This year’s Museums + Heritage Show will introduce a newly designed networking area for attendees to meet with Sector Support Organisations and Networks.
The space, named the ‘Ambience Networking Lounge’, has been created in partnership with collaborative consultancy Stephen Spencer + Associates. Its design is centered around the creation and importance of ambience, and will explore how each of the senses combine.
It will be host to a range of in-person networking sessions available to attendees throughout the two day event. The Lounge will allow anyone in the industry to form new connections and partnerships, or just to start up a conversation with the organisations supporting the sector.
AIM, Queer Heritage & Collections Network, Arts Marketing Association, Touring Exhibitions Group, Association for Heritage Interpretation, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, Fair Museum Jobs, Collections Trust, Heritage Volunteering Group, and Kids in Museums.
Full details of the timings can be found on the Museums + Heritage Show website in the ‘Networking’ category.
The Lounge will also feature the launch of the Ambience Playbook, a new concept created by Stephen Spencer + Associates to help cultural organisations deliver enhanced value for their visitors.
Stephen Spencer, the consultancy’s Ambience director, explained: “We’re calling it the Ambience Playbook, because we define Ambience as the state of delivering a completely authentic experience, through all the senses. So the Ambience Playbook is a step-by-step guide showing you how to do that, and we’ll be making additional tools and templates available on our website too.
“Everyone who visits the Lounge will have the opportunity to receive their own copy of the Ambience Playbook, and meanwhile we’re excited to showcase how the right Ambience can create a really productive and uplifting atmosphere.
“Amid the cost of living crisis and with budgets growing ever more under pressure, the Ambience Playbook will show you how to get more return on the money you are already spending – be it on staff, marketing, stock, or utilities. The Playbook has been developed in the spirit of togetherness, to help organisations come together with experts in a collaborative approach to building forward better. So, we can’t wait to catch up and share our ideas and help with everyone at the Show!”
Spencer will also be giving a talk on the second day of the Show, May 11 2023, in Theatre 3 at 1.45pm.
“In 2023, every organisation needs to deliver maximum value, for money, and for time, as a fundamental strategy to survive and thrive in this most challenging period, and I am looking forward to sharing the principles and practice of the Ambience Playbook” he said.
