*This session will be a two part hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. If you register for part one, you are autmoatically registered for part 2. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.
Join us for a critical discussion on the importance of rigorous feasibility studies in ensuring appropriately scaled and sustainable museum expansion projects. "Beyond Happy Talk" examines how grounded, data-driven feasibility assessments can mitigate the optimistic biases often present in early project stages, leading to more realistic and viable expansion and renovation projects. This panel will emphasize the necessity of a robust evaluation of current state (facilities and organization) market potential, operational impacts, capital requirements and fundraising feasibility, ensuring museum projects are tailored to audience needs and philanthropic resources. The panel will also discuss the need for realistic space programming and planning related to the operation of the building, assessing and developing capacity to match the vision of the project.
Hear from leading experts in museum planners and leaders, architects, and designers as they share best practices and case studies where thorough feasibility studies have led to successful, sustainable museum expansions. Learn how adopting a realistic approach early in the planning process can transform museum clients into more informed and proactive partners for architects and designers, ultimately benefiting the cultural institutions and the communities they serve.
We believe that the current state assessment, visioning study, financial feasibility study, and initial fundraising feasibility study are best intertwined and developed together in an iterative process. Each successive phase informs the next to arrive at a right-sized project for your museum. Incorporating the future operation of the museum into planning is essential to bring the vision to life and ensure financial sustainability.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the rigorous structured approach to feasibility studies, including detailed exploration of each phase's purpose, research questions, and methodology.
- Evaluate the current state of an organization, including its facilities, organizational health, and market position, as a foundation for strategic decisions.
- Explore methods for developing and aligning visions for renovation, expansion, or growth with an organization's mission and resources.
- Dive deep into the methodology for evaluating capital requirements, impact to operating and conducting effective fundraising feasibility studies, with an emphasis on aligning capital goals with realistic funding opportunities.
- Apply concepts to a hypothetical or real-world scenario, enhancing understanding and retention, during a hands-on activity focused on fundraising feasibility.
