bacon's castle cultural resources management internship
Post on 25-Jan-2015
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Bacon’s CastleCultural Resources Management
Internship 2013
Andrea Williams
Internship Projects
Marketing• Transient visitation
development• Social media• Community marketing efforts
Daily Museum Operations• Guided tours and register
operations• Special events• Merchandising• Paperwork and guest survey
analysis
Historic Preservation & Site Improvement
• Restoration of cast-iron railing• Norton grape vine training• Maintained site grounds after
storms
Transient Visitation Development
Established 25 new business contacts through direct calling and e-mailing
Initiated 25 cross-promotional exchanges between historic sites, hotels, B&Bs, and visitor centers in the Williamsburg, Hampton Roads and Charles City regions
Distributed over 2,550 Bacon’s Castle rack cards in the state of Virginia
Social Media Marketing
Facebook pay per click campaigns• Campaign to generate special event
registration• Reached 104,898 people for a total of 68 clicks• Generated four event responses on facebook
• Campaign to increase number of Bacon’s Castle facebook page likes
• Reached 15,488 people for a total of 122 page over a one month period
Community calendar listings• Updated seven electronic community
calendars with Bacon’s Castle special events
Community Marketing Promoted Bacon’s Castle visitation and special events at three
farmer’s markets or festivals Offered special admission prices with rack cards
• Williamsburg Market • 35 rack cards distributed, 6 guests redeemed
• Smithfield Market• 28 rack cards distributed, 6 guests redeemed
• Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival• 91 rack cards distributed, 19 guests redeemed
Experience Gained from Marketing Developed skills in product development and advertising Navigated regional travel, tourism, and hospitality
networks Observed the crucial role tourism plays in economic
development Increased comfort making sales calls and establishing
business partnerships for cross-promotion
Restoration of Cast-Iron Railing
Project goal: stabilize the metal entrance railing by removing and preventing rust
Process:• Removed rust and peeling paint with a rotating metal
brush• Primed railing using Kem Kromik for the prevention of
future rust and decay• Applied black paint to restore appearance after thirty
years of exposure Total time dedicated to the railing project: 68 hours
Before…
During…
Finished Product
Limb Removal and Vine Training
Removed oak tree limbs from the grounds after a heavy storm
Trained Norton grape vines into two-trunk, four-arm kniffins for optimal growth, eventually to produce a Bacon’s Castle label wine
Experience Gained from Site Improvement
Increased knowledge and appreciation of historic preservation techniques
Gained understanding of how site maintenance affects visitor experience and museum operations
Guided Tours Gave an average of six
tours per weekend for a total of seventy-two guided tours
Provided tours for weekend visitors, academic programs, and scheduled group events
Special Events Facilitated guests during the Historic Gardening Symposium and
the Seventeenth-Century Domestic Material Culture Symposium Generated 30% of total attendance for the Domestic Material
Culture Symposium through social media advertising Solicited nine potential speakers for the Nat Turner Symposium
Guest Survey Data
Entered data from 135 guest surveys collected from July – December 2012
Analyzed why visitors toured Bacon’s Castle, what interested them most, how they heard of the site, and their future expectations
Guest data analysis will be used in interest-based
marketing strategies for visitor appeal and site exposure
Experience Gained from Daily Operations
Improved public speaking ability and customer service skills
Built confidence in contacting guest speakers and generated ideas for increased revenue and visitation outside normal operations
Provided insight on visitor expectations at historic sites, as well as how to target marketing toward different demographics
Gained experience with widely applicable business practices
Impact and Legacy
Marketing efforts resulted in a 46% growth in
visitation in 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 As an example:
• Compared to the same month in 2012, June 2013 experienced a 54% increase in site visitation, a 75% increase in site revenue, and a 12% increase in per guest spend
Increased marketing efforts will help preserve and promote Bacon’s Castle by sharing its international reputation
Thank you to the Bacon’s Castle staff and volunteers for a wonderful three months! The CRM internship was the best preparation for a career in historic sites and small museums I
could have asked for.
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