Make It Extraordinary…Everyday!

A few years back, a friend took me backstage at a highly acclaimed show that has been running for over five years on the Las Vegas strip. The team of over 50 performers and back of house staff regularly put on 4 to 7 shows a week in an intense and often exhausting schedule. 

When you stood back of house, you could see a sign that said, “Today is the Most Important Performance.” When you do over 200 performances a year, it takes incredible focus to put on a top-notch performance every single time. So what drives them to this high standard?  They put themselves in the audience. They take a moment before each show and think about their expectations if they paid to see the show that day. 

Every day when we open the doors, museums put on a performance. We create an experience that starts when people park their cars and goes through the moment they leave. It’s our responsibility to produce the best version of this performance every day. This includes exhibits, communications, interaction, facility appearance, gift shop experience, and much more. It’s easy to get lost in the day to day repetition, but this is doing a disservice to the people that came to experience your museum. It may be another day to you, but it’s a special day to them. They deserve our best!

As museums, we are able to educate, inspire, challenge, change lives, and make a meaningful impact on culture. Treat every day as if it's a special performance because it is for the people that came in that day. 

Article by Frank Bennett, originally published at www.worldclassmuseum.com

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