Retails Essentials Masterclass with Museum Development North East

Retail Essentials Masterclass

Are you new to cultural retail or looking to take your shop to the next level? Join the Association for Cultural Enterprises and Museum Development North East for a one-day online Masterclass looking at the key components of successful retail. Get the practical skills and knowledge to turn browsers into buyers and maximise your profits.

What will you learn?

1. Measure and use your financial KPIs

2. Identify your customer and select relevant product that will appeal to them

3. Attract visitors and turn them into buyers with clever visual merchandising

4. Actively sell and get your customers spending even more

There will be an opportunity for some museums who attend the training to then apply for further one to support from ACE to help you develop your retail offer.

Please click on the link below to book your ticket:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/retails-essentials-masterclass-tickets-637386619537 [eventbrite.co.uk]

Cultural Enterprises Awards 2022

From the Association for Cultural Enterprises:

The 2022 Awards are open and there’s still time to enter. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your achievements and inspire others! There are plenty of categories to enter, like the new Digital Income AwardCreative Commerce, the Green Award and the new Rising Star Award. Perhaps you’ve created a successful new revenue stream, or you’d like to reward a colleague who’s gone the extra mile this year? Take a look at all the categories and enter now:

Award Categories:

Best Product

What new products have you brought to market that you are really proud of? We are looking for products that are unique and creative, with an engaging story that is relevant to your venue and/or audience.

Best Range

Have you created an eye-catching new range that’s proved popular with your customers? We’re looking for creative product ranges especially with an interesting angle that might relate to your venue or to the supplier(s) involved.

Best Licensed Product

Have you collaborated on a successful licensing project? We are looking for licensed products that are particularly unique and innovative, ideally with an engaging story that is relevant to your venue and has helped you reach new audiences.

Best Publication

Have you produced a notable new publication this year? This category includes all types of publications sold in your shop including children’s books, guidebooks and exhibition catalogues. We’re looking for eye-catching books with engaging design and content that fulfils its objectives and appeals to your audience.

Best Shop

What makes your shop stand out from the crowd? Has your team risen above the challenges to provide a fantastic retail experience? We’d love to hear about any new solutions you’ve introduced in your shop to adapt to the new trading landscape and capitalise on changes to your audience.

Best Online Shop

Whether your online shop is well established or newly launched, it might just be award winning! This award will be judged on how your online shop offers a smooth and engaging customer experience whilst maximising profitability, whatever your budget or platform.

Best Supplier Initiative (Associate Members)

What creative solutions have you introduced to support your customers and help sustain their business, as well as your own? This might include providing free samples or POS materials, or anything else you have undertaken in response to current challenges.

Green Award

This award recognises successful eco-friendly initiatives in commercial activities. Perhaps you’ve introduced a new eco-friendly revenue stream or reduced single-use plastics. How have you kept sustainability at the heart of your business this year?

Digital Income Award

Digital platforms have provided new ways of generating revenue and reaching new audiences during the past 18 months. Have you successfully created a new digital income stream? Examples might include monetising digital content or experiences, digital partnerships or digital fundraising with platforms like Patreon or GoFundMe.

Creative Commerce

This award celebrates the creativity which has sustained our sector through challenging times. How have you capitalised on new opportunities to generate income? Perhaps you’ve created a successful new revenue stream or engaged with visitors in new ways.

Outstanding Contribution

This award recognises a personal contribution to our sector. Is there someone in your team who’s gone the extra mile? Perhaps they’ve stepped out of their role to support in another area or come up with an inspired idea that’s benefited your venue or the wider community.

Rising Star

This award recognises someone who is at an early stage in their career but already starting to stand out from the crowd! Does someone in your team have a promising future, showing the skills and talent to make a significant and lasting contribution to our sector?

Kids in Museums Publishes Museum Shops and Cafés Guidance

From Kids in Museums:

Shopping for souvenirs can be a central part of a full day out at a museum for families. As a result, we want museums to consider the needs of families when they plan their retail offer.

To support museums to better tailor their shops to the needs of families, we consulted families about what they need. We reviewed previous feedback from family judges for the Family Friendly Museum Award, data from previous family consultations for our Kids in Museums Manifesto and conducted our own survey of family museum visitors in summer 2021.

Nearly two thirds of the families who responded to our survey said that visiting a museum shop was an important part of a museum visit. However family visitors did not always feel that museums catered well for their needs. 76% of the families we surveyed said that shops were only sometimes or rarely affordable for them.

This resource aims to offer insight into what families want from museum shops and some top tips about how museums can make these amenities more family friendly. We know that it is not always easy to make changes in this area, especially where shops are run by external providers. However, we hope that some of the information and survey data will at least be helpful in starting conversations.

Visit the Kids in Museums website to read full guidance

Museum Shop Sunday 2021

From the Association for Cultural Enterprises:

Join over 1,600 cultural attractions worldwide on Sunday 28 November 2021 to celebrate Museum Shop Sunday. It’s never been more important to highlight the vital role of retail in helping arts, cultural and heritage venues to survive and thrive. Museum Shop Sunday is a fantastic opportunity to do just that!

How to get involved

  • Plan an event or promotion for Museum Shop Sunday – something fun that will attract plenty of publicity in the run-up to the day. It might be a craft demonstration or book signing, a food or drink tasting, a competition, prize draw or free gift. Highlight what makes shopping at your venue unique – whether it’s bespoke gifts, ethical sourcing or locally crafted products with stories linked to your organisation.
  • Use the marketing toolkit to create web banners, posters and social media posts. Check out our ready made social media strategy, an easy to follow document packed with practical advice, expertise and customisable templates.
  • Share your plans with us so we can promote your event on the Museum Shop Sunday website and social channels. Submit your details (including your event or promotion if possible) to be added to our What’s On page, and email good quality images of your shop or products to joanne@culturalenterprises.org.uk

    Click here for more details.

