Open Forum

Hello everyone,

The collection I oversee is part of a larger community arts center and we have a decent-sized membership that primarily is geared towards the arts center and all of the classes we teach there. While in the beginning of the lockdown we saw great support from our members who renewed spcifically to support us, we've seen a trend downwards in the past two months for renewals. 

My question is whether other museums have seen similar trends? If so, were you able to get specific reasons from members that you contacted? Basically, what's been your experience with memberships given the situation we are all living with these days.

Thank you so much.


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------

Andrew, It has been such a tough year for all of us, so just know you are not alone with these challenges.  

My first question is have you reopened yet?   It is our experience with our clients has been that renewals will pick up when you are able to open your doors again.  As you know, many people wait until their next visit to renew.   But no matter what, you have to keep up your renewal efforts - by mail, by email and now, by making phone calls too!   Many people have taken to the phones, especially when trying to keep staff busy during closures.  Members are really appreciating that!

We are currently in the midst of conducting our Pulse of Membership Survey that we have been doing since the last economic downturn.  (Take the survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PulseMY2020 )  and the stats so far say this:
52% of respondents say they have seen a decrease in renewal rates
21% have seen an increase in renewal rates
27% say their renewal rates have stayed the same

Also, of the people who say their renewal rates have decreases, the largest group  say they don't know yet how many percentage points their renewal rate has decreased
and the reminder responded this way to the question of how many percentage points their renewal rates decreased by:
1 - 5 percentage points - 8%
6 - 10 percentage points - 14%
11 to 15 percentage points - 10%
16 - 20 percentage points - 8%
21 - 25 percentage points - 8%
and over 25 percentage points - 16%

I hope this helps and an hope everyone will take our survey - we will be presenting the results once the survey is complete in a very comprehensive webinar that will be free to all!

Thank You!
Dana Hines
Membership Consultants

------------------------------
Dana Hines
Vice President Membership Marketing

Membership Consultants, A Gabriel Group Company
Earth City MO
Dana.Hines@gabrielgroup.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-16-2020 02:57 PM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Hello everyone,

The collection I oversee is part of a larger community arts center and we have a decent-sized membership that primarily is geared towards the arts center and all of the classes we teach there. While in the beginning of the lockdown we saw great support from our members who renewed spcifically to support us, we've seen a trend downwards in the past two months for renewals.

My question is whether other museums have seen similar trends? If so, were you able to get specific reasons from members that you contacted? Basically, what's been your experience with memberships given the situation we are all living with these days.

Thank you so much.


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------

Hi Dana,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, we are open to the public and actually have been since Memorial Day Weekend. There are some parts that complicate the numbers of renewals because we saw steady support in memberships during the lockdown, and then during our safe summer camp. But we've seen a decline this fall in renewals. Our membership team is definitely on the phone at this point, as I can imagine we all are across the country. And I think your survey is a very good resource to see trends through Covid-19. I would love to see the results when you plan to present them! 

I've also asked our membership folks to fill it out as well.

Thanks again for the information!



------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-19-2020 11:20 AM
From: Dana Hines
Subject: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Andrew, It has been such a tough year for all of us, so just know you are not alone with these challenges.

My first question is have you reopened yet?   It is our experience with our clients has been that renewals will pick up when you are able to open your doors again.  As you know, many people wait until their next visit to renew.   But no matter what, you have to keep up your renewal efforts - by mail, by email and now, by making phone calls too!   Many people have taken to the phones, especially when trying to keep staff busy during closures.  Members are really appreciating that!

We are currently in the midst of conducting our Pulse of Membership Survey that we have been doing since the last economic downturn.  (Take the survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PulseMY2020 )  and the stats so far say this:
52% of respondents say they have seen a decrease in renewal rates
21% have seen an increase in renewal rates
27% say their renewal rates have stayed the same

Also, of the people who say their renewal rates have decreases, the largest group  say they don't know yet how many percentage points their renewal rate has decreased
and the reminder responded this way to the question of how many percentage points their renewal rates decreased by:
1 - 5 percentage points - 8%
6 - 10 percentage points - 14%
11 to 15 percentage points - 10%
16 - 20 percentage points - 8%
21 - 25 percentage points - 8%
and over 25 percentage points - 16%

I hope this helps and an hope everyone will take our survey - we will be presenting the results once the survey is complete in a very comprehensive webinar that will be free to all!

