Success Guide - Setting Admissions Policy and …...Successfully Setting Admissions Policy and...

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Helping Heritage Organisations Prosper Association of independent Museums Success Guide Successfully Setting Admissions Policy and Pricing

Transcript of Success Guide - Setting Admissions Policy and …...Successfully Setting Admissions Policy and...

Page 1: Success Guide - Setting Admissions Policy and …...Successfully Setting Admissions Policy and Pricing 8 The research found a diverse range of pricing strategies being adopted, which

Helping HeritageOrganisations Prosper

Association ofindependentMuseums

Success GuideSuccessfully Setting

Admissions Policyand Pricing

Page 2: Success Guide - Setting Admissions Policy and …...Successfully Setting Admissions Policy and Pricing 8 The research found a diverse range of pricing strategies being adopted, which

Success GuideSuccessfully Setting

Admissions Policyand Pricing

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The findings of this research have now been used to develop thisguidance for UK museums; both to support their decision-makingprocess and to assess how a change might affect them in thefuture. If you are currently charging and considering making theswitch to free admissions - or vice versa - this guide will support youto make informed decisions based on examples and case studiesfrom museums that responded to the AiM survey on admissions andpricing.

This guidance document summarises the key findings around theimpact of different charging positions and identifies key lessons andissues for museums to consider when reviewing their own chargingposition. This guide is structured around each of these four topics:

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General guidance for all museumsaround charging for admissions

The overall aim of the researchwas to understand theexperience of museums thathave moved from freeadmission to charging, orcharging to free admission, or to‘hybrid’ models and toinvestigate different pricingstrategies and their impact. Theresearch examined the impacton visitor numbers, diversity ofvisitors, income (includingsecondary spend andspontaneous donation), visitorsatisfaction, quality of visit andreputation and relationships.The research also helped toidentify key lessons learnt toshare with other museums. Mainfindings from the researchincluded:

● The overall picture withregard to charging is muchmore complex than oftenassumed; for example, one inthree independent museumsare free-entry and one inthree local authoritymuseums charge foradmission.

● There is no direct linkbetween the diversity ofaudiences and whether amuseum charges foradmission or not, with thepattern in terms of social mixbeing very similar. However,such a finding needs to beunderstood in the contextthat the general social mix ofmuseum visitors is not alwaysrepresentative of the widersocial mix within theircommunities.

● Donations are more affectedby a range of other factorsthan by whether museumscharge for admission or not.

● There is no consistentrelationship between levelsof secondary spend andwhether a museum chargesadmission, with other factorshaving much more influence.However, some evidence hasemerged showing visitors tocharging museums are morelikely to have visited the shop(or used on-site catering),than visitors to free-entrymuseums.

● Dwell times are typicallylonger for museums thatcharge for admissions.

● The process of chargingcreates a focus for the visitorwelcome and capturesinformation about visitors.Where museums are freeentry, alternativeapproaches are required forthese elements.

● In making any changes it isespecially important tocommunicate clearly withstakeholders and the localcommunity about thereasons for the changes andto ensure that staff arepositive and confident inexplaining them to visitors.

One in three independentmuseums are free-entryand one in three localauthority museumscharge for admission

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● Two key aspects for allmuseums are aboutunderstanding andunderstanding in considerations aroundyour approach to charging.

● Think about questions suchas: What attracts visitors toyour museum? How long dothey stay? What type ofpeople visit your museum?How often do they visit?What attracts repeat visits?

● A range of wider factorsshould also to be considered,for example, the likelihood ofcharging can be influencedby:■ The visitor economy in the

area (museums in areaswith a ‘key’ or ‘significant’visitor economy are morelikely to charge than thosein ‘moderate’ or ‘minor’areas).

■ The importance of themuseum as an attractionin the area (‘keyattraction’ museums aremore likely to charge than‘significant’, ‘moderatelysignificant’ or ‘minor’).

■ The level of competitionfor attracting visitors(museums in ‘very’ or‘moderately’ competitiveareas notably more likelyto charge than those inless competitive areas).

● The issues around publicopinion and perceptions tobe recognised. This includesthe perception that museums

are free which can bechallenging when thinkingabout charging. Addressingsuch perceptions througheffective communication isimportant.

● Communication andmessaging is key – includingcommunicating the need orreasons for any change.

