Open Forum

Hello, 

I'm hoping to identify a calendar system that will allow my organization to keep track of multiple departments' big-picture timelines. Historically we've used Excel to track Exhibitions calendars, but we're aiming to integrate deadlines across departments (Exhibitions, Collections, Facilities, Development, etc.) to develop a more holistic view for our entire team. I'm hoping to find a system that's easy to update, read, and share (in digital form and with printouts), and ideally has a filtering ability. We're a smaller organization, so ideally I'm looking for a low-cost/free platform that can support maximum 20 users. I'd appreciate any suggestions! 

Thank you,

Stephanie 

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Stephanie Sun
Project Coordinator
Henry Art Gallery - University of Washington
Seattle WA
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Hi Stephanie  - I think this could be achieved with Microsoft Outlook Calendar and Teams? You can layer calendars - you might need to have a calender for each department then you share access - something like that. You could have a calendar for exhibit spaces as well to show gaps, for example. 

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Laura Phillips
PhD (Cultural Studies), Queen's University
Lecturer, ischool, University of Toronto

Grateful to live on land stolen from Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek Nations
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Hello Stephanie,

Nice to (virtually) meet you. I represent an innovation technology company with a specific focus within cultural institutions. Based on what I read above, our technology can help you incorporate deadlines across all departments and connect your tech stack across all depts as well. I'll send you an invite on LinkedIn. All of my contact info is below as well. Always happy to connect. 

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Jovan Harmon
BDM
Hidonix Inc.
Milano
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Original Message:
Sent: 6/12/2024 12:22:00 PM
From: Jovan Harmon
Subject: RE: Cross-Department Calendar Systems

Hello Stephanie,

Nice to (virtually) meet you. I represent an innovation technology company with a specific focus within cultural institutions. Based on what I read above, our technology can help you incorporate deadlines across all departments and connect your tech stack across all depts as well. I'll send you an invite on LinkedIn. All of my contact info is below as well. Always happy to connect. 

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Jovan Harmon
BDM
Hidonix Inc.
Milano
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We use row cells (sometimes made pretty wide) for a template of all the galleries along the X-axis.

First half of the Y is for the first 6 months of the Year | big bold line in the middle and then remaining months of the year. 

Gallery closures are coded using the paint bucket to splash in the color and copy and paste. I would make sure that your "borders are in order" to help with legibility. 


Curious to hear what others do! 

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Errol Nelson
Curatorial Program Coordinator
Harn Museum of Art - University of Florida
Gainesville FL
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Hi Stephanie,

I've worked in venue management technology for arts and culture for about 15 years. I've worked with dozens of museums who are trying to make do with Excel or Google Calendars. If you have the time to set up a system that works for you and the entire organization, those can be good options, however museum programs and events are so often dependent on other factors like whether there's a docent available, there's another event in an adjacent room, etc. In the museum world, the most common products I've encountered are EMS, Artifax, VenueOps and Ungerboeck (Momentus). If there's a big rental event business need, TripleSeat or Planning Pod could be good options as well but public programs and education will struggle. The costs range from few thousand dollars a year to an arm, a leg and a kidney.

I'm happy to chat with you to put you in touch with some less expensive options or introduce you to people who have created a home grown system to get you started.

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Anne Choe
Principal
Verona NJ
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Hi Stephanie, 

I'm sensing your question has a project management angle. If so, I'm happy to chat with you to figure it out. I've helped many museums use free versions of PM tools, and even Google Spreadsheets to a large extent, to have a holistic view of timelines and project statuses. Feel free to email me uma@thestrategicmuseum.com if you wanna chat.

Best,

Uma

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Uma Nair
Museum Operations Strategist
Los Angeles, CA
thestrategicmuseum.com
uma@umanair.com
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