Thank You!
Dana Hines
Membership Consultants

------------------------------
Dana Hines
Vice President Membership Marketing

Membership Consultants, A Gabriel Group Company
Earth City MO
Dana.Hines@gabrielgroup.com

Original Message:
Sent: 10-16-2020 02:57 PM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Hello everyone,

The collection I oversee is part of a larger community arts center and we have a decent-sized membership that primarily is geared towards the arts center and all of the classes we teach there. While in the beginning of the lockdown we saw great support from our members who renewed spcifically to support us, we've seen a trend downwards in the past two months for renewals.

My question is whether other museums have seen similar trends? If so, were you able to get specific reasons from members that you contacted? Basically, what's been your experience with memberships given the situation we are all living with these days.

Thank you so much.


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10/19/2020 3:54:00 PM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: RE: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Hi Dana,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, we are open to the public and actually have been since Memorial Day Weekend. There are some parts that complicate the numbers of renewals because we saw steady support in memberships during the lockdown, and then during our safe summer camp. But we've seen a decline this fall in renewals. Our membership team is definitely on the phone at this point, as I can imagine we all are across the country. And I think your survey is a very good resource to see trends through Covid-19. I would love to see the results when you plan to present them! 

I've also asked our membership folks to fill it out as well.

Thanks again for the information!



------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-19-2020 11:20 AM
From: Dana Hines
Subject: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Andrew, It has been such a tough year for all of us, so just know you are not alone with these challenges.

My first question is have you reopened yet?   It is our experience with our clients has been that renewals will pick up when you are able to open your doors again.  As you know, many people wait until their next visit to renew.   But no matter what, you have to keep up your renewal efforts - by mail, by email and now, by making phone calls too!   Many people have taken to the phones, especially when trying to keep staff busy during closures.  Members are really appreciating that!

We are currently in the midst of conducting our Pulse of Membership Survey that we have been doing since the last economic downturn.  (Take the survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PulseMY2020 )  and the stats so far say this:
52% of respondents say they have seen a decrease in renewal rates
21% have seen an increase in renewal rates
27% say their renewal rates have stayed the same

Also, of the people who say their renewal rates have decreases, the largest group  say they don't know yet how many percentage points their renewal rate has decreased
and the reminder responded this way to the question of how many percentage points their renewal rates decreased by:
1 - 5 percentage points - 8%
6 - 10 percentage points - 14%
11 to 15 percentage points - 10%
16 - 20 percentage points - 8%
21 - 25 percentage points - 8%
and over 25 percentage points - 16%

I hope this helps and an hope everyone will take our survey - we will be presenting the results once the survey is complete in a very comprehensive webinar that will be free to all!

Thank You!
Dana Hines
Membership Consultants

------------------------------
Dana Hines
Vice President Membership Marketing

Membership Consultants, A Gabriel Group Company
Earth City MO
Dana.Hines@gabrielgroup.com

Original Message:
Sent: 10-16-2020 02:57 PM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Membership Renewals in a COVD-19 WOrld

Hello everyone,

The collection I oversee is part of a larger community arts center and we have a decent-sized membership that primarily is geared towards the arts center and all of the classes we teach there. While in the beginning of the lockdown we saw great support from our members who renewed spcifically to support us, we've seen a trend downwards in the past two months for renewals.

My question is whether other museums have seen similar trends? If so, were you able to get specific reasons from members that you contacted? Basically, what's been your experience with memberships given the situation we are all living with these days.

Thank you so much.


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
Executive Director of the Chihuly Collection
Morean Arts Center
Saint Petersburg FL
------------------------------