[Bcma-l] Museums and Visitor Information Centres

bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:42:22 -0700


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Here in Creston, we too are completely separate from the local VIC - in =
fact, it's all the way across town.  However, we do get a lot of =
VIC-type inquiries, and I have a few theories as to why: first, because =
community museums and VICs go together in many communities, I think =
tourists have learned to look for museums when they want travel =
information; secondly, because signage downtown, approaching the VIC =
from the east, is a little misleading.  It's easy to miss the VIC signs, =
and easy to see another sign that says "Visitor Route Information 2km =
ahead."  This last actually refers to a sign just down the highway from =
us, but comments from visitors suggest that they read the sign, see us =
about 2km farther down the road, and figure this has got to be the =
place.

We have begun carrying some tourist information so we can accommodate =
these requests, and have a very good relationship with the Chamber of =
Commerce, which runs the VIC.  We do send some visitors back to the VIC =
if they're staying in town or heading that way, but those who are =
continuing west usually don't want to go back.  So we're able to give =
them information, a travel/washroom break, and a positive experience.

We share our stats with the VIC, to help build a better picture of =
tourist numbers etc.  We have also seen an impact on our Museum =
visitation (about half the VIC requests also go through the Museum) and =
on our gift shop sales (especially souvenirs and cold drinks).  In =
addition, having several cars in the parking lot helps attract drop-in =
visitors, so I'm glad to get the cars there for any reason.  And, =
because we're constantly calling the VIC for information we don't have =
in our very limited brochure space, we're constantly reminding them that =
we're around and open for business - and I know that pays off.

Tammy

----------------------------------------------------------------
Tammy Hardwick
Manager,
Creston & District Museum & Archives
219 Devon Street, Creston, BC V0B 1G3
Phone (250) 428-9262
Fax (250) 428-3324
Email mail@creston.museum.bc.ca
www.creston.museum.bc.ca
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
  To: bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
  Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 1:26 PM
  Subject: Re: [Bcma-l] Museums and Visitor Information Centres


  No, the Chemainus Valley museum is independent of the Chamber of =
Commerce.
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
    To: BC Museums=20
    Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 4:44 PM
    Subject: [Bcma-l] Museums and Visitor Information Centres


    Does your Museum run your community's Visitor Information Centre?  =
Or, does your Museum coexist in the same facility as your Visitor =
Information Centre?  I am conducting some research on these two =
questions and am interested in hearing back from the listserv.

    I know that some discussion on this topic took place in November =
2006 on CANMUSE-L, but hearing more would be very interesting.  It seems =
that community museums may be leading the way in this relationship with =
tourism.

    The BCMA has asked that replys to these two questions be posted to =
the listserv as this tourism topic may be of interest to a few of us.  =
Please let us know about your situation plus the pros and cons of such =
an arrangement.


    Louise Avery, Curator
    Kitimat Centennial Museum
    293 City Centre
    Kitimat, B. C.    V8C 1T6

    Tel:   (250) 632-8950 or (250) 632-8951
    Fax:  (250) 632-7429
    E-Mail:  kitimatmuseum@telus.net
    Web Page:  www.kitimatmuseum.ca
    Visit "Memories of the Project" =
www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/index.html




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---


    No virus found in this incoming message.
    Checked by AVG.=20
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4/15/2008 9:12 AM

