Museums, cultural organisations and heritage sites have traditionally been among the most popular visitor attractions for both domestic and international tourists. Especially in countries like Greece, culture and heritage play a key role in cultural tourism as at some point they touch every visitor’s trip. However, only recently have museums and cultural institutions started assessing their power in attracting cultural tourists and their impact on the tourism economy. In the UK, eight of the top ten visitor attractions are museums, including the British Museum, the Tate Modern and the National Gallery. In the U.S., 78% of all leisure travellers participate in cultural or heritage activities such as visiting museums.
As cultural tourism develops into an experience industry, there is an opportunity for museums to further engage the tourism market and increase their audiences and revenue, while at the same time strengthening their role as unique storytellers of the history, culture and contemporary life of societies. And this is true for both large and small museums, as cultural tourists increasingly search for niche inspiration and localised cultural experiences.
The Museum Conference, which is taking place for the sixth consecutive year, will bring together museum and cultural professionals from Greece, the U.S. and the UK to explore:
- how museums and cultural institutions can strengthen their role as destinations and be part of sustainable cultural development
- how they can improve relationships and form stronger partnerships with municipalities, tourism associations and other cultural institutions to expand their visitors
- what type of technologies are available to develop a content-driven approach in their marketing strategy
- what types of fundraising and development they can pursue based on the tourism model
- how international partnerships and touring exhibitions can attract more audiences and also build the country’s tourism brand
- how investing in culture and museums can have a strong economic impact for countries where tourism is one of the top industries.
Admission is free following registration via the links below.
The full conference programme is available for download in the ‘Documents’ section below.
Keynote speakers
- Jim Broughton is responsible for the Natural History Museum’s international diplomacy, partnerships and global business activities – including its touring exhibitions programme, its publishing and picture library, as well as the renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Jim trained as a designer and has a background in exhibition development and museum master planning, chiefly working within international collaborations. He has previously worked at the British Museum, Historic Scotland and in consultancy, with much of his career spent on large partnership projects in Asia. Jim is Vice Chair of ICOM UK.
- John Giurini joined the Getty in January 2005 as Assistant Director in the communications department of the J. Paul Getty Trust. In November 2007, he became head of public affairs for the J. Paul Getty Museum. In this capacity, he oversees all communications efforts for the Museum’s two Los Angeles locations, which include media relations, marketing and branding, strategic planning and community relations, as well as donor relations. John is also a member of the museum’s senior management team. Prior to joining the Getty, John ran his own public relations consulting practice specialising in consumer products, travel and tourism, retail and non-profit organisations. Over the course of some 12 years, John also held positions of responsibility at several leading Los Angeles communications consulting firms. John began his career in the communications department of the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles County.
- Francesco Manacorda is the Artistic Director of Tate Liverpool, where he conceives and executes public programmes. Before joining Tate Liverpool, Francesco served as Director of Artissima in Turin, Curator at the Barbican Gallery in London and Visiting Lecturer in Exhibition History and Critical Theory at the Royal College of Art in London. Francesco has curated numerous group shows including The Indian Subcontinent in Contemporary Art, The Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art and Radical Nature, as well as solo exhibitions with artists such as Clemens Von Wedemeyer, Hans Schabus and Tobias Putrih. He curated the Slovenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2007 and the New Zealand Pavilion in 2009. He is also a writer, having contributed reviews and features extensively to many publications including Domus, Flash Art International and Art Review.
- Rosemarie Reyes has worked in the tourism field with tour wholesalers in New York and France. In 2002, she started Roseworks Marketing, a strategic communications and marketing consulting firm specialising in tourism and entertainment. Her many clients include Broadway and West End shows such as Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Blue Man Group and Chicago; Tour wholesalers like Travel Bound and Opentours; Destination Management organisations such as the California State Tourism Office; and marketing alliances like Shop America Alliance/Tours and Andersen Retail Tourism. Recent clients include the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Ground Zero Museum Workshop and Paris’ Cyclo-Café attractions. A freelance writer with regular contributions to travel industry journals and magazines such as The Tour Operator and Shop America Magazine, Rosemarie has also written advertising/marketing copy for various New York tourism entities such as Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Circle Line Downtown.
Athens
| When | Thursday 8 December 2016, 09.30–17.00 |
| Where | Benaki Museum (Amphitheatre) 138 Pireos Street 118 54 Athens |
| www.facebook.com/events/1088587871258216 | |
| Conference registration | www.eventbrite.com/e/museums-and-tourism-a-working-relationship-conference-tickets-29569708795 |
| Workshop registration | www.eventbrite.com/e/museums-and-tourism-a-working-relationship-workshops-tickets-29603088635 |
| Live stream | https://diavlos.grnet.gr/event/e777 |
| Recorded sessions | www.blod.gr/lectures/Pages/viewevent.aspx?EventID=655 |
The conference is co-organised with the Benaki Museum, the Embassy of the United States and the British Embassy, with the support of the City of Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens.
Thessaloniki
| When | Friday 9 December 2016, 09.00–16.00 |
| Where | Thessaloniki Concert Hall 25 Martiou Street 546 46 Thessaloniki |
| www.facebook.com/events/1170055623080676 | |
| Registration | www.eventbrite.com/e/museums-and-tourism-a-working-relationship-thessaloniki-tickets-29689641517 |
The conference is co-organised with the United States mission in Greece, the State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Thessaloniki Conference Hall and the British Embassy under the auspices of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.
Information
For further information, please contact Maria Papaioannou:
| Telephone | 210 369 2336 |
| Maria.Papaioannou@britishcouncil.gr |