitors. Due to this brainstorming session, OSV increased guided and self-guided programs, created more hands-on activities, and introduced new wayfinding signage.

Armed with a new strategy, OSV condensed their vision into a single statement featuring each of the four categories and the most important details for all visitors: “Old Sturbridge Village is more than just a museum—it’s a place to learn about history, get hands-on experiences, spend time with your family, and be guided through history with real costumed historians.” OSV created the “MORE!” campaign funded by Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), which uses photos, video, and music to showcase its many experiences.

In addition to surveying general visitors, OSV surveyed donors and volunteers, who were likewise categorized into four equal segments. Legacy Builders were multigenerational fans who lived within 50 miles and supported other local organizations. History Preservers tended to be women with children and grandchildren who loved volunteering. VIP Wannabees wanted to show off, receive recognition, go to galas, and be featured in the newspaper, but not donate as much money. Resident Experts thought they had a lot to offer, loved to call the CEO, donated generously, and skewed male.

During the Q&A, Tieri and Gubala answered question related to developing survey instruments, retraining staff, perks for VIP groups, marketing for smaller museums, and how audience segmentation affects the bottom line. They were happy to announce that the annual Phantoms by Firelight Halloween event and Christmas by Candlelight program had record-breaking ticket sales, with half of Christmas visitors being first-time visitors to OSV. They stressed the importance of being selective when advertising online, only choosing a few social media platforms and working as a team to keep from being spread too thin.

Whose Story?: Interpreting Collections through Collaborative Learning

In this final session, Luke Gates-Milardo and Sarah Timm of Maine Maritime Museum in Bath were joined by Bowdoin student Silas Brown to talk about the exhibit “Cotton Town: Maine’s Economic Connections to Slavery”, which Bowdoin students created as part of the class AFR 101: Intro to Africana Studies taught by Professor Tess Chakkalakal. Located 45 minutes north of Portland, Bath was called the “City of Ships” in the 19^th century, and the museum holds the largest ship industry library in Maine. This collection includes the Sewell Papers, with letters written by local shipping merchant Captain Lowell, which document the role of Maine ships in the transatlantic slave trade although Maine had entered the union as a free state in 1820.

After completing scaffolding assignments to learn about historical analysis of images, object mapping, and storytelling through objects, twenty-three Bowdoin students worked for a semester to interpret the letters and create an exhibit on three walls of the 150 square foot lobby of the Maine Maritime Museum. They divided the work between seven committees with three to four students in each group. This style of collaboration was new to many of them, so constant communication through Zoom meetings and emails was important.

Students initially disagreed on the overall tone of the project, debating whether the language should be strictly informational, conversational, or provoke controversy. Some students developed a “blamey” tone, becoming angry at the potential reader for not knowing Black history in Maine, and had to learn to write objectively on text panels. After a long discussion, students compromised their disparate tones with the phrase “Where else can you find suppressed Black histories?” They used this question in a visitor feedback section at the end of the exhibit.

The students identified four main themes. The first theme, Bath: Cotton Town, was chosen because primary sources gave the town this name because of its connection to the cotton shipping industry. The letters written by Captain Lowell were featured in this section. The Role of the Ship demonstrated the role of ships as connectors in the economy, going beyond celebrating boat design and captains to examine how the industry harmed people. Maine’s Black Atlantic described systemic racism in 1850, at the time the Lowell letter, and included objects from the permanent collection. The Afterlife of Slavery showed changes to economic systems in the maritime world as freeborn and emancipated Black sailors joined the workforce.

The exhibit was open for five months and received over 5,000 visitors, a 500% increase from average visitation. The feedback area of the exhibit generated high levels of visitor engagement. Overall, public exposure happened successfully, with frequent positive press coverage. The students appreciated the opportunity to “break out of the college bubble” so common on liberal arts campuses and explore the hidden histories of marginalized groups in Maine.