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Here in Creston, we too are completely =
separate=20
from the local VIC - in fact, it's all the way across town.&nbsp; =
However, we do=20
get a <EM>lot</EM> of VIC-type inquiries, and I have a few theories as =
to=20
why:</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;first, because community =
museums and=20
VICs go together in many communities, I think tourists have learned to =
look for=20
museums when they want travel information; secondly, because signage =
downtown,=20
approaching the VIC from the east, is a little misleading.&nbsp; It's =
easy to=20
miss the VIC signs, and easy to <EM>see</EM> another sign that says =
"Visitor=20
Route Information 2km ahead."&nbsp; This last actually refers to a sign =
just=20
down the highway from us, but comments from visitors suggest that they =
read the=20
sign, see us about 2km farther down the road, and figure this has got to =
be the=20
place.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We have begun carrying some tourist =
information so=20
we can accommodate these requests, and have a very good relationship =
with the=20
Chamber of Commerce, which runs the VIC.&nbsp; We do send some visitors =
back to=20
the VIC if they're staying in town or heading that way, but those who =
are=20
continuing west usually don't want to go back.&nbsp; So we're able to =
give them=20
information, a travel/washroom break, and a positive =
experience.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We share our stats with the VIC, to =
help build a=20
better picture of tourist numbers etc.&nbsp; We have also seen an impact =
on our=20
Museum visitation (about half the VIC requests also go through the =
Museum) and=20
on our gift shop sales (especially souvenirs and cold drinks).&nbsp; In=20
addition, having several cars in the parking lot helps attract drop-in =
visitors,=20
so I'm glad to get the cars&nbsp;there for any reason. &nbsp;And, =
because we're=20
constantly calling the VIC for information we don't have in our very =
limited=20
brochure space, we're constantly reminding them that we're around and =
open for=20
business - and I know that pays off.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tammy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------=
<BR>Tammy=20
Hardwick<BR>Manager,<BR>Creston &amp; District Museum &amp; =
Archives<BR>219=20
Devon Street, Creston, BC V0B 1G3<BR>Phone (250) 428-9262<BR>Fax (250)=20
428-3324<BR>Email <A=20
href=3D"mailto:mail@creston.museum.bc.ca">mail@creston.museum.bc.ca</A><B=
R><A=20
href=3D"http://www.creston.museum.bc.ca">www.creston.museum.bc.ca</A></FO=
NT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dbcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.b=
c.ca</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dbcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 15, 2008 =
1:26=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bcma-l] Museums =
and Visitor=20
  Information Centres</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>No, the Chemainus Valley museum is =
independent of=20
  the Chamber of Commerce.</FONT></DIV>
  <BLOCKQUOTE=20
  style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
    <DIV=20
    style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
    <A title=3Dbcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.b=
c.ca</A>=20
    </DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dbcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
    href=3D"mailto:bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca">BC Museums</A> </DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 14, 2008 =
4:44=20
    PM</DIV>
    <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bcma-l] Museums and =
Visitor=20
    Information Centres</DIV>
    <DIV><BR></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Does your Museum run your =
community's Visitor=20
    Information Centre?&nbsp; Or, does your Museum coexist in the same =
facility=20
    as your Visitor Information Centre?&nbsp; </FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>I=20
    am conducting some research on these two questions and am interested =
in=20
    hearing back from the listserv.</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I know that some discussion on this =
topic took=20
    place in November 2006 on CANMUSE-L, but hearing more&nbsp;would be =
very=20
    interesting.&nbsp; It seems that community museums&nbsp;may be =
leading the=20
    way in this relationship with tourism.</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D2><FONT =
size=3D+0>The&nbsp;BCMA&nbsp;has=20
    asked that replys to these two questions be posted&nbsp;to the =
listserv as=20
    this tourism topic&nbsp;may be of interest to a few of us.&nbsp; =
Please let=20
    us know about your situation plus the pros and cons of such an=20
    arrangement.</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial=20
    size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Louise Avery, Curator</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Kitimat Centennial Museum<BR>293 =
City=20
    Centre<BR>Kitimat, B. C.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; V8C 1T6</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tel:&nbsp;&nbsp; (250) 632-8950 or =
(250)=20
    632-8951<BR>Fax:&nbsp; (250) 632-7429<BR>E-Mail:&nbsp; <A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:kitimatmuseum@telus.net">kitimatmuseum@telus.net</A><BR>We=
b=20
    Page:&nbsp; <A=20
    =
href=3D"http://www.kitimatmuseum.ca">www.kitimatmuseum.ca</A><BR>Visit=20
    "Memories of the Project" <A=20
    =
href=3D"http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/index.html">w=
ww.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/index.html</A></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <P>
    <HR>

    <P></P>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG.=20
    <BR>Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.13/1378 - Release =
Date:=20
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