Emily Cronin, partnerships manager at the Science Museum Group in the UK, shares insights into evolving business models for touring exhibitions worldwide in Spokes, Ecsite’s online magazine.
“Travelling exhibitions are a dynamic and vital part of modern exhibition programmes and a relatively new concept. For hiring venues, travelling exhibitions attract greater numbers of visitors, they offer something new and exciting, and the venues are able to temporarily rent an exhibition that they might otherwise be unable to produce themselves,” she writes in the introduction of her article. Yet the current offer, polarised between high cost turnkey blockbusters and small scale but also lower impact exhibitions, is not catering for a more diverse demand.
Factors including transport issues, venue space, fees, and other costs associated with hiring are all key components considered in hiring exhibitions. To lower these barriers, organisations have been partnering to overcome these obstacles by developing new business models.
Using international case studies, Emily highlights new approaches to travelling exhibition productions. The Science Museum Group for instance has developed a new concept, known as an Exhibition Blueprint Pack, in which all content and digital assets are made available in a single link. Exhibition components then get produced locally, removing the high-cost factor of transport and insurance.
Another example includes partnerships between companies that partner with institutions to create exhibitions suitable for travelling by lending their expertise across the fields. Thirdly, Emily highlights that enhanced market research is another key factor in saving on time and resources.
Read the full article in Spokes #52, May 2019: The future of travelling exhibitions by Emily Cronin.
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