● Publicise any charges andoffers clearly internally andexternally. Communicate withstaff and volunteers aboutwhy changes are happeningand include otherstakeholders in your plans

● Where possible, anydecisions around changingstrategy and/or changingprice should be based onevidence/data about visitors.Good data and user researchis very important in informingdecisions about charging.

● Irrespective of your currentor potential charging positionconsider the role ofdonations. Giveconsideration to thedevelopment andimplementation of a pro-active strategy aroundencouraging donations.

Publicise any charges andoffers clearly internallyand externally.Communicate with staffand volunteers about whychanges are happeningand include otherstakeholders in your plans.

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The overarching charging andpricing policy for your museumshould be underpinned by dueconsideration by your Trusteesor governing body in relation totheir role and responsibility forsetting the strategy of themuseum and delivering publicbenefit.

The types of issues that shouldbe considered at thegovernance level include:

● How your charging policy fitswith your museum’s overallmission, purpose, strategy?

● How your charging policy fitswith your financial needs andgoals, including the need forincome independent ofsignificant funders?

● Whether free admission orcharging coupled withdiscounts and incentives,best meets your aims forvisitor numbers and visitordiversity?

● What the impact of anydecisions you make aroundcharging for admissions willhave on the perception andreputation of the museumwith visitors, stakeholders,funders and your localcommunity?

How will your chargingpolicy fit in with yourmuseum's overall mission,purpose, strategy?

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If you are thinking about makingthe move from free to charging,these key research findings willhelp to shape your planning andcan inform you about thepossible impacts of introducingadmissions at your museum.

● Museums that have movedfrom free to charging mostcommonly report that thishas a negative impact onoverall visitor numbers, withsome reporting notabledecreases in visitors,especially in the number oflocal visitors.

● Museums that have movedfrom free to chargingtypically report that this hashad no impact on the mix anddiversity of visitors, althoughdata on social mix can belimited for some museums,especially when they werefree.

● All of the museums that havemoved from free to chargingreport a positive impact onadmissions income, and forsome this has been asubstantial level of incomewhich has strengthened theoverall financial position ofthe museum.

● Spontaneous donationscommonly decreased whenmoving from free to charging,although such decreases aremore than compensated byincreases in admissionsincome. Many museumsreport that factors other

than charging have a greaterinfluence on donations.

● Whilst a mixed pictureemerged about the impact ofcharging on secondaryspend, there is evidence thatvisitors to paid admissionsites are more likely to visitand buy from the shop, oruse on site catering, thanthose to free admission sites.However, the strongerinfluence of factors otherthan charging on secondaryspend - most notably thequality of the retail and onsite catering offer – wasnoted by many.

● Some museums noted thatoverall secondary spend hadnot changed whilst visitornumbers had decreased –suggesting that the visitorslost when moving from freeto charging may be thosewho typically did not makeany secondary spend whenvisiting.

● Museums that have movedfrom free to charging forgeneral admissions reportthat this had both positiveand negative impacts onrelationships and reputation.

● Whilst there is typically anappreciation fromstakeholders about the needto increase income, museumscan experience a negativereaction from the localcommunity as a result ofmoving from free to charging,with communication andplanning being key elementsin mitigating such reactions.

There is evidence thatvisitors to paid admissionsites are more likely tovisit and buy from theshop, or use on sitecatering, than thoseto free admission sites

Thinking about chargingfor admission?

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The research found a diverserange of pricing strategies beingadopted, which typically reflectthe common types of visitor; forexample, adult, child or familytickets are most common andwithin these pricing categoriessome museums offer furtherflexibility such as age relatedcharges for children or chargesfor different size and types offamily. Being able to offerdiversity and flexibility aroundpricing can be important inattracting visitors to yourmuseum and can also help tocounteract any concerns aroundaccessibility for particulargroups.

One pricing issue to consider isthe potential complexity ofpricing. Given the potentialrange of tickets and offers aswell as Gift Aid and/or voluntarydonation options, somemuseums found that such arange can be administrativelyburdensome for the museumand complex for the potentialvisitor. There are recentexamples of museumssimplifying their pricingstructure, making it easier toimplement and easier tounderstand for everyone.

Additional pricing strategiesthat you can consider includediscounts or free entry forgroups, friends, specific types ofindividual, local residents. Inaddition, other incentives and

offers such as annual passes,season tickets, free repeat visits,and joint ticketing can beoffered. Other pricinginnovations include discounts foronline ticket purchasing ordiscounts with particularoffers/voucher schemes andreduced rates or free entry oncertain days or times of theweek or year, as well asinnovative models such as ‘paywhat you think’.

