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Paid vs Free Program Attendance

  • 1.  Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-20-2022 09:35 PM
    Hi all, 
    Does anyone have any data on attendance numbers for paid vs free programs? 

    I'm looking for evidence to prove/disprove the theory that charging a fee for programs results in higher participation rates. 

    Thanks in advance! 

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Rosie Siemer
    {she/her} What's this?

    Founder + CEO

    Get your copy of my new book! 
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  • 2.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-20-2022 09:49 PM
    https://www.colleendilen.com/2015/08/12/how-free-admission-really-affects-museum-attendance-data/

    DIANE GUTENKAUF
    Senior Assistant Director, Operations & Strategy
     
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    College of Fine and Applied Arts
    Krannert Art Museum
    500 East Peabody Drive | M/C 592
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217-333-3437 | dianeg3@illinois.edu
    kam.illinois.edu
     


    Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. 



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  • 3.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-21-2022 05:46 PM
    Thanks, Diane. I'm seeking information specifically regarding participation in public programs (in-person or virtual). 

    I'd love to know if museums are seeing stronger participation (actual attendance) in free vs. paid public programs. Have you seen any evidence that charging a fee for public programs increases participation rates? 

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Rosie Siemer
    {she/her} What's this?

    Founder + CEO
    FIVESEED
    303-880-7105
    rosie@fiveseed.com


    Get your copy of my new book! 
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  • 4.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-21-2022 09:30 AM
    After 8 years of studio programs, tours, and gallery talks. A fee for a tour or studio program is more of a reason for the person to attend. If you host a free program, the attendee has less reason to attend.

    ------------------------------
    Brandy Morrison
    Education Assistant
    Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
    Montgomery AL
    ------------------------------

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  • 5.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-21-2022 09:58 AM
    Thanks, Brandy. This is helpful to hear your experience regarding paid vs free programs. 

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Rosie Siemer
    {she/her} What's this?

    Founder + CEO

    Get your copy of my new book! 



    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 6.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-21-2022 11:05 AM
    Rosie, 

    Are you looking for data to show the percentage of people who attend after registering in each scenario? (Dropoff rate?)

    Or the number of people willing to register for the event to begin with? 

    Emily

    ------------------------------
    Emily Monsted
    Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
    Winchester VA
    ------------------------------

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  • 7.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-22-2022 06:14 PM
    Edited by Rosie Siemer 10-22-2022 07:27 PM
    Hi Emily,
    Thanks for your question. I'm looking for the number of people who actually attend in each scenario. However, any insight into attendance patterns for free vs. paid programs would be valuable, including dropout rates by event fee type. 

    Best,
    Rosie

    ------------------------------
    Stay well,

    Rosie Siemer
    FIVESEED
    rosie@fiveseed.com
    ------------------------------

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  • 8.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-24-2022 10:43 AM
    Great question! I'm interested in knowing about this, as well. Following this conversation. Thank you!

    ------------------------------
    Carlotta Stankiewicz
    Director of Marketing & Communications
    Blanton Museum of Art
    Austin TX
    ------------------------------

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  • 9.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-24-2022 01:28 PM
    Edited by Russell Ihrig 10-24-2022 01:29 PM
    I don't have access to the numbers to back it up, but my anecdotal experience was:
    • Free programs had a larger turnout, but paid programs had a more "reliable" turnout.
    • Similar to what others have said, the drop-off for free programs is much higher. At my new job, we currently only do free programs, and the drop-off is usually right around 50%. If we register 500, we will likely see around 250. (I do have the numbers to back that up).
    • At my previous job, some lectures were free and some were paid. However, all lectures were free for members, which makes this even more complicated. That said, a free lecture might have an average audience of 225, while the paid were usually closer to 150. So, I definitely saw a bit a boost in attendance from the general public with free programs. 
    • An issue I had with free lectures was the registration would often "sell-out," yet I knew there would be seats available because of the drop off. We could have oversold to account for the drop-off, but there was a fear of not having enough seats for people who had registered, especially since we had truly "sold-out" free lectures in the past with popular topics.
    • The solution to the above was I began making free lectures "First-come, first-serve" to avoid having to disappoint people that a lecture was sold-out when I knew there would be seats available. Since there was no official event registration, we would use things like Facebook event popularity to get a sense of how popular the event might be. 


    ------------------------------
    Russell Ihrig
    Senior Producer and Manager, Programming
    Computer History Museum
    Mountain View CA
    ------------------------------

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  • 10.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-27-2022 06:15 PM
    Thanks, Russell. Your anecdotal experience supports much of what I am hearing from other museums. I appreciate you sharing your input here!

