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Europe
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VE:Forum
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BOP Consulting and the VE:Forum are proud to launch the results of their first study on Operational and Visitor Experience management practices in museums, galleries and visitor attractions across the UK.
The aim of the research is to provide insights to inform the strategic decision-making process within organisations, as well as to provide some striking headlines about the sector to a wider audience.
Engaging with more than 140 organisations across the UK, the study analysed the approaches adopted by visitor experience and operational departments in delivering human resources management, professional development, a range of business models, visitor satisfaction monitoring, as well as identifying challenges faced by these organisations.
Our main findings included:
Supporting workforce – Museums, galleries and visitor attractions are keen to support their workforce: the majority (74%) pay Living Wage for all employees in Visitor Experience departments. Similarly, a large proportion of respondents (68%) attended some form of training in the past 12 months, despite the financial pressure of this on their department budgets
Organisational challenges – Organisations feel that staff retention and changes in the wider social-political landscape are the most significant challenges they are facing around human resource management in their department. When thinking about the wider organisation, staff costs and meeting visitors’ expectations were also highlighted
Entrepreneurialism – The majority of organisations surveyed relied on a diverse range of income streams and adopted dynamic business models. On average, income from commercial activities matched the income from admissions, accounting for 37% and 38%, respectively
Managing admissions and visitor relationships – 80% of organisations surveyed had some form of paid-for entry, with 79% operated a membership or annual pass scheme. Yet, over a third of respondents do not have any CRM system for managing visitor relationships and, of those who did, less than half said they were happy with the system they had.
The data gathered through this study, enriched by a series of interviews with professionals from the sector, is brought together in The VE:Forum Ticketing/ CRM Systems Guide. The guide, produced in collaboration with Indigo Consulting, has been designed to act as a starting point for any museum, gallery or visitor attraction looking to evaluate their existing system or explore the possibility of investing in a new one.
BOP and Indigo Consulting are proud supporters of the VE:Forum and have undertaken this research on a pro-bono basis.
Results from the Operational and Visitor Experience Benchmarking 2019 can be downloaded below.
The VE:Forum Ticketing/ CRM Systems Guide available here.
For more on BOP’s research see here.
If you would like to be part of next year’s benchmarking, please get in touch with the VE:Forum.
Project Report
ABOUT US
EXPERTISE
A global research and consulting practice for culture and the creative economy
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BOP Consulting, in collaboration with Raybel Charters and Santra Consulting, was commissioned by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), and National Historic Ships-UK (NHS-UK) to conduct a research study on the current state and needs of the UK’s historic ships sector.
Future Proofing Heritage
Our report for the British Arts Festivals Association paints a picture of a resilient sector that is surviving rather than thriving.
Festivals Forward
BAFA
BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee for Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme.
Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee
University of Sussex
The report on how global cities tackle climate change with cultural policies and programmes. Insights from the World Cities Culture Forum's latest report.
The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Unique case guide is co-produced with the participating cities of WCCF, highlighting city examples and a global cities approach to evidenced-based policymaking.
Culture Counts: New Approaches to Evidence Based Cultural Policymaking in World Cities
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Working alongside CRAIC, a new research and collaboration centre at Loughborough University, we conducted an extensive survey of virtual production assets throughout the United Kingdom to map the country’s growing ecosystem.
Mapping the UK's Virtual Production Ecosystem
Loughborough University
The World Cities Culture Report (WCCR) 2022 builds on the ground-breaking 2018 and 2015 Reports. It gives insights on the major challenges world cities facing.
World Cities Culture Report 2022
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
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BOP's contribution to the 2nd edition of the report UNESCO's Global Creativity Report, examining policies safeguarding the creative and cultural sectors.
UNESCO's Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity Report – Addressing culture as a global public good
UNESCO
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BOP’s updated Handbook for the Inter-American Development Bank sets out strategies for sustainability and urban resilience
Creative and Cultural Industries and Urban Revitalisation in the post-COVID era
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
We investigated the potential impact of AI for European cultural and creative businesses. Explore the transformative opportunities AI brings to industries.
Opportunities and Challenges of AI for the Cultural and Creative Industries
European Commission
Research in the Gulf Co-operation Council States in collaboration with British Council and BOP Consulting helps identify opportunities for festival development.
An evidence-base for the growing Gulf festivals sector
British Council
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BOP’s report on creating a healthy night-time economy for the Nanjing City Government demonstrates the importance of cross-cutting policies.
Creating Healthy Night-time Economies in World Cities
Nanjing Creative Center
Findings from our work at Great Ormond Street Hospital reveals how visual arts enhance the patient, visitor, and staff experience.
Creativity in health settings
GOSH Arts
Our new report for UNESCO sets out the huge global impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector. We estimate $750 billion lost for the CCI and 10 million job cuts.
Economic impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural and Creative Industries
UNESCO
New handbook 'Making Space for Culture' explores how world cities address the challenge of preserving cultural infrastructure while promoting growth.
How can cities make space for culture?
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Our research for the National Trust suggests approximately 3,000 Grade II buildings at risk in urban areas and discusses the impact on heritage and communities.
Protect urban heritage to prevent growth in inequality
National Trust
Our review of the Scottish Animation Sector, commissioned by Creative Scotland, has just been published
Review of the Scottish Animation Sector
Creative Scotland
UK-wide study of visitor experience practice provides new benchmarks for cultural and visitor attractions
Sharing Operations and Visitor Experience insight
VE:Forum
Our ‘blueprint for growth’ strategy has just been published for the video games sector in the West Midlands.
What's next for a video games cluster?
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