When setting prices, it isimportant to balance anyconsiderations about keepingprices down (to helpaccessibility) with notundervaluing the offer (bycreating perceptions of lowquality). Whilst it is important toprovide value for money whenintroducing charging, this doesnot mean low pricing, but ratherensuring pricing reflects thequality of the museum/offer andthat this message – about thequality and value of the visit -reaches visitors. Pricebenchmarking information isincluded later in this guidance.

When looking at other museumsas comparators to help informthe setting of prices, make sureyou select relevantcomparators. Comparing withappropriate (which may be localrather than national) attractionsis important, especially whereyour museum visitors aretypically local or day visitors. Itmay be that the most relevantcomparisons are not othermuseums elsewhere in the

What should you consider whenmoving from free to charging?

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Country, but are other visitorattractions in your area.

The museums that have facedsome of the greatest challengesare those that have moved fromfree to charging for generaladmissions – with theperceptions and attitudes ofvisitors (especially local visitors)proving to be a notablechallenge. Whilst going low onprice when introducing chargingcan appear appealing,museums that introduced anadmission charge note that thechallenge around this occursirrespective of the price charged– so keeping the price low doesnot necessarily reduce thischallenge, and can cause issuesaround perceptions of low priceequating to low quality.

It is important to appreciate theoperational cost of introducingcharging (e.g. staff training, newequipment, new systems), andmake sure you fully scope outthese costs as part of anydecision to move to charging foradmissions, including ensuringthat you have the processes andsystems in place for collectingGift Aid on admissions. This willbe important in ensuring thatpricing is set at a sufficient levelto cover the operational cost ofcharging and/or provide asufficient financial return foryour museum from such achange. Make sure that dueconsideration is given to anyVAT implications of moving fromfree admissions to charging for

admissions, and seekappropriate advice about these.

Charging for admissions canprovide the opportunity for yourmuseum to better understandyour visitors – through morefront-of-house engagement,receiving informal visitorfeedback, and collecting visitordata via ticketing information. Itis important to provide trainingand support for staff on anychanges around charging. Thisincludes developing staffconfidence and also staffattitudes and approachestowards the communication ofthe introduction of charging tovisitors.

In planning any changes, it isimportant to ensure that thereis a sufficient lead-in time toimplement any changes.

The importance ofcommunication cannot beoverstated when moving fromfree to charging for admissions.This includes communicationwith visitors to publicise chargesand offers clearly, and to initiallyexplain the move to charging;communication withstaff/volunteers to ensure theyunderstand why charges arebeing introduced and how toimplement the change; andcommunication withstakeholders/governing body,especially where they have adecision-making role orinfluence on charging.

"People tend to stay longerwhen they've paid for entry- although we do also haveseason tickets which enableshorter more frequent visits."Survey respondent

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moved from free tocharging in 2014 and increased the scope of pricing in 2015 with theaim of generating income. The museum feels that potential visitorswho knew the museum was previously free are more likely to be putoff visiting by the charge. Lessons include the importance of‘getting the message out there’ and ensuring local peopleunderstand why there is now a charge. Also keeping the samecharge for a sustained period of time, and promoting the value ofthe museum to visitors is important.

Case studies of museums that movedfrom free to charging

has a continuous programme of temporaryexhibitions, and went from charging for these exhibitions when itopened in 2007, to free in 2009, and introducing a charge of £5 foran annual pass 2014, whilst maintaining free access to itspermanent galleries throughout this period. Ahead of the move toreintroduce charging in 2014, The Lightbox researched its options indetail, and found that the annual pass scheme was the bestapproach for them, as it promoted increasing return visits and GiftAid could be claimed. At the same time, The Lightbox also increasedthe cost of friend's membership by the amount of the pass, andincluded it as part of the membership card, with no complaints. TheLightbox benefited by being transparent about the transition tocharging, and by working hard with all community projects it isengaged with to ensure key groups were not alienated.

went from free to charging for non-residents in May 2015, and have found that whilst visitor numbershave markedly dropped, dwell time and spend per visitor haveincreased. Brighton Museum found that the quality of their visitordata collection as a free museum was not detailed enough forcharge based business planning, and the fall in visitor numbers wasgreater than anticipated (data quality has significantly improvedthrough more detailed visitor engagement). Brighton learned thatalthough residents go free, the perception that your museumcharges impacts on numbers. Ideally, a long lead in time isadvisable to better communicate the change, as is supportiveprogramming, especially aimed at local audiences.

