MSA FORWARD 2024 Sessions
Pricing
Non-Member: $255 for all 11 recordings, or $55 per individual recording
Member: $200 for all 18 recordings, or $40 per individual recording
Click here to order all 11 sessions (see below to order individual sessions)
Sessions included (See descriptions of each session):
- Members With Benefits: Optimizing the Online Member Experience Through Personalization and Discounts – click here to order
- Visual Merchandising & The Customer Experience – click here to order
- Polished and Positive: Writing About Yourself – click here to order
- Make it Happen – Enterprise Strategy in Action – click here to order
- Highlights from the MSA Customer Webinar Series 2023-2024 – click here to order
- Polished and Positive: Ace the Interview – click here to order
- Shopify Q&A: Knowledge Sharing – click here to order
- AI Applied: Essentials For Your Museum Store – click here to order
- Retail Responsibly – click here to order
- Planograms: A Retailer’s Secret Weapon for Effective Store Merchandising – click here to order
- The Art of Negotiation or Easy Tips for Successful Negotiations – click here to order
MSA FORWARD 2023 Sessions
Pricing
Non-Member: $255 for all 18 recordings, or $55 per individual recording
Member: $200 for all 18 recordings, or $40 per individual recording
Click here to order all 19 sessions (see below to order individual sessions)
Sessions included (See descriptions of each session):
- Online Marketplaces – Click here to order
- ​From Concessionaire to Self-Managed A Case Study: Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum – Click here to order
- Building Ethical + Inclusive Retail Experiences – Click here to order
- ​Copyright Basics and Creative Approaches to Licensed Product – Click here to order
- Product Development Hacks for the Museum Professional – Click here to order
- Welcoming the Deaf Community – Click here to order
- What’s NEXT for Nonprofit Retailing – Click here to order
- Demystifying SEO & Site Speed for Online Retailers – Click here to order
- Curated Retail: Creating Successful Product Assortments & Visual Displays – Click here to order
- The Nuts and Bolts of Open to Buy – Click here to order
- Re-Imagining The Museum Store – Click here to order
- Culture x Commerce – Tate Edit Artist Takeover – Liam Darbon, Tate – Click here to order
- Strong Teams Need Strong Leaders – Click here to order
- Master Class – Part One: Highlights from the MSA x VM-CLUB Symposium – Click here to order
- Incorporating I.D.E.A (Inclusion, diversity, equity and access) into Your Institution – Click here to order
- Master Class Part Two – COLOR – Click here to order
- Elevate Your Online Store and Increase Customer Retention – Click here to order
- Win the Whole Visit – Liam Darbon, Tate – Click here to order
MSA FORWARD 2022 Sessions
Pricing
Non-Member: $255 for all 19 recordings, or $55 per individual recording
Member: $200 for all 19 recordings, or $40 per individual recording
Conference attendees and exhibitors can access the recordings for free until October 16; a special promo code was sent via email
Click here to order all 19 sessions (see below to order individual sessions)
Sessions included (See descriptions of each session):
- Decolonizing our Museum Stores: Practicing DEAI in Retail Merchandising – Click here to order
- ​What’s NEXT in Nonprofit Retail: Future-Proofing Your Business for Success – Click here to order
- ​Product Development – Picking the Right Image – Click here to order
- ​What Stories Do Your KPIs Tell, Especially to Your Boss? – Click here to order
- Subscriptions and Marketplaces: The Future of Ecommerce? – Click here to order
- Open-to-Buy Plus Product Development ROI – Click here to order
- Training Your Team to Provide an Inclusive Warm Welcome – Click here to order
- Copy Right – Click here to order
- Capturing the ROI of Digital Inclusion and Accessibility – Click here to order
- Do Museums Need Stores? – Click here to order
- Creating a Visual Display Calendar – Click here to order
- Strategic Leadership for Museum Store Professionals – Click here to order
- Retail Secrets of Ecommerce Merchandising – Click here to order
- Let’s Talk Museum Store Sunday – The Next Five Years – Click here to order
- Sustainable Retailing: Commitment vs Trend – Click here to order
- Ethical Fair-Trade Sourcing for Museums – Click here to order
- Visual Merchandising Display Tips and Tricks – Click here to order
- The Challenges of Cultural Enterprise – Balancing Value with Values – Click here to order
- Current DEAI Trends in Museums – Click here to order
Balancing Commemoration and Commercialization: Interpreting Death in Museum Stores
Presenter: Vincent Jacot
Knowledge Standards: Customer Relations, Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Buyer and Vendor Partnerships: Beyond the Polite Talk
Presenter: Geoff Carroll, Owner/Founder/President, Original Source; Deirdre Scott, Business Officer, Library of Congress; Michael Guajardo, Director of Retail Operations, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Operations, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: We operate in a hyper-competitive retail marketplace. Both buyers and vendors can dramatically improve the retail experience of museum store visitors by being willing to find new innovative options for increasing each other’s effectiveness. We all use the word “partnership” – hear from buyers and vendors about sensible and effective tools for use by both buyers and vendors to add a fresh spark of energy and effectiveness to existing relationships. Buyers and vendors can make each other much more effective. Let’s rejuvenate quality relationships by taking a few extra steps and going beyond the polite talk; let’s take tangible actions to form effective and lasting partnerships.
