Nine Reasons to Test Your Exhibits Before the Grand Opening
Nine Reasons to Test Your Exhibits Before the Grand Opening
September 9, 2015 by Taylor Studios
Soft openings or soft launches are common practice in the business world. It’s especially true for retail establishments like restaurants. In the museum exhibit world it is less common. It shouldn’t be! Unfortunately, I’ve experienced what can happen when a crowd rushes into a that has not been tested. Grand opening dates are often set without enough cushion to test the exhibits. Recently, several of our clients have planned quiet openings before being officially open to the public.
Our clients at astutely planned for more than a month of testing prior to their big grand opening event. This uncovered many tweaks that could be made before the big day. It included improving timing on interactives, redirecting lighting, and training staff on how to handle visitors. The same applied to our clients at the . Installing their project in phases gave them the opportunity to run school groups through ahead of time. They viewed it as an opportunity to bolster the engineering; they even set up a GoPro camera during this period to get a better view. Since the exhibits were still under , things were easily tweaked to create a better experience at the grand opening.
What does a testing period look like?
Why do you want to test the exhibits ahead of the grand opening?
It’s important to plan for your soft opening from the start. Don’t publicize a grand opening until you are sure you will have time to test your exhibits. Make sure your schedule has plenty of cushion. Stick to your deadlines or that cushion will fade. A delayed opening could cause poor public relations. Good planning gives you time to test and offer the best experience to increase visitation and repeat visitors.
– Burt Rutan