Cyfarthfa Castle Museum& Art Gallery

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If you are thinking about makingthe move from charging to free,these key research findings willhelp to shape your planning andcan inform you about thepossible impacts of removingadmissions at your museum.

● The vast majority ofmuseums that have movedfrom charging to free reportthat this has a positiveimpact on overall visitornumbers, with somereporting a more thandoubling of visitors, especiallya greater number of repeatvisits, and more ‘casual’ visitswith shorter dwell times.

● Museums that have movedfrom charging to free presenta mixed picture in terms ofthe mix and diversity ofvisitors, with ‘no impact’ and‘positive impact’ beingreported in equal numbers.Whilst data on social mix canbe limited for somemuseums, those reporting apositive impact particularlynoted more local visitors.

● The vast majority ofmuseums that moved fromcharging to free reported apositive impact onspontaneous donations as aresult. The extent to whichthis increase in donationsmakes up for the loss ofadmissions income variesfrom museum to museum –some experience a net gain inincome whilst others areworse off financially.

● A mixed picture emergedabout the impact of movingfrom charging to free onsecondary spend. In manycases, museums reflectedthat other factors influencedthe level of secondary spend,especially the quality of theretail and catering offer.Although one of the morefrequent positive impactsreported by free museums isan overall increase in visitors,leading to an increase inoverall sales.

● There is limited data on dwelltime from museums thathave moved from charging tofree, but most reported noimpact, and those thatreported a positive impacttypically related this toshorter, more frequent visitsrather than an increase in thedwell times per visit.

● Museums moving fromcharging to free reportedpositive impacts onrelationships and reputationwith stakeholders, localcommunity and friends andmembers. In particular,moving to free admissionshelped to develop strongerand better links with the localcommunity – encouragingaccess, and raising the profileof the museum.

The vast majority ofmuseums that have movedfrom charging to freereport that this has apositive impact on overallvisitor numbers

Thinking about moving tofree admission?

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What should you consider whenmoving from charging to free?

Moving to free admissions foryour museum can be easier toimplement than charging foradmissions. Offering freeadmission has a loweroperational cost than chargingfor admissions, and it does notface the practical barriers thatcharging for admissions canpresent for some museums –depending on the number ofaccess points to the museum,the layout of the museum.

Make sure that dueconsideration is given to anyVAT implications of moving fromcharging for admissions to freeadmissions, and seekappropriate advice about these.Providing free admission canoffer other income generationopportunities, but you need tobe well organised and preparedto positively exploit suchopportunities or opportunitiescan be missed.

There is the potential to focuson donations as an alternativesource of income to admissionsincome when moving to freeadmissions, and some (smaller)museums have done thissuccessfully. Where this hasbeen achieved, the museumshave developed a strongdonations strategy, including theeffective use of donations boxesand training for staff andvolunteers in ‘making the ask’ ofvisitors.

In general, museums feel thatthey are in a better position tomake the ask on donations andare more effective at it whenadmission is free - but this doesnot happen automatically. Apro-active approach andstrategy around donations is stillrequired.

Also, whilst donations canincrease when moving to freeadmissions, the experience ofsome museums is thatdonations do not cover lostadmissions income, so thisneeds to be considered whenthinking about moving to freeadmissions.

It is important to effectivelycommunicate, market andpromote any change fromcharging for admissions to freeadmissions – make surepotential visitors know themuseum is now free admission.

In terms of secondary spend,whilst a frequently reportedpositive impact by freemuseums is an overall increasein visitors leading to an increasein overall secondary spend,other factors (especially thequality of the retail and cateringoffer) have greater influence onthe level of secondary spendthan whether the museumcharges or not. Make sure youroffer is good enough tocapitalise on the opportunity.

"Many visitors comment onbeing pleased not to haveto pay and lots of familiesvisit as groups. I think itencourages repeat visitsfrom local residents."Survey respondent

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Offering free admissions can bevery attractive to visitors,especially local people. It maychime with a perception thatmuseums are or should be free.One challenge for museums thatmove to free admissions is thatthere can be a loss of front-of-house interaction with visitors –resulting in less engagementwith staff (and less data aboutvisitors).Where museums move to freeentry, alternative approaches

are required to ensure theseelements are not lost, and thereare examples where this hasbeen achieved, but it requiresadditional efforts by themuseum.Ensure that your museum isprepared and able to cope withthe anticipated increase invisitors from moving to freeadmissions – and the resultingdemand on services andfacilities such as the café, toilets,car parking and audio-guides.

