Dexibit: The Data Diaries

David Hingley, Head of Visitor Experience at Tate, talks about an initiative to share education and development between cultural institutions to professionalize visitor operations as a career pathway.

Arthur G Affleck III, Executive Director for the Association of Children's Museums, shares his organization's mission to support children and families to learn through play, with the importance of this work in lives and to society. Show notes The Association of Children's Museums https://childrensmuseums.org/ Playful Learning Landscapes https://playfullearninglandscapes.com/ Kathy Hirsh-Pasek's work https://kathyhirshpasek.com/play/ Kimberly Nesbitt's work https://www.education.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt326/files/inline-documents/2020/nesbitt-play-based-k.pdf

To celebrate international product day, Dexibit's Product Director Veronika Gower talks about contemporary best practices for product management in technology and digital first organizations, and what these mean for company culture and ways of working, drawing on her experiences at Dexibit.

Setting up a data function in your visitor attraction? Join Baku Hosoe, Head of Data and Analytics at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, to hear about the origins and evolution of The Met's data program and Baku's takeaways for structuring, hiring and enabling a data team.

Nancy Proctor weaves together two unique stories: her career intersecting entrepreneurship, academia and culture, with that of a radical vision for the Peale - the first museum in the US, currently undergoing transformation ahead of reopening (summer '22). Set against a backdrop of the evolution of digital and now of culture in society, Nancy redefines the meaning of the museum as 'a place where culture gets created', with a community centric philosophy inverting the curatorial model.

Elliott Ferguson, President and CEO of Destination DC shares his unique insights into the state of tourism, mandates, omicron and the question of what's next from the Nation's capital, a premiere visitor destination filled with world class attractions. Elliott talks about the pivot for destination marketers from ‘heads in beds and butts in seats' into a new central role of chief communicator between venues and visitors, reflecting on the changing expectations and demands of travellers across attractions, events and hospitality.

Murray Thom, Cofounder of NFT start up Glorious and James Blackie, Director of Art, give us the download on everything we need to know about Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and their potential for visitor attractions - from art museums to stadiums. Combining their respective careers in music producing and art dealership, along with a who's who leadership team, Glorious have burst onto the scene to create authentic digital masterpieces. Learn about the potential for brand, engagement, revenue, loyalty, access and more that this latest tech trend represents and what to watch out for in terms of security, equity and environmental impact.

Seb Chan, Chief Experience Officer at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) discusses the evolution of how we think about visitor experience in experiential spaces, going beyond traditional engagement to cross creative and infrastructural elements. Seb covers ACMI's redevelopment, a unique approach to staff restructure, establishing the museum as a platform and its technologies including the Experience Operating System (xOS) and the Lens: the ingredients which set the ACMI team to make the most of a terrible opportunity in coping with the pandemic. Show notes: For more on the Lens, visit https://www.acmi.net.au/lens/ A pavlova recipe courtesy of Seb's Mum https://www.sebchan.com/never-fail-new-zealand-pavlova-recipe/

"No one's gonna read that": David Lew, Visitor Services Solutions Manager at Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira talks about how to connect exhibitions with visitor experiences through the power of visitor services, including through an indigenous lens with He Kōrahi Māori, the Māori dimension. SHOW NOTES Read all about Te Ao Mārama, the South Atrium project https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/your-museum/south-atrium David refers to several words in Te Reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa, New Zealand. They are: - Marae, Māori meeting grounds - Iwi, tribe - Pōwhiri, welcome ceremonies - Mana whenua, customary authority exercised by an iwi (tribe) - Mahi toi, art or art work - Kaitiaki, guardianship of the sky, sea and land - Tanoa (Pacific), a large wooden bowl for kava ceremonies

Over the course of the pandemic, many visitor attractions experienced wild changes in their membership and season pass customer base - moves which have forever changed consumer behaviors and how we strategically respond to these. Hear how Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Melissa Felder thinks about loyalty at the California Academy of Sciences and how their mission is inspiring the next generation of supporters.

Sometimes, "where can I find the gift store?” is the most important question you'll answer at your visitor attraction. Will Sullivan, Head of Visitor Experience at The Metropolitan Museum of Art sits down with us to discuss how we can drive revenue by people and experience first leadership. Through understanding the 360 holistic visitor experience via data and strategies to align retail arms with your attraction's mission - you create impactful memories that your visitor takes home forever.

