Tools for Interpretation Planning II: Finding & Learning From Your Stakeholders & Program Partners.

Tools for Interpretation Planning

II: Finding & Learning From Your Stakeholders

& Program Partners

06/22/15The Cherry Valley Group – 2015 ALHFAM Annual Meeting & Conference2

Putting Your Audience First

Successful museums, historic sites and historic houses exhibit the attitude and actions of service at every level.

Our existence depends on our audiences. Our audiences: experiences, learning, recreation

and comfort are at the core of why organizations exist and how they carry out their mission.

Hospitality, relevance, choice, engagement, convenience, creativity are hallmarks of service.


Putting Your Audience First


Where Will the Next Generation of Audiences Come From?

Traditional Audience: As the audience we have now ages, we will have to add more comfort features to aid their visits – more rest areas, larger type for labels, easy means of egress, and renewed emphasis on relating to their generational experience. Some suggest memory exercises might even be added to programming.

Museum Advocates (those who go to museums often): “Nearly all cite a seminal museum experience, usually occurring between the ages of 5 and 9.” (Museums and Society 2034: Trends and Potential Futures).

Next Generation: Over the next 25 years Caucasian 7 year olds will decline by 4% while Blacks will increase by 5%, Asians by 49%, mixed race children by 72%, and Hispanics by 73%.


Understanding Your Market/Audiences

Current Audiences Potential Market


Example From Recent ProjectStoothoff-Gunther Farmstead Franklin Township Agricultural Heritage Center

In Franklin Township, NJ 18th c. Historic House and farm site A contributing property in the National Register, Six Mile Run

Historic District, in a designated Scenic Corridor Owned by the Township of Franklin No specific plans for the use of the property have been made to-date Proposed Direction

– To continue almost 270 years of farming;– To educate residents, especially school children about the history of

farming in Franklin Township and New Jersey;– To make connections between historic farms and local, fresh food; and – To integrate the Stoothoff-Gunther Farm into the Franklin Township

Heritage Tourism program


Source: ESRI and ConsultEcon, Inc.

Resident Markets:15-/30-/45-min drive time areas

2011 Population Estimate-0-15-min: 195,000-15-30-min: 1.1 million-30-45-min: 2.7 million-Total: 4.0 million


Resident Markets: Summary

Small, diverse local resident population– 194,000 resident population within 15-min drive, roughly a

third living in Franklin Township (pop. 62,000)– Culturally and economically diverse

Large, diverse regional resident population– 4 million population within 45-min drive

Large household sizes with substantial range of household incomes


Tourist Markets

Business and pass through travel drives occupancy in commercial lodging– Weekdays high occupancy, weekends low occupancy– Over 1,800 rooms in Franklin Township and estimated 6,500 in county, the equivalent

of 657,000 and 2.4 million available room nights, respectively– More rooms in adjacent Middlesex County

Limited destination leisure travelers Visiting friends and family Heritage tourism: lots of small historic sites, regional infrastructure

– Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park– Six Mile Run Reservoir Site Trails– Lincoln Highway– Crossroads of the American Revolution Heritage Area– Other historic sites, as catalogued by Raritan Millstone Heritage Alliance


Target Audience Segments:Franklin Township Agricultural Heritage Center

Resident Audience– Primary – Franklin Township – 10 min. drive time– Secondary – Somerset County – 20 min. drive time– Tertiary – Adjacent Counties - 30 min drive time

Travel Audience– Pass-through travelers– Visiting friends & relatives

Specialty Audience– Agri-tourism audience– Foodies– Heritage travelers


Market Competitors /Potential Partners– Agriculture Related

Within 35 mile Radius of Stoothoff-Gunther– 6 Agricultural education ventures– Local Food Raising/Markets/Restaurant/Culinary Ventures

17 Pick-your-own farms 5 Cut-your-own tree farms

Within Somerset County– 9 Farmers’ Markets


Getting Stakeholder Input:The Process

Potential Audiences (who is not yet at the table) Finding and Identifying Current and Potential

Partners and Stakeholders Contact/ Invite Them to Workshop Create Spreadsheet to track the contacts Working Partner and Stakeholder Session


Finding Stakeholders and Potential Partners

Agricultural Community Architecture/ History/ Preservation Schools and Educational Organizations. Churches, Temples and Faith Based

Organizations Clubs and Social Organizations



Local Businesses Community Service Organizations Neighborhood Associations. Parks/Open

Space/Naturalists/Gardens Tourism Site Related Family Members



Social Service Agencies and Organizations Other Cultural Organizations Youth Groups and Associations Seniors Gatherings and Associations Local Government Representatives


Selecting Stakeholders and Potential Partners

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMMUNITY ISSUES AND NEEDS about which your organization should be aware when proposing a project or event.

FAMILIARITY OR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION so that they are able to connect your organization’s strengths and resources with those of other organizations.

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AUDIENCES WHO COULD BENEFIT from a deeper relationship between your organization and theirs. These might include shared resources or efforts in public programs, classes, workshops, thematic tours, special projects, special events, access to resources, spaces, etc.

ENTHUSIASM AND WILLINGNESS TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION. They should understand and support your organizations’ vision and values without hesitation.

INTEREST IN A PARTNERSHIP OR COLLABORATION. These can be as individuals or as a representative for their organization(s).

AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEIR ORGANIZATION. They might also be able to get a quick answer, especially when it comes to allocating resources or making organizational commitments


Managing Contact information


Contact/ Invite Them to an Input Workshop

Select the date, time and location for the gathering after consulting with some of the key participants. This will vary for different groups, as will the length of the meeting. Most run between three and five hours in length. Refreshments or even a meal might be included. Day of the week and time of day or evening will need to fit the needs of most of the group participants

Write an invitation letter and mail it to the list of individuals. Ask recipients to confirm their participation by a certain date, usually in a week or two from the expected date of the letter’s arrival. . Follow up with a personal phone call to answer questions. Sometimes, an initial personal contact in person or by phone, rather than a follow-up call, can pave the way for the invitation.

The letter includes the agenda for the gathering and some background information about your organization and its current project. The agenda for the workshop should also be included. Tours of the site can be offered before or after the work session. This can be offered as an option in the invitation letter to be confirmed.


Workshop Design & Logistics

Design Providing the Background

– Explain the Project /History– Explain the Pupose– Explain the Process

Selecting Input Activities– Full Group “Brainstorming”– “SWOT” Exercises– Break-out Group Sessions– Share-back Exercises– Voting Exercise


Workshop Design & Logistics

Logistics Selecting a Venue Setting the Agenda Providing Refreshments & Lunch Sign-in Sheets Preparing Materials Establishing Roles Recording Input


Post-Workshop Wrap-up

Transcribing the Input Synthesizing the Input Summarizing the Input Providing Results to All Participants


Incorporating the Input into the Plan

Audiences Partners Over Time $ Staff/Volunteers Facilities Skills Other needs

Tools for Interpretation Planning II: Finding & Learning From Your Stakeholders & Program Partners.

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