ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE KEY FOR A SUCCESSFUL MUSEUMTHE KEY FOR A SUCCESSFUL MUSEUM

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION-A PRIORITY FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS8 - 9  OCTOBER 2012 BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

Should entrepreneurship be applied to museums as it is for private organizations, or should it not?

Which are the particularities and the role of museum entrepreneurship?

What would be the effects of an active, innovative and creative museum behavior, focused on opportunities and results?

Peles Museum, Peles Museum, Sinaia, Sinaia, RomaniaRomania

QUESTIONS

MUSEUMS AS PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS

By adapting and implementing entrepreneurial concepts within every type of public organization, one could ensure the further carrying out of the social activity, as well as the self-generating of financial sources.

Social entrepreneurship applied to the public sector could represent exactly the solution to the problems existent in many states, related to the high level of debt and budget deficit.

THE ROLE OF MUSEUMS IN THE MARKET

“A museum is a non-profit making permanent institution in the service of society and of its development.” (The International Council of Museums)

THE MUSEUM ENTREPRENEUR

Developing museum entrepreneurship will allow the increase of the museums’ social and economic contribution.

Entrepreneurship has to be viewed as a function “that enables an organization to remain effective and relevant as the world around it changes.”

(John W. Durel)

CHARACTERISTICS OF MUSEUM ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ENTREPRENEURSHIP APPLIED IN ROMANIAN MUSEUMS

How can one measure the level of entrepreneurship in a museum?

Rentschler and Geursen use as gauge for social entrepreneurship the reports written by the managers of these institutions, and the percentage of own income in the total revenues.

Museum Visitors

2009

Own income 2009

State subsidy 2009

Total revenue

2009

Brukental Museum Sibiu

210 539

1,163 14% 7,216 86% 8,466

Peleş Museum Sinaia

255 873

5,550 83% 1,200 17% 6,750

UM – thousand lei

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSEUMS

In 2009 Bran Museum succeeded to self-finance. It generated own income of 11,222 thousand lei. It adopted a branding and a marketing strategy regarding the

product, price, place, and promotion.

Bran Museum, Sinaia, Bran Museum, Sinaia, RomaniaRomania

One adult can visit the entire castle for just 25 lei.

The museum offers virtual visits as well.

To attract more visitors, the museum associated its image with the one of Dracula Count, and it collaborates with many travel agencies.

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSEUMS

Some educational products offered in this summer under the slogan «Here comes the vacation with the “Antipa” train!», are:

Museum of Natural History “Grigore Antipa” offers a wide variety of educational products, well promoted, with prices between 150 lei and 1000 lei.

The exhibition of Antipa The exhibition of Antipa Museum, BucharestMuseum, Bucharest

play and development workshops,

imagination camps, course for “little sanitation

officers”, summer school, vacation ship, origami workshop.

CONCLUSION

An entrepreneurial behavior in museums generates positive effects for the entire collectivity wherein it functions, both economically (financial resources) and socially (development of a collective identity) and educationally (developing creativity).

The superior economic effects allow the implementation of the solutions identified in the area of social opportunities, the museum thus fulfilling its mission entirely.

The idea of adopting an entrepreneurial behavior has been proven to be a key for success not only for the famous museums of the world, but for the Romanian museums such as Bran, Peleş and Antipa as well.

THANK YOU!