    ------------------------------
    Stay well,

    Rosie Siemer
    FIVESEED
    rosie@fiveseed.com
    ------------------------------

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  • 11.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-24-2022 01:45 PM
    Hi Rosie,

    Based on all types of Museums and other cultural institutions I have worked with the past 25+ years, some of which are free and most of which are paid admission and have seen some of them transition one way or the other, I am sure you will get great input about your question above and please keep in mind that the visitor/guest demographics usually dramatically changes and if a free Museum, institutions see reduced cafe/store per capita spending, sales and income, And, there may be impact to other Museum departments (facilities, security, membership, visitor/guest services and maybe more) are also affected if the demographics and/or visitor counts change.

    Hope this is helpful.

    Best wishes,
    Art

    ------------------------------
    Art Manask
    Founder/Principal
    Art Manask Consulting
    artmanask@gmail.com
    818 358-3588
    www.artmanaskconsulting.com
    ------------------------------

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  • 12.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-27-2022 06:17 PM
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic, Art.

    ------------------------------
    Stay well,

    Rosie Siemer
    FIVESEED
    rosie@fiveseed.com
    ------------------------------

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  • 13.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-25-2022 10:09 AM

    Hi all,

    This is a great question to be asking. I think that it's going to be difficult to provide a straightforward answer, because comparing free v. paid programs is not a simple experiment. There are so many different kinds of programs, and since the fee structure is built into the design, it's not often you can compare two programs that are similar in every other variable excepting the fee. Lectures might be one exception to this, but the "value" of a lecture depends very much on the prestige and draw of the speaker.

    What I generally recommend, rather than making each decision as a one-off, is developing and working from a program strategy. Such an approach looks at your programs from a high-level view, over the course of a year, and addresses the needs of your budget, mission, and audience. That strategy usually includes some fee-based programs and some no-fee programs. The decision of whether a program is free or fee-based is part of the program design. In that design, you would want to consider:

    • The fee's impact on attendance. A fee is always a barrier to attendance, but it's true that it draws a firmer commitment to attend - and the higher the fee, the firmer the commitment, although even a small fee (paid in advance) is an investment people prefer not to lose. |
    • The messaging of value. A fee sends a signal about the value of the program. Is this being framed as a limited-access, high-value program, or a wide-access program designed to serve many more people? Does the fee indicate that you might expect personal attention, close access to presenters, a unique experience, skills training, materials or a takeaway? 
    • The funding structure. Is the program already being supported to some degree by members, donors, sponsors? Is it covered completely, or merely supported? If programs are sponsored fully, they may be offered at no fee but it is also good to make clear the program isn't "free," but subsidized or underwritten.
    • The required investment. If a program is going to require a significant outlay of cash from the museum, such as a high speaker fee or the purchase of art supplies, it is usually best structured to break even financially or make a profit.
    • The programming department's role in the budget and responsibilities for revenue generation. It's wise to use your program strategy to clearly designate some programs as revenue-generating and others as a public service without the expectation of turning a profit. That way, you can communicate shared expectations for each. A revenue-generating program could include lectures by famous speakers with a high ticket price, classes or courses, food/drink festivals or dinners/cocktail programs, small-group high-touch experiences, special-access tours, etc. Those programs can be designed with the intent that they will more than pay for themselves (sometimes including sponsorship). Audiences will pay more but have higher expectations. Meanwhile, the programs offered as a service to the audience can then be offset by program revenue in your budgeting. Perhaps those offer lower fees or no fees, again sometimes sponsored or subsidized. 
    • The development strategy. Is a free, wide-access program an important tool for membership or donor recruiting? If so, looking at the long-term benefit of the program may be more important than ticket revenue for a single event. 

    Without knowing the particulars of your institution and program, I'd say that it would be worth doing some of this thinking. Is the goal to increase attendance? Increase revenue? Remove barriers to participation? Knowing the intent and strategy of your program can help you make decisions that align your fee structure with the audience behavior you're looking to develop. It may well be that instead of tinkering with the fee, you'd get more results by revisiting the marketing or the presenter selection, or adapting programming to better match the interests of audiences you're hoping to engage. 

    Hope these thoughts are helpful! 



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Moon
    Principal, Satlworks Interpretive Services
    ------------------------------

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  • 14.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-26-2022 08:53 AM
    Excellent guidelines! You have really created thought provoking perspective. I so appreciate this and I am sure many others will as well.