John Falk is recognized as one of the most influential museum professionals of the past hundred years. Director of the Institute for Learning and Innovation, and Sea Grant Professor of Free Choice Learning at Oregon State University. Falk formerly held a number of senior positions at the Smithsonian and has authored over two hundred scholarly articles and chapters in the field, as well as more than two dozen books, including ‘The Museum Experience Revisited’ - he is the leading globally authority on free choice learning, being the learning we do when we have choice and control over what, where and when, like we do in museums. We ask John about how visitor experience has changed over the years, including due to COVID, why people visit museums and how institutions contribute to enhanced wellbeing. Learn more about John and his work: https://www.instituteforlearninginnovation.org/

In 2021, visitor attractions who are able to execute rapid change are the ones who will thrive in recovery while facing changing market demands and visitor behaviors. Daniel Jordan, Senior Product Designer at Dexibit, discusses how attractions can innovate and adapt quickly through a 5 step design thinking process - applicable for strategic and operational decision making processes. Recommended by Daniel: resources on design thinking in museums - https://designthinkingformuseums.net/

Rob Baker, Director of Marketing and Creative Strategy at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reflects on two reopenings in as many years, after the Museum's temporary closure for a significant renovation before COVID-19. Rob covers how MoMA has positioned and communicated with a primarily now local audience during the crisis while engaging the world online with viral and newsworthy moments like its comedic take on Kim Kardashian's birthday trip. With a fast tracked digital transformation of the visitor experience now driving advance online bookings, we hear about how the call to action in MoMA's marketing has changed. Plus, hear Rob's expectations and plans for the year ahead as the industry navigates rebuilding demand once vaccine rollouts are in progress and tourism begins to heat up. LEARN MORE Get in on the action by tweeting your favorite Kardashian inspired piece from MoMA's collection: https://bit.ly/36XMIxA

In this value packed episode, we talk to Herman Marigny and DeAnna Wynn from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) about their partnership between visitor services and information technology, particularly around capacity management both pre and post COVID and their visitor centered decision making, mixing empathy and data to ensure safe and happy visitors. Learn more about NMAAHC: https://nmaahc.si.edu/

We head to London to chat to Rachel Mackay, author of the Recovery Room, recently named Blooloop Top 50 Influencer and Manager of the Palaces at Kew. Rachel shares the strategies and tactics that have worked to get visitors back in the door and having a good time during the middle of a pandemic, managing capacity at visitor attractions, leading front of house teams for success, and key metrics for senior leaders to manage when it comes to planning, setting goal targets and reporting. Visit The Recovery Room: https://www.therecoveryroomblog.com/ Join Dexibit for free: http://join.dexibit.com/

Angie Judge (Chief Executive, Dexibit) and Jack Szeltner (Account Executive, Dexibit) digs into the big topic of how visitor attractions are navigating recovery in the wake of COVID-19. Angie uncovers what reopening visitation benchmarks we’re seeing, what strategies and tactics different venues are deploying and how everyone is approaching the challenges of reopening, recovering and returning - or at least settling - into a new normal. Learn more about our free visitation dashboard for visitor attractions: HTTP://join.dexibit.com

Tune in to learn about the future of tourism for visitor attractions from a global expert and leader with a foot in each camp. Ben Baldanza sits on the Board of Directors for both Six Flags theme parks and Jet Blue airline, having spent a decade as CEO of Spirit, Ben is also an Adjunct Professor of Economics with George Mason University and is a cohost on Airlines Confidential. Ben calls for the tourism industry to work together, explains what to expect in market forces and consumer behavior under COVID-19, discusses price theory in the face of changing demand and emphasizes the role of data science in navigating recovery. LEARN MORE Tune in to Airlines Confidential at https://airlinesconfidential.com/.

Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums at the American Alliance of Museums joins our Global Voices series, sharing how attractions in the US are socially and economically impacted by COVID-19. Elizabeth encourages all cultural professionals working in the industry to measure the impact of their work alongside sharing strong, consistent, evidence-based messages about the tangible value institutions provide to society. LEARN MORE Register for AAM Virtual www.annualmeeting.aam-us.org/

Claire Spencer AM, CEO Arts Centre Melbourne reflects on how the ACM values and focus on people has carried her team through the crisis so far, along with shareable resources on building resilience and industry efforts to help colleagues deal with the trauma of COVID-19. LEARN MORE For mental health resources for the arts sector, see www.artswellbeingcollective.com.au The ACM guide to change and adaptability bit.ly/36j64LW Supplementary resource on health care for arts workers bit.ly/2ZfVWlB For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

Pip Gilbert, VP Product at Dexibit, joins us to talk about everything capacity management including crowd control, queueing, managing health and safety, and how it relates to keeping your visitors happy so that they have a great experience at your attraction. Learn about the relationship between capacity and visitor happiness, the importance of setting expectations, the pros and cons of advance passes and other ways you can manage capacity at your venue. LEARN MORE: Dexibit's scenario simulation tool, free for visitor attractions during COVID-19: www.tour.dexibit.com What are you waiting for? Ways to improve queue management: bit.ly/2Lp3B9a 5 ways to measure a queue at your visitor attraction: bit.ly/2WoPLcZ