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moved from charging for admissions to free entry in2013 aiming to make the museum more accessible. The museummanaged to arrange corporate sponsorship support to help offsetthe lost admissions income initially. As well as seeing visitornumbers almost double, Elgin Museum emphasised that theimplementation of a pro-active donations strategy (includingeffective use of donation boxes, building on good practice guidance)helped to offset much of the lost admissions income, whichalongside the ongoing sponsorship has put the museum in animproved financial situation as well as leading to far greaterconnections and engagement between the museum and the localcommunity due to free admissions – exemplified through theincreases in the number of children visiting the museum.

Case studies of museums that movedfrom charging to free

recently investigated introducing charging atone of their sites and found that introducing charging at this venuewould result in a net increase of income at a level that the Trust feltit was not worth pursuing, reinforcing the Trust’s position on freeentry. The Trust plans to continue with free entry, raising incomefrom donations (which the Trust feels is easier to do when amuseum does not charge), secondary spend and conferencing.

near Barnsley is a free admission museum,with previous experience of charging for admissions. Key lessonsaround maximising income whilst offering free admission includebeing prepared and able to exploit retail opportunities, being upfront and proactive around seeking donations, ensuring staff aretrained in ‘making the ask’, and understanding your audience(collect and use visitor data).

Elgin Museum

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Even if you already chargeadmissions, take care whenchanging your pricing. These aresome of the impacts to beaware of.

● Museums that alreadycharged and increased thescope or scale of their pricingin recent years typicallyreport that the increase inpricing did not have animpact on visitor numbers.

● Similarly, the vast majority ofmuseums that increasedprices reported that this hadno impact on the mix anddiversity of their visitors.Most museums noted verylittle change in visitor mix atall, with some museumsoffering specific activities –for example, outreach - orincentives such as specialoffers to counteract anypotential impacts.

● The vast majority ofmuseums that increasedpricing noted that this hashad a positive impact onadmissions income, ofvarying scales.

● Almost three-quarters ofmuseums that increasedpricing noted that it had noimpact on spontaneousdonations – pointing out thatother factors were moreimportant in terms of thelevel of donations.

● More than half of museumsthat increased chargingreported that this had noimpact on secondary spend –with more than one-quarterreporting positive impacts,with such positive impactsbeing supported by otherevidence.

● Museums that increasedpricing are the least likely toreport this has affected theirreputation and relationshipswith stakeholders, localcommunity or friends andmembers. There is typicallyan appreciation fromstakeholders about therationale for increasingpricing and strengthening thefinancial position of themuseum.

● Many museums use a changein the visitor offer such as asubstantial redevelopment, anew gallery space, theopening of a new exhibition,or a smaller scale change inthe offer, to support anincrease in price, helping toreduce any potentialnegative impacts – simplyputting the price up withoutany change in the offer ismore likely to result innegative impacts for yourmuseum.

The vast majority ofmuseums that increasedpricing noted that thishas had a positive impacton admissions income,of varying scales

Already charge? Guidance forchanging your pricing

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Many of the issues,considerations and lessonsaround moving to charging setout earlier in this guidance alsoapply to increasing your pricing.Other things to think aboutwhen changing your pricinginclude:

Including relevant use ofdiscounts, other incentives andoffers, and pricing innovations.Give due consideration onpricing levels and strategies tohelp counteract any concernsand issues around accessibilityfor particular groups.

A balance needs to be achievedbetween a diverse pricingstrategy and any potentialcomplexity of pricing. Also thinkabout the administrative burdenand confusion for staff andvisitors that this can cause. Youalso need to balanceconsiderations about keeping

prices down, to helpaccessibility, with notundervaluing the offer (bycreating perceptions of lowquality).

Consider the operational cost ofchanging charging such as stafftraining, new equipment, newsystems and ensure pricing isset accordingly. Sufficientprovision of training andsupport for staff on anychanges around charging.Ensure that there is a sufficientlead-in time to implement anychanges. Communicate pricingchanges to visitors so they knowthey are happening and whythey are being introduced.

