Have you ever walked into a multi-million dollar building only to find poster-board-style graphics for exhibits? I have. Or entered your small neighborhood visitor center to encounter high-tech virtual-reality style exhibits? I have. Err, ok this I haven’t. The point is that the visitor experience should be planned for comprehensively. One way to do that is to ensure that you plan your exhibit budget to align with the overall goals of the project. If you are a small nature center, graphic panels and simple dioramas may be perfect for your space. If you’re an enormous cultural center with complex content, some custom videos and multimedia may be in store for you. If you’re offering visitors a specialty paid-attraction, maybe you want to include a theater production or animatronics. Regardless, museums must consider two variables when setting the exhibit budget: square footage and level of complexity.

The first variable is easy. What is the square footage of your exhibit space? We look for the total square footage of your interior gallery space and any other common spaces in which you anticipate having exhibits (e.g. lobbies and hallways). This approach does not work for theater spaces or exterior exhibits, and tends to lose accuracy for exhibit spaces less than 1,000 square feet and greater than 5,000 square feet. Small exhibit spaces generally have a higher cost per square foot and large exhibit spaces generally have a lower cost per square foot.

The second variable is a little trickier to answer. What level of complexity do you desire for your exhibits? We categorize complexity in three levels, all of which have some vagueness and overlap with each other. Our recommendation is to use the exhibit complexity level that most closely aligns with your vision, and error on the high side. Here is a brief summary of the three different exhibit complexity levels:

• Level 1

Artifact/Prop Mounting, Graphic Panels with Stock Photos, Conventional Casework, Simple Mechanical and Multimedia Interactives, Simple Dioramas, Scale Models, Photo Murals, Limited Changeability

• Level 2

Level 1 plus Artifact/Prop Acquisition, Graphic Panels with Custom Photos, Custom Casework, Mechanical and Multimedia Interactives, Full Scale Dioramas, Painted Murals, Seasonal Changeability

• Level 3

Level 1 and 2 plus Artifact/Prop Reproductions, Graphic Panels with Custom Artwork, Complex Casework, Complex Mechanical and Multimedia Interactives, Custom Films, Frequent Changeability, Immersive Environments, Animated Models

Once the two pricing variables are determined, you simply multiply square footage by the recommended cost per square foot that aligns with your exhibit complexity level. Our free budgeting tool (see below!) automates this process for you, complete with cost per square foot recommendations and reference data for each level of exhibit complexity.

We understand that one-size doesn’t fit all. Do you have unique parameters or concerns? Questions about how to begin? Contact us and we'd be happy to help

Follow this LINK for your free budgeting tool.

originally posted May 05, 2016