Julia Pagel, Secretary General, Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO); David Vuillaume, Director, German Museums Association; and Aleksandra Berberih-Slana, President, Slovenian Museums Association joins us in our 'global voices' series to share how COVID-19 has impacted attractions in Europe. Julia, David and Aleksandra are encouraging museums across Europe with the message 'We are stronger together'. They stress the importance for European venues learning from each other (particularly as some countries reopen, such as already occuring in Germany), the role of digital in the crisis and the financial challenges ahead for some European cultural institutions despite public funding, especially for those where that funding is now at risk. Plus, insight highlights from NEMO's recent survey of COVID-19 impacts in Europe. LEARN MORE The Network of European Museum Organisations: www.ne-mo.org German Museums Association: www.museumsbund.de Association of Slovene Museums: www.sms-muzeji.si

Maggie Appleton, President of the Museums Association reports from the United Kingdom on the impact on the tourist pound across the four nations, for the need for pragmatic but imaginative thinking and for sharing and using data to scenario plan for the future. In her role as the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Museum, Maggie also comments on what comparisons can be made between the COVID-19 crisis and war time and talks to the practicalities of reopening at a museum level. LEARN MORE Follow the Museum Association's work www.museumsassociation.org and on Twitter @ MuseumsAssoc For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

Africa is traditionally known for sun, sea, safari and sand. Sabine Lehmann, consultant at CURIOSITAS and President of the Board and Executive Director for the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA), coins a new phrase for what African attractions will be known for in the near future: safe, serene, silent and slow. Sabine discusses how attractions in emerging economies are managing the crisis, the shift to focusing on hyperlocalized tourism, what global attractions can learn from their African counterparts and more. LEARN MORE Follow AAVEA's work www.aavea.org.za Follow Sabine on Twitter @ CityBowlKid For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

We talk to leading global privacy expert Jules Polonetsky, CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum about philosophy, nudity, liberty, bluetooth, pregnancy, immunity passports and surveillance - along with the practicalities of privacy ethics and legalities in the age of COVID-19 for visitor attractions, such as managing visitor health, temperature checks, symptomatic staff and more. LEARN MORE Follow the Forum’s work at fpf.org For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

Phillipa Tocker, Executive Director of Museums Aotearoa, joins us in our 'global voices' series to share how COVID-19 has impacted attractions in New Zealand, their response and what global attractions can learn from Kiwis. Phillipa talks about how COVID-19 has impacted attractions and tourism in smaller markets like New Zealand and the unmistakable acts of manaakitanga seen during this time, a Māori concept of showing care, respect and hospitality to others. LEARN MORE Follow Museum Aotearoa's work on www.museumsaotearoa.org.nz For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

Alex Marsden, National Director of the Australian Museums and Galleries Associations (AMAGA) joins us in our 'global voices' series to share how COVID-19 has impacted Australian attractions, their response and what global attractions can learn from their Aussie neighbors. Alex discusses the added challenge for attractions during this time following the Australian bushfires, the role of cultural organizations in rebuilding and strengthening communities, the importance of supporting indigenous artists, what attractions reopening looks like in Australia and more. LEARN MORE Follow AMAGA's work on www.amaga.org.au For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19

Victoria Alogna, Ph.D. Psychology and Data Scientist at Dexibit, discusses the science behind visitor behavior and what attractions can expect when reopening. Understand how people respond to crises, the importance of maintaining trust with your visitors during this time, and why we should be wary of surveys where people rate their likelihood to visit attractions in the future. For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19.

Jenny Harper, former Director at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in New Zealand recounts a beautiful story of resilience and hope from the other side of a crisis - nearly a decade on from the Christchurch earthquake of 2011 which took 185 lives and injured thousands more. Jenny speaks of getting back to basics, the importance of communication, working with art in 'outerspaces' and the need for community, family and love in the face of adversity. For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19. LEARN MORE For listeners outside of New Zealand, see context of the Christchurch earthquakes https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/02/remembering-christchurch-eight-years-since-the-devastating-6-3-earthquake.html (warning: difficult images). The artwork referenced in this episode is by Martin Creed, work no 2314, 2015. Neon. 146.8 x 4600 cm. Commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery Foundation, gift of Neil Graham. https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/everything-is-going-to-be-alright

We talk with Christy S Coleman, Executive Director at Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation on dealing with difficult decisions, including furloughs and redundancies. For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19. FOLLOW CHRISTY COLEMAN twitter.com/historygonwrong

Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums at the American Alliance of Museums joins us to discuss what the future looks like for museums and attractions in the face of COVID-19. For Dexibit's full coverage on Leading in Crisis, see dexibit.com/covid19. ARTICLES MENTIONED - The case for shutting down almost everything, and restarting when coronavirus is gone: https://bit.ly/2UNskYR - Coronavirus, The Hammer and the Dance: https://bit.ly/3dR1w2K FOLLOW ELIZABETH AND AAM https://twitter.com/futureofmuseums https://www.aam-us.org/

Brought to you by Dexibit, together with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), IAAPA and Blooloop. For more COVID-19 response resources: https://dexibit.com/covid19/