Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens & Libraries

Museums, libraries, parks and other cultural institutions today face the daunting task of attracting visitors who have almost limitless choices for education and entertainment. What gets them through your front door and coming back again and again? In the commercial world, some businesses stand apart from their competition and profit by providing sophisticated, meaningful, and memorable customer experiences. In this practical, user-friendly guide, Stephanie Weaver translates these methods to non-profit organizations. She introduces readers to the latest thinking and research on consumer behavior, branding, leisure studies, and staff training. She offers an eight-step process to evaluate how the visitors view you, from before they arrive at the front door until after they leave. Exercises in each chapter allow the institution to put this self-examination into practice and find new ways of attracting and retaining visitors. Replete with examples from the business and museum world alike, as well as the medical, retail, hospitality, and tourism industries, filled with resources for further exploration, Creating Great Visitor Experiences is a vital resource for administrators, trustees, and front line staff alike.

Stephanie Weaver is a consultant to commercial and non-profit organizations on marketing, branding, and the customer experience, and creator of the concept EXPERIENCEology™. With a background in film and public health, she has spent over fifteen years development programs, exhibitions, and special events, and conducting visitor studies at major museums, including Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, and San Diego Zoo. She is principal in the firm Experienceology, which works with businesses to create memorable customer experiences.