Creating Great Visitor Experiences - an active participatory workshop & theory -

Annemarie Pothaar M.A.Heritage Education & Interpretation

annemarie@pothaar.nl

Ideas and Workshop © Annemarie Pothaar M.A. 2013

OpenArch Conference ‘Dialogue with the Visitor’, 23rd April, Archeon, NL.

The PlanWorkshop 14.15 – 15.45 hrs

14.15-14.30 Introduction14.30-15.00 WORK OUTSIDE15.00 Hand in foto’s15.10-15.30 Presentation of 4 groups15.30-15.45 Conclusions

Curriculum VitaeAnnemarie Pothaar (1977)

Master of Arts Heritage Education and Interpretation (2001)International Centre for Cultural heritage Studies, University of Newcastle,

U.K. Teacher Training Certificate (2001)Reinwardt Academy (2011, 2012) Continuous Professional Development

Zuiderzeemuseum Enkhuizen www.zuiderzeemuseum.nlHeritage Participation & Learning OfficerAdvisor to the Cultural Participation FundFreelance research: Openluchtmuseum Arnhem www.openluchtmuseum.nl

National Park Oosterschelde, Historic Museum Rotterdam, Historical Open Air Museum Eindhoven, Dutch Royal Armouries Delft

Dutch Society for Archaeological Experiment & Education (VAEE)EXARC, IMTAL, ICOM

What do I do?

A visitor experience and interpretation developer. 

Specialised in engaging visitors through a variety of interpretive techniques

and encouraging learning in informal and formal heritage settings.

Dedicated to open-air museum specifics.

Theoretical frameworkLearning theories & visitor experience models

•Multiple Intelligences – Garner•Learning styles – Kolb

•Family and Intergenerational Learning•Life Long Learning

•General Learning Outcomes•Visitor experience model – Pine & Gilmore

Cultuur in de Spiegel

Deconstructing the visitor experience

Dialogue with the visitor?

Reasons for visiting a museum?

Six emotional rewards of free time:•Social interaction•Active participation•Opportunities to learn

•Comfortable surroundings •A sense of doing something worthwhile•Challenging, new or unusual experiences

The evolution of experiences

Visitor experience; inside the visitor you cannot influence,

outside dimension which you do control.

Visitor experience indicators?

How can you easily customize the experience? How can you add sights, sounds, and scents?

Is your experience consistently good?

The 8 parametersof visitor experience

1.Visitor Flow2.Visitor Journey3.Components & Age Suitability4.Experience Quality 5.Experience Value6.Experience Quantity7.Learning Audit8.Marketing Appeal

Experience QualityUse 6 element groups for focus & improvement

1.Skills and Senses: using your hands, hearing, tasting, visual entertainment, viewing animals.2.Action and Activity: artistic activities, competition, machines you control, interactive computer displays, being part of the entertainment, shopping/spending money, in water/getting wet.3.Motion: gentle, moderate, extreme, simulated.4.Emotion or Reaction: shocking, inspiring, emotional, laughter, passion for your country.5.Learning: learning by reading, if it’s useful, through playing, through talking.6.Surroundings: fantasy, futuristic, themed areas, sound effects, visual effects.

WorkshopAssignment: Create a tour trough Archeon

Take maximum 8 pictures to illustrate the tourThink of a name and a theme

Present your experience in 5 minutes

Something Wonderful and Unexpected

WorkshopYour choices to work with:1. A storyline with main characters2. Magical Mirror; the unseen and previously unnoticed3. Follow the red colour4. Kids Perspective5. Forced Perspective

14.30-15.00 WORK OUTSIDE15.00 Hand in foto’s15.10-15.30 Presentation of 4 groups

1

A storyline with main characters

2

Magical Mirror; the unseen and previously unnoticed

3Follow the red colour

4Kids Perspective

5Forced Perspective

Workshop Results1. Storyline

Workshop Results2. Magical Mirror

Workshop Results3. Follow the red colour

Workshop Results4. Kids Perspective

Thank you for your attention!

- an active participatory workshop & theory –

Creating Great Visitor Experiencesby

Annemarie Pothaar M.A.Heritage Education & Interpretation

annemarie@pothaar.nl

Ideas and Workshop © Annemarie Pothaar M.A. 2013

OpenArch Conference ‘Dialogue with the Visitor’, 23rd April, Archeon, NL.