SUMMER 2007
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Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce is a coalition of cultural service organizations, the travel industry, and federal agencies that provides a forum for collaborative research, education, promotion and advocacy with the common goal of advancing the role of culture and heritage in the travel and tourism industry.
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© 2007
Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce
Editor
Carolyn Brackett
Assistant Editors
Amy Webb
Verna Romero
GOT NEWS?
Send program updates, new initiatives and case studies to cht@nthp.org
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IMLS Funds Unique Collaboration
of Michigan State and Art Agencies
By Jeannine Mjoseth
Public Affairs Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services
In a unique collaboration, the Michigan Museums Association (MMA) and the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies’ (MACAA) are pursuing collaborative solutions to common challenges faced by state museums and arts organizations.
The groups decided to partner following the release of a 2004 MACAA survey of Michigan museums, arts, and cultural organizations. Although the groups’ memberships were different, many of their needs were the same, including the need for:
- a proactive approach to economic development, including cultural tourism;
- funding for staff, buildings, and equipment and financial management;
- strategic, marketing, and community planning; and
- technology and its use for building audiences.
“It didn’t make sense for both of our organizations to be offering fundraising workshops that were not well attended,” said Teresa Goforth, executive director of the Michigan Museums Association. “And I knew that I wanted to work with Debbie Mikula, who was then the MACAA executive director (now the chief operating officer for ArtServe Michigan). I admired her ability and knew she would be a true partner.” Further cementing the decision was encouragement from a former MMA board member who had become a MACAA board member. Partly as a result of this partnership, the two organizations have been housed in the same building since January, making it easy to meet and make decisions.
The associations decided to first strengthen individual organizations by offering cultural staff a series of professional development courses conducted by nationally recognized leaders. The first phase of the project was funded in part by a 21st Century Museum Professionals grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The purpose of the 21st Century Museum Professionals program is to increase the capacity of museums by improving the knowledge and skills of museum professionals. It is one of many grants administered by IMLS, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
The goal of the 2007 MasterMinds: Capacity-Building Workshops for Museums and Arts Organizations was to increase staff knowledge and abilities and to foster an environment where museums and arts organizations began to think of themselves as partners within their regions and local communities.
The partners offered four courses (held at three sites) focused on cultural tourism, the ins and outs of e-marketing, governance for board members, and volunteer program management. The all-day workshops cost $75, which included materials, refreshments, and lunch. Scholarships were also available to staff from small organizations.
Deborah Doyle-Schectman, consultant and former Vermont Cultural Heritage Tourism Coordinator, conducted the session on cultural tourism in February 2007. Doyle-Schectman’s session focused on how to inventory and package cultural assets to create a realistic cultural tourism plan for their communities. Participants learned about potential partners, such as chambers of commerce, convention and visitors’ bureaus, and how to work with city and county governments to use resources and achieve stability.
Although attendance was low, the workshop was successful partly because it provided ample time for participants to network, share ideas, and discuss partnering opportunities. Goforth blamed relatively low attendance at the workshops on a shortage of time and resources in a poor economy and potentially a lack of understanding of the term “cultural tourism.”
She suggested that “perhaps we need to start thinking of ourselves simply within the context of tourism and stop trying to separate ourselves. Or we need to do a better job of defining cultural tourism for staff at museum and arts organizations so they understand how valuable it can be to them. If you look at tourist destinations, people go to places that have cultural content, it’s that simple.”
The best-attended workshops were the email marketing sessions conducted by J.D. Hixson from Patron Technology in March, Goforth said. “People are desperate to get the word out in a cost-effective way. They saw the opportunity to learn how to create and implement an inexpensive marketing campaign,” she said. Other sessions included one on governance for board members and another on volunteer program management. After the workshops, follow-up counseling services using combined staffs and local experts are being offered to workshop participants for the rest of the year.
By collaborating, the organizations are becoming stronger, fulfilling their missions more effectively, and building their clout, recognition, and experience, which ultimately benefits community residents and tourists, Goforth said.
“Many states are facing economic downturns like Michigan so it makes sense to collaborate. As you do, it’s important to partner with organizations that are committed to an equal partnership,” she said. “I hope this spreads to other states.”
For more information, contact Ms. Teresa Goforth at (517) 482-4055.
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