How it works
One member presents a challenge they have within their business, e.g. “we want to improve our foyer area” or “we want our cinema to generate more revenue”.
They then set up a date and invite members to come to their organisation for a 1-3 hour brainstorm on the challenge.
It is an excellent opportunity for members to learn from each other, get an external perspective and get opinions from other sector professionals that they can use to support any future business cases they put forward.
They then set up a date and invite members to come to their organisation for a 1-3 hour brainstorm on the challenge.
It is an excellent opportunity for members to learn from each other, get an external perspective and get opinions from other sector professionals that they can use to support any future business cases they put forward.
Past HACKs
Hands On or Hands Off? What does the future of interactives (2021)
Hosted by The Museum of London Docklands
Finding the balance between being Covid secure and not sanitizing the Visitor Experience has been a challenge all attractions have faced this year.
Museums, galleries and attractions are full of engaging interactives; touch screens, sound cups, smell boxes, dress up, audio guides, the list goes on… Having all these touchpoints add to the visitor experience but became a challenge in being Covid secure, and common mitigation has been to remove or adapt current hands-on interactives in our visitor attractions.
This HACK exploring opportunity to share thoughts and plans for the future of hands-on interactives and learnings from the past 12 months.
Museums, galleries and attractions are full of engaging interactives; touch screens, sound cups, smell boxes, dress up, audio guides, the list goes on… Having all these touchpoints add to the visitor experience but became a challenge in being Covid secure, and common mitigation has been to remove or adapt current hands-on interactives in our visitor attractions.
This HACK exploring opportunity to share thoughts and plans for the future of hands-on interactives and learnings from the past 12 months.
CRM and Ticketing Brainstorming Session (2018)
Hosted By VE:Forum and BOP
This event presents an opportunity for members to hear about the pros and cons of each other’s systems, how members are using their systems to best advantage and how they are managing their visitors’ experiences using their ticketing/CRM system.
Entrance and Admissions Brainstorming Session (2019)
Hosted by The London Transport Museum
London Transport Museum is considering a project to change their entrance and admissions space.
Anybody with experience of redeveloping ticketing areas, queues, mobile tickets and training staff on this, tendering such projects
- They’re considering removing the fixed admissions desk and instead of having portable ticketing ‘trolley’ desks with tablet tills
- They need greater flexibility depending on footfall and weather.
- They also need to build in extra space for an ‘air-lock’ zone for hot or cold weather, when the shop and café can become difficult to heat or cool.
Anybody with experience of redeveloping ticketing areas, queues, mobile tickets and training staff on this, tendering such projects
The House of St Barnabas
The House of St Barnabas (HoSB) is a charity which supports people with experience of homelessness into lasting work. It does this through their Employment Charity which offers employment preparation programmes in hospitality which combine City & Guilds accreditation, personal development, employability support and work experience. HoSB also runs a social business, a members’ club, which generates income for the charity and also provides a commercial environment for Employment Academy work experience. Graduates of the employment preparation programme are supported for one year to get and keep work.
HoSB is thinking about widening its current focus on hospitality, and following discussions at the recent Visitor Experience Forum would like to explore whether this sector could offer partnerships to support more people into paid employment.
HACK decision points:
HoSB is thinking about widening its current focus on hospitality, and following discussions at the recent Visitor Experience Forum would like to explore whether this sector could offer partnerships to support more people into paid employment.
HACK decision points:
- Is there an appetite in Visitor Experience/attractions to diversify staff teams?
- What entry level jobs are available?
- What kind of training programme could be developed to enable HoSB participants to be successful in getting and keeping jobs in the sector?
- What partnerships could make this happen?
TESTIMONIALS
"The VE:Forum, has been a wonderful opportunity for me to catch up with colleagues from around the UK and discuss our sector in a structured and fun environment. To be able to get together and discuss how we might tackle our next challenge at a HACK, to listen to sector leaders, about their inspirational successes at the seminar or to just be able to have a drink, at a Meetups. It’s all been instrumental in how I approach my role, improving me and the experience at LTM. We keep learning and we are lucky to have the forum to support us."
Geoff Rowe
Head of Operations and Resourcing at London Transport Museum |