Creating a Stellar Social Media Strategy on a Shoestring Budget
Presenter: Luke Burton, Commuter Engagement Manager, Presence.io
Knowledge Standards: Communications
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Amp up your social media game by delving into the latest social media trends, getting to grips with algorithms, and creating captivating content with little-to-no budget. After presenting to rave reviews in 2018, Luke is returning to MSA FORWARD in a session will be designed for you to take home practical tips on improving your social media strategy and have an opportunity for you to ask any burning questions about your own social media accounts.
Embracing our Differences: Providing Personalized Service
Presenter: Colleen Higginbotham; Director of Visitor Services, Chrysler Museum of Art
Knowledge Standard: Customer Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: We’ve all heard the golden rule, treat everyone as you would like to be treated. This session flips that a bit and focuses on training our staff to test visitors as THEY would like to be treated. This includes welcoming the LGBTQ community, overcoming language barriers, welcoming visitors with disabilities and looking at our own businesses’ unique visitor types based on socio economic and psychographic differences as well as preferences on staff interaction and level of museum experience. By varying our approach to each customer, we can facilitate the best possible experiences and in return, the best business.
Fair Trade: Setting a Legitimate Ethical Standard
Presenter: Chris Solt; Executive Director, Fair Trade Federation
Knowledge Standard: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: A clearer picture of fair trade principles, code of practice, and issues in the fair trade movement, all with an emphasis on how attendees can participate or adapt their work to align with fair trade values.
Free Money: The Art and Science of Pricing Merchandise for a Profit
Presenters: Ray McKenzie, Member Emeritus; Andrew Andoniadis, Owner, Andoniadis Retail Services; Eric Huck, Director of Retail Operations, Detroit Institute of Arts; Janice Wrhel, Retail Services Manager, Georgia O’Keefe Museum
Knowledge Standard: Financial Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: How you price your merchandise directly affects your store’s bottom line. By not taking the time to look at how your items are priced, your store is missing out on free money. Hear from industry consultants and seasoned buyers about how they have mastered the art and science of pricing, and the impact that’s had on their profits. This lively panel discussion will provide real-world success stories and 5 takeaway action items that you can implement in your store.
How to Meet the Challenges of a Part-Time Sales Staff
Presenters: Alice Woods, President, ABW Designs LLC; Laura Murphy, Manager/Buyer, The Preservation Society of Newport County
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Financial Management, Human Resources, Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Learn how to create objectives and then identify and train your staff to meet and exceed those objectives.
Mapping a Merchandise Plan
Presenters: Jan Bannister
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Create a visual road map for your strategic merchandise plan, for the purpose of evaluating products, communicating to your organization, and enlightening your staff.
Mentorship: Find, Ask, Grow
Presenters: Kelli Davis, Store Manager, Science Center of Iowa; Barbara Lenhardt, General Manager/Deputy Chief of Retail, NGA; Patricia Sampson, Manager of Retail Shops & Visual Merchandising, High Museum of Art; Andrew Uchin, Head of Retail, Norton Simon Museum; Phil Zuckerman, President, Applewood Books
Knowledge Standards: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: This session would be on how to identify and ask someone to be your mentor. Also on how to lay the ground work and how to assess and achieve goals set up by the mentorship. This session could also be a starting point for people who want to mentor those in the early stages of their careers.
On Target: Taking the Guesswork out of Exhibition Catalogue Sales
Presenters: Tim Neidert, Book & Media Manager, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Don Henderson, Senior Buyer, National Gallery of Art; Marie du Vaure, Book Buyer, J. Paul Getty Museum; Kieran Whitworth, Manager of Book Buying, Imperial War Museums
Knowledge Standards: Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Exhibition catalogues occupy a singular position of importance in museum retail, providing the greatest opportunity for revenue while also directly fulfilling the educational mission of our institutions. Catalogues also pose the greatest challenge, requiring a high level of strategic planning to maximize the highly profitable, but short-lived opportunities presented by special exhibitions while minimizing inventory investment and leftovers. A panel of museum store book buyers will discuss these issues and help equip attendees with the necessary tools to confidently develop their own effective sales and management strategies.
45 Terrific Retail Tips
Presenters: Cathy Nagle-Ervin; Regional Manager-Great Lakes, Eastern National
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Financial Management, Merchandise Planning, Operations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: A 45 minute presentation with one minute each tips on all aspects of retail operations. Attendees will be able to take short one-minute tips and immediately start using the tips in their stores.
Advanced Financial Assessment II: Using the Retail Industry Report to Advocate for Your Store and Your Career
Presenters: Julie Steiner and Kelli Davis
Knowledge Standards: Financial Management, Human Resources, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Use MSA’s Retail Industry Report to benchmark your store, ask for a raise, set goals, and improve your standing in your organization.
Avoiding Being Outsourced
Presenters: Ross Beardsley; Director of Retail Operations, Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
Knowledge Standards: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: What does it meant to be outsourced? Who are the major concessionaires? Why is it better for an institution to keep retail operations in-house? Though it’s often not your decision, what strategies can you take to keep your job?
Championing Accessibility and Inclusivity for Commercial Excellence
Presenters: Louise Kirby; Director of Operations & People, The Deep
Knowledge Standards: Customer Relations, Business Relations, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: There are clearