Consultants to the Visitor Attraction Sector
Services
We appreciate that each attraction is its own unique business and is at its own unique point in development. This is why we believe in “attraction first” consultancy. We assemble a team to tackle any issue the client faces, whether it’s accommodating a period of change or business disruption, navigating the funding environment or pursuing a capital redevelopment, a leadership transition, expanding the client’s offer, brand repositioning, growing attendance, widening audiences and more.
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We would be very happy to discuss your business and how we can support you.
planning support
We offer a fresh pair of eyes during the planning process – from feasibility assessment to facilitating a planning session with your management team or board. Planning can be a lonely place – we can also act as a sounding board to test proposed approaches for which we will offer feedback. We are here for you.
We never profess to knowing your business better than you but will support your efforts to achieve clarity with business goals. This is where our more than 25 years of experience and work with over 40 clients comes into its own.
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Our recent experience has extended to supporting the development of strategic business cases for several multi-million-pound capital projects including a major new comic-based attraction, a new Science Centre and major redevelopment of two internationally important maritime-linked attractions.
fundraising & business development
The planning support we provide often goes hand in hand with identifying and delivering ways of funding them. We have considerable experience of delivering both revenue and capital funding with our work directly fuelling millions of pounds of capital development. We know how to build the essential narrative that helps ‘sell’ a project.
Fundraising and funding is almost always part of delivering a new or augmented vision for our clients. However, it is rarely the whole solution. That’s why we work with clients in considering challenges and opportunities in a pragmatic and holistic way.
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commercial activity
Few visitor attractions tap the full potential of their commercial assets. While typically recognised as an important part of an attraction few operators resource them appropriately and/or invest in them regularly, no matter the scale of the attraction.
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Our commercial and analytical audits identify strengths and weaknesses within client attractions. This work often extends across the whole range of a client’s commercial offer. We highlight the areas where adjustments can be made to improve key metrics, achieve stronger sales and a healthier net contribution.
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In a world where external funding of any kind is increasingly difficult to secure, we work with clients to ensure they are maximising the commercial opportunities that exist within their own facilities, making them self-sustainable.
visitor experience
The ultimate success of any visitor attraction is directly reflected in the quality of its visitor experience. New attractions that wow visitors in their first years of operation need to evolve and change to remain fresh and relevant. Many attractions are dependent on attracting repeat visits – it’s crucial for them to change regularly.
Our experience audit starts before we arrive at our client’s attraction.
It includes the website, information offered over the phone, directional signage, the welcome, staff interaction, cleanliness of the facility and, of course, the quality of the core experience.
We know that people make the attraction. We talk to staff as an integral function of an audit. Without this there is always the risk of staff serving being caught on an off day. By digging deeper, we are able to assess the wider organisational commitment to service. It is also critical that we interview leadership.
review of operations
Our extensive experience as operators comes to the fore when helping clients understand their performance and the actions required to transform it.
Our reviews come with ready to implement recommendations that deliver quick wins, but which are also typically tapered to support improved results over the short to medium term.
Longer term solutions emerge from our input into the strategic / business planning process. This can be a light touch such as facilitating planning discussions through to working directly with senior leadership teams and boards of trustees.