Ensure pricing reflects thequality of the museum/offer andthat this message – about thequality and value of the visit -reaches visitors. Make relevantuse of comparators whenchanging prices: goodcomparisons may not be othermuseums elsewhere, but othervisitor attractions in your area.

"We run bi-yearly openweekends to ensure we aretargeting free vouchers foradmission to less affluentareas of [our city] basedon the indices of deprivation.This therefore means wecan maintain a diversemix of visitors to theMuseum."Survey respondent

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In terms of benchmarks forpricing, and wider factors thatcan influence the level of pricing,analysing average generaladmission adult prices againstother factors found:

● The current average price foran adult ticket for generaladmission is just less than £6with a notable range ofprices underneath thisaverage – from less than £1to £20+.

● The current average price fora child ticket for generaladmission is almost £3, andagain the range of pricesunderneath this average isnotable – from free to £14.

● The current average price fora concession ticket forgeneral admission is just over£5 with a notable range ofprices underneath thisaverage – from less than £1to £20+.

● The current average price fora standard family ticket forgeneral admission is almost£19 and the range of pricesunderneath this average isfrom £4 to £60+.

● There is little differencebetween average prices bytype of museum – whilstindependent museums aremore likely to charge thanlocal authority museums, theaverage prices for both typesare very similar.

● The more significant thevisitor economy is to the localarea the lower the averageprice.

● The more important themuseum is as an attractionto the local area, the higherthe average price it charges.

● There is a pattern of higheraverage prices relative to thesize of the museum (in termsof visitor numbers) i.e. thelarger the museum the higherthe average price.

● Average prices are higher formuseums in the south ofEngland (i.e. London, SouthWest of England and SouthEast of England) than forother areas across the UK.

The more significant thevisitor economy is to thelocal area the lower theaverage price

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increased the level and scopeof charging in 2014, opting to charge for all special exhibitionsrather than just some, and also creating a separate charge just forthese exhibitions (an all-inclusive rate was the previous offer). Thechanges led to a more consistent pricing strategy, and did not affectvisitor numbers, which remained fairly constant, nor did it affect themix of visitors. Income from admissions increased, with otherincome (donations and secondary spend) remaining constant orincreasing due to other factors.

Case studies of museums thathave changed their pricing

The Historic Dockyard Chatham

amended their admissions chargingpolicy in recent years (letting children go free, removing theconcessionary rate, and increasing adult prices). These changeswere intended to increase the museum’s appeal to families andchildren, as well as improve the museum’s financial position. Sincethe changes, total visitor numbers have increased slightly, and thenumber of paying visitors has also been sustained. The changesalso led to a simplified pricing strategy, which has been of benefit toboth museum staff/volunteers and visitors as it is easier tounderstand and communicate. Tenby Museum emphasised theimportance of effective communication with both visitors and allother stakeholders when implementing any changes aroundadmission pricing – including strong and effective messaging aboutthe financial position of the museum.

increased their annual passadult tickets in 2016, based on significant product improvement,increasing both the visitor experience and dwell time as well as tosupport a strategy of targeted discounting (directly online throughtheir website) and half price deals for events with an annual pass,and a ‘kids go free’ online offer during the summer. The Trustemphasised the importance of researching options, the importanceof income-yield (i.e. total income from admissions) relative to visitorvolume, and the need for clear and honest messages andcommunications.

Tenby Museum and Art Gallery

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery

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The Association of Independent Museums (AiM), inpartnership with Arts Council England (ACE) andthe Museums Archives and Libraries Division(MALD) of the Welsh Government, commissionedDC Research Ltd to carry out a research study intothe impact of charging for admissions on museums.The work was in the spring and early summer of2016.

The overall aim of the research was to understandthe experience of museums that have moved fromfree admission to charging, or charging to freeadmission, or to ‘hybrid’ models, and to investigatedifferent pricing strategies and their impact,

including impact on: visitor numbers; diversity ofvisitors; income (including secondary spend andspontaneous donation); visitor satisfaction/qualityof visit; and reputation and relationships, as well asidentifying lessons learnt to share with othermuseums.

The research underpinning this guidance included adetailed review of previous research and literatureabout the impact of charging for admissions onmuseums, a sector-wide survey of museumsacross the UK (a total of 311 replies were received),visits to 20 case study museums to assess in-depththe impact of charging for admissions, and a rangeof one-to-one consultations with key museumstakeholders.

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