#SustainingCulture #MuseumShopSunday

Museum Shop Sunday 2021

From the Association for Cultural Enterprises:

Join over 1,600 cultural attractions worldwide on Sunday 28 November 2021 to celebrate Museum Shop Sunday. It’s never been more important to highlight the vital role of retail in helping arts, cultural and heritage venues to survive and thrive. Museum Shop Sunday is a fantastic opportunity to do just that!

How to get involved

  • Plan an event or promotion for Museum Shop Sunday – something fun that will attract plenty of publicity in the run-up to the day. It might be a craft demonstration or book signing, a food or drink tasting, a competition, prize draw or free gift. Highlight what makes shopping at your venue unique – whether it’s bespoke gifts, ethical sourcing or locally crafted products with stories linked to your organisation.
  • Use the marketing toolkit to create web banners, posters and social media posts. Check out our ready made social media strategy, an easy to follow document packed with practical advice, expertise and customisable templates.
  • Share your plans with us so we can promote your event on the Museum Shop Sunday website and social channels. Submit your details (including your event or promotion if possible) to be added to our What’s On page, and email good quality images of your shop or products to joanne@culturalenterprises.org.uk

    Click here for more details.

#SustainingCulture #MuseumShopSunday

Association for Cultural Enterprises – Upcoming Webinars

The Association for Cultural Enterprises are hosting the following online workshops:

Culture Sprint Online Workshops – Free, members only | Starts 22 Sep 2020

This series of events are designed to give current and future arts leaders a tool for solving critical business challenges. Prepared in collaboration with The Revels Office.

To find out more and to book, please click here.

Re-Opening Retail – Free, members only | 25 Sep, 11am

A panel of cultural retailers discuss how our shops have fared since re-opening, looking at issues such as social distancing, stock management and how footfall, ATV and conversion rates have been affected.

To register for this webinar, please click here.

Study Day: Guide Books & Exhibition Catalogues

Thursday 31st October
The Hospitium, York
10:00 – 16:00

From the Association of Cultural Enterprises:

Hear from publishing professionals at a range of venues about how to get started in print, especially if you’re a small or medium sized organisation with limited resources. Get inspired with case studies looking particularly at producing guide books and exhibition catalogues in-house.

Who is it for?

Retail, commercial and front of house managers in small to medium sized venues.

What will I learn?

• How to maximise your return by creating cost-effective designs with impact

• How to create a guide book from scratch: challenges, pitfalls and rewards

• How to create, publish and sell an exhibition catalogue, whilst minimising risk

• How to get around the limitations of a tight budget and stretched resources

• Paid for versus free guide books: why both have a place

Speakers

  • Emma Lay – Sales & Marketing Manager, King Richard III Visitor Centre
  • Susan Pacitti – Publishing & Licensing Manager, Glasgow Museums
  • Malcolm Crampton – Director, Jigsaw Design & Publishing
  • Rory Hill – Visitor Services & Retail Manager, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
  • Kieran Whitworth – Manager of Book Buying & Trade Sales, Imperial War Museums
  • Susan Hornby – Head of Education & Community Engagement, The Deep

For the full programme and info on ticket prices, click here.

International Exchange Programme 2020

From the Association of Cultural Enterprises:

Applications are now open for our fully subsidised international exchange programme, a partnership between the Association for Cultural Enterprises and Museum Store Association (MSA).

This is your chance to attend and deliver a session at MSA Forward in Cleveland, Ohio on 23-27 April 2020, with return flights and three hotel nights included.

The successful candidate will be required to present a 60 minute session at MSA Forward 2020, as well as write two blog posts.

The exchange programme offers a unique opportunity to make new international contacts, enhance your professional development, and promote your organisation overseas. Our 2019 recipient, Louise Kirby, Director of Operations & People at The Deep, found it a hugely rewarding experience – read about Louise’s experience here.

Your proposed session must meet the following criteria:

  • Presents a topic or case study that demonstrates thought leadership in museum retail
  • Presents an innovative project or a solution to a common museum retail issue
  • Presents a topic commercially relevant with educational value, including real-life experience

All applications must be received by Friday 30 August 2019. Please note you must be a Full Member of the Association for Cultural Enterprises to apply.

For details on how to apply, click here.

Bursaries For The Association for Cultural Enterprises Conference 2019

The Association for Cultural Enterprises is offering five free bursary places for smaller museums for their ACE2019 Conference & Trade Show in Brighton on 28th February & 1st March.

The bursaries cover two full days’ attendance, including all conference sessions, refreshments and Gala Dinner, accommodation and travel. They are available to organisations that are Full Members of the Association and received fewer than 50,000 visitors in the last full year.

Museum Shop Sunday

Sunday 25th November 2018 

From the Association of Cultural Enterprises:

Museum Shop Sunday has become known as a day to enjoy fun events and buy special Christmas gifts at cultural venues all over the world. All types of cultural institutions can take part, and it’s a great chance to attract new audiences to your shop.

To help get as much press coverage as possible we’re asking you to tell us about your plans for the big day and share images of your products. To get started visit our website, where you’ll find advice and resources including our new marketing toolkit with logos, banners and poster templates.

If you’re new to Museum Shop Sunday, our 7 Steps to Success blog post is a great place to start. Over 600 cultural venues worldwide took part in 2017, with many reporting increased sales and footfall.  

Find out more on the ACE website.