Bacon’s CastleCultural Resources Management

Internship 2013

Andrea Williams

Internship Projects

Marketing• Transient visitation

development• Social media• Community marketing efforts

Daily Museum Operations• Guided tours and register

operations• Special events• Merchandising• Paperwork and guest survey

analysis

Historic Preservation & Site Improvement

• Restoration of cast-iron railing• Norton grape vine training• Maintained site grounds after

storms

Transient Visitation Development

Established 25 new business contacts through direct calling and e-mailing

Initiated 25 cross-promotional exchanges between historic sites, hotels, B&Bs, and visitor centers in the Williamsburg, Hampton Roads and Charles City regions

Distributed over 2,550 Bacon’s Castle rack cards in the state of Virginia

Social Media Marketing

Facebook pay per click campaigns• Campaign to generate special event

registration• Reached 104,898 people for a total of 68 clicks• Generated four event responses on facebook

• Campaign to increase number of Bacon’s Castle facebook page likes

• Reached 15,488 people for a total of 122 page over a one month period

Community calendar listings• Updated seven electronic community

calendars with Bacon’s Castle special events

Community Marketing Promoted Bacon’s Castle visitation and special events at three

farmer’s markets or festivals Offered special admission prices with rack cards

• Williamsburg Market • 35 rack cards distributed, 6 guests redeemed

• Smithfield Market• 28 rack cards distributed, 6 guests redeemed

• Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival• 91 rack cards distributed, 19 guests redeemed

Experience Gained from Marketing Developed skills in product development and advertising Navigated regional travel, tourism, and hospitality

networks Observed the crucial role tourism plays in economic

development Increased comfort making sales calls and establishing

business partnerships for cross-promotion

Restoration of Cast-Iron Railing

Project goal: stabilize the metal entrance railing by removing and preventing rust

Process:• Removed rust and peeling paint with a rotating metal

brush• Primed railing using Kem Kromik for the prevention of

future rust and decay• Applied black paint to restore appearance after thirty

years of exposure Total time dedicated to the railing project: 68 hours

Before…

During…

Finished Product

Limb Removal and Vine Training

Removed oak tree limbs from the grounds after a heavy storm

Trained Norton grape vines into two-trunk, four-arm kniffins for optimal growth, eventually to produce a Bacon’s Castle label wine

Experience Gained from Site Improvement

Increased knowledge and appreciation of historic preservation techniques

Gained understanding of how site maintenance affects visitor experience and museum operations

Guided Tours Gave an average of six

tours per weekend for a total of seventy-two guided tours

Provided tours for weekend visitors, academic programs, and scheduled group events

Special Events Facilitated guests during the Historic Gardening Symposium and

the Seventeenth-Century Domestic Material Culture Symposium Generated 30% of total attendance for the Domestic Material

Culture Symposium through social media advertising Solicited nine potential speakers for the Nat Turner Symposium

Guest Survey Data

Entered data from 135 guest surveys collected from July – December 2012

Analyzed why visitors toured Bacon’s Castle, what interested them most, how they heard of the site, and their future expectations

Guest data analysis will be used in interest-based

marketing strategies for visitor appeal and site exposure

Experience Gained from Daily Operations

Improved public speaking ability and customer service skills

Built confidence in contacting guest speakers and generated ideas for increased revenue and visitation outside normal operations

Provided insight on visitor expectations at historic sites, as well as how to target marketing toward different demographics

Gained experience with widely applicable business practices

Impact and Legacy

Marketing efforts resulted in a 46% growth in

visitation in 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 As an example:

• Compared to the same month in 2012, June 2013 experienced a 54% increase in site visitation, a 75% increase in site revenue, and a 12% increase in per guest spend

Increased marketing efforts will help preserve and promote Bacon’s Castle by sharing its international reputation

Thank you to the Bacon’s Castle staff and volunteers for a wonderful three months! The CRM internship was the best preparation for a career in historic sites and small museums I

could have asked for.