[BCMA] to charge or not to charge - what we learned

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Very interesting and thank you for undertaking this research. From our
perspective changing from a nominal admission to admission by donation has
seen our revenues increase substantially with visitors willing to contribute
more than they were when we charged. 

Thanks again and best wishes for the upcoming season and the year ahead.

Cheers.   

 

Paul F. Crawford

Director/Curator

Penticton Art Gallery

199 Marina Way

Penticton, B.C. 

V2A 1H5 Canada 

Phone:  <tel:%28250%29%20493-2928> (250) 493-2928

Web:  <http://www.pentictonartgallery.com/> www.pentictonartgallery.com 

 

From: bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca] On
Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
Sent: December-07-18 10:14 AM
To: bcma at lists.vifa.ca
Subject: Re: [BCMA] to charge or not to charge - what we learned

 

Very useful info - much appreciated!

Thanks,

Paul



On 12/6/2018 5:12 PM, Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. wrote:

Dear Museum Friends,

 

Last summer we posted a question about admissions policy, and it generated
lively discussion on this listserv. Thanks to everyone who participated! I
promised to follow up with what we learned from this investigation, and am
doing so now.

 

The original question:

We operate three museums in downtown Kelowna, with admission by donation.
Our admissions  policy is under review, and we would like to know what other
museums have learned about admission policy.  What are museums of various
size categories handling admission? Does charging admission, rather than
asking for a donation, increase or decrease revenues?  How does it impact
visitation?  What else has been learned?

 

What we heard:

Ø  Many museums and arts organizations are asking themselves this question,
and would like to see a comprehensive investigation on this topic.

Ø  Some museums gross more through donations, and others gross more through
entry fees.

Ø  For most community museums, admission revenues are a small piece of their
revenue pie. This applies to both entry fees and admission by donation.

Ø  It may be a more effective strategy to focus on developing other sources
of revenue, such as program fees, enterprise, and contributions.  

Ø  Admission by donation suffers if it isn’t easy to donate - for example,
if donation boxes are hard to locate, or if there isn’t an easy option to
donate electronically.

Ø  Shortage of time rather than money is the biggest barrier to visiting
museums. Museums are challenged to get the message out they are worth both.

Ø  Most museums find their operating costs increase when they charge an
entry fee.

Ø  Locals generally expect their community museum to be free. 

Ø  Tourists expect to pay, but are more likely to come if it is free.

Ø  For community museums, switching to an entry fee will probably result in
fewer visitors, so each museum has to consider what is most important.

Ø  Low admission fees may send a signal that there isn’t much to see here.
People complain more about a low fee than a higher fee.

Ø  The only Canadian museums we found that charge $10 or more are the major
provincial and federal museums, or museums with a strong “cool factor”
including historic sites. 

 

What we decided:

Ø  Continue our policy of admission by donation, and continue to improve
donations signage, electronic payment options, and visitor experience.

Ø  Focus on enhancing other revenue streams to meet our budget targets.

Ø  Revisit the question in two years.

I hope this information is useful to you. Feel free to contact me directly
if you want to chat more about what we learned.

 

Best,
Linda 

 

Linda
Digby_email tags-small

 






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