Open Forum

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

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Patti Sewall

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I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

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Patti Sewall

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Hi Patti -

Why not convene a small focus group of millennials and actually ask them what they'd like to see in the new museum? If there is some enthusiasm, you can also try creating a junior board or young professionals committee and let them lead some projects that bring others into the fold. I have a feeling that much of it is going to be about how the information is presented (the more engaging the better!).

Margaux

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Margaux Kendall
Museum of Flight
Seattle WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2015 03:07 PM
From: Patti Sewall
Subject: Engaging Millennials

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

------------------------------

Hi Patti -

Why not convene a small focus group of millennials and actually ask them what they'd like to see in the new museum? If there is some enthusiasm, you can also try creating a junior board or young professionals committee and let them lead some projects that bring others into the fold. I have a feeling that much of it is going to be about how the information is presented (the more engaging the better!).

Margaux

------------------------------
Margaux Kendall
Museum of Flight
Seattle WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2015 03:07 PM
From: Patti Sewall
Subject: Engaging Millennials

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

------------------------------

Hi Patti -

Why not convene a small focus group of millennials and actually ask them what they'd like to see in the new museum? If there is some enthusiasm, you can also try creating a junior board or young professionals committee and let them lead some projects that bring others into the fold. I have a feeling that much of it is going to be about how the information is presented (the more engaging the better!).

Margaux

------------------------------
Margaux Kendall
Museum of Flight
Seattle WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2015 03:07 PM
From: Patti Sewall
Subject: Engaging Millennials

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

------------------------------

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

------------------------------

Hi Patti- You're already halfway there if your cohort of mostly retirees is invested in appealing to a younger audience.  Some of the suggestions here are excellent, developing a social network presence and going directly to your target audiences through focus group and discussions. If you plan to have objects or stories in the museum, you can include your millennials in the collections outreach to bring their material presence into the museum as well as their experiences and perspective.  You'd be surprised at how often someone's personal memento or story can be meaningful in a larger context.  This is a great way to expand "ownership" and encourage long term support. I've been involved with some similar museum start ups and would be glad to discuss. Feel free to get in touch at the contact below.       

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Stephen Estrada
Museum Planning and Design                                                                                           Silver Spring, MD                                                                               se@stephenestradaconsulting.com                                                                                     301-503-0036

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Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2015 03:07 PM
From: Patti Sewall
Subject: Engaging Millennials

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

------------------------------

Many thanks to all of you posting here.  These are all excellent suggestions!  We're working on the social media profile, and now I'm excited to introduce these other suggestions to them at our next big meeting in a couple of weeks. Convening a millennial focus group, adding a millennial to our board, and making sure to engage millennials in what they want to see in the museum are all ideas we'll be exploring in depth.

Also, good point, Zachariah, about removing the negative signage.  I hadn't thought of that!  I don't imagine you grow much support from millennials when you ask them to put their phones away!

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Patti Sewall
Rancho Murieta CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-18-2015 12:16 PM
From: Stephen Estrada
Subject: Engaging Millennials

Hi Patti- You're already halfway there if your cohort of mostly retirees is invested in appealing to a younger audience.  Some of the suggestions here are excellent, developing a social network presence and going directly to your target audiences through focus group and discussions. If you plan to have objects or stories in the museum, you can include your millennials in the collections outreach to bring their material presence into the museum as well as their experiences and perspective.  You'd be surprised at how often someone's personal memento or story can be meaningful in a larger context.  This is a great way to expand "ownership" and encourage long term support. I've been involved with some similar museum start ups and would be glad to discuss. Feel free to get in touch at the contact below.       

------------------------------
Stephen Estrada
Museum Planning and Design                                                                                           Silver Spring, MD                                                                               se@stephenestradaconsulting.com                                                                                     301-503-0036

------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2015 03:07 PM
From: Patti Sewall
Subject: Engaging Millennials

I'm working with a nonprofit that is building a new museum from the ground up.  Much of their support and interest so far has come from their fellow retirees in their profession.  But now they are wondering how to get and keep the interest and support of newer employees, particularly the millennials who haven't shown much interest in the history of the profession or this group's desire to preserve that history in a museum.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Thanks so much.

------------------------------
Patti Sewall

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