    ------------------------------
    Sharon F. Corey
    Collections Manager
    Georgetown County Museum
    Georgetown, South Carolina
    ------------------------------

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  • 15.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-27-2022 06:14 PM
    Thanks for this thoughtful response, Michelle. Appreciate your input on this topic!

    ------------------------------
    Stay well,

    Rosie Siemer
    FIVESEED
    rosie@fiveseed.com
    ------------------------------

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  • 16.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-28-2022 10:18 AM
    Edited by Tod Hopkins 10-28-2022 10:19 AM
    Great answers, but at the risk of being blunt, I've been asked this a lot over the past two years and I reject the premise regardless of the answer. It's simply the wrong question. This stems from museums turning to marketing principles whose intention is to maximize return, and it assumes that "return" is audience size. Unless our mission is butts-in-seats, it's the wrong question. It's also based on the "luxury tax" principle that people value things more if they are more expensive. Is that the image we seek?

    I suggest the better question is not "how many" but "who." If you charge even a modest fee (or what feels modest to us) we exclude potential audience. Some can't afford it. Some will choose less costly options like staying home and watching TV. Are these people important to us? Parents and caregivers of unreliable individuals might wish to bring their dependents but won't buy tickets they fear they will waste. Students? Seniors? And then there are fence-sitters, those who might be interested, but they're not sure and won't commit. I confess to being such a person, but such low-probability individuals might be our most valuable targets, potential converts. Frankly, I sign up for free seminars frequently, and frequently do not attend. But I don't forget that I did so, and the institution now has my contact information, and my attention. If they post the seminar, I might watch it later. The point is, they got my attention, and that has value. Is it better to preach to one heathen or ten believers? I rarely risk fee-based events unless I am already a committed fan. You have to work for my attention!

    We all want a bigger audience, but is that our mission? The real question is, what audience do you want and how do you attract them?

    ------------------------------
    Tod Hopkins
    Technical Director
    Hillmann & Carr Inc.
    Washington DC
    ------------------------------

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  • 17.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-31-2022 09:56 AM
    Hi Tod, 
    I think this is an outstanding point. Thank you for making it. All our programs are free, and we don't plan to charge for numerous reasons, but your point about someone feeling they can choose a museum activity over tv is very important. 

    --
    Tamsen Young
    pronouns: she/hers
    Museum Digital Media and Strategic Initiatives Manager
    The Museum at FIT
    www.fitnyc.edu/museum

    Visit our collections online | Find us on Facebook |  Twitter |  Instagram




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  • 18.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-31-2022 10:36 AM
    For most people, TV is not free!

    Sent from my iPhone


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  • 19.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 10-31-2022 11:09 AM
    Edited by Tod Hopkins 10-31-2022 11:09 AM
    To be clear, I am not arguing that charging for programs is inappropriate, any more than charging for entry. Nor that you should not consider the psychology of value effects, merely that in many cases it should not be the primary consideration.

    A counterpoint case: I have a client that made the decision to switch from donations to a modest fixed price for online seminars as the pandemic waned. They set the price based on their expected visitor socioeconomic demographic. They experienced a large drop in sign-ups, but not a large drop in attendance, most important for them, a net increase in funds raised. They consider this a win and the program has continued with a set price. In this case, fundraising is an important goal, and setting an explicit value supported that goal.

    ------------------------------
    Tod Hopkins
    Technical Director
    Hillmann & Carr Inc.
    Washington DC
    ------------------------------

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  • 20.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 11-01-2022 05:59 PM
    I don't have data, merely empirical evidence, but for years I worked evening programs at a large living history museum in this area. We had programs that were selling out every night of the week, and played to packed houses. Then when they decided to include those programs in the cost of the high-end passes, we were selling out, yet often doing the shows for half (or less) of an audience because of all the no-shows. This meant that any number of people who had wanted tickets were excluded because all the tickets were spoken for, many by people who had no stake in attending. Modest fees certainly can improve attendance by ensuring that the people who get tickets actually intend to use them.
    Jay

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    Jay Templin, James Fort Supervisor

    Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation  -  P.O. Box 1607 -  Williamsburg, VA 23187

    (757) 253-4247 - fax (757) 887-1306

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  • 21.  RE: Paid vs Free Program Attendance

    Posted 11-02-2022 01:12 PM
    Thanks for your sharing your thoughts and experience on this topic, Jay.

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    Rosie Siemer
    {she/her} What's this?

    Founder + CEO
    FIVESEED
    303-880-7105
    rosie@fiveseed.com


    Get your copy of my new book! 
    Museum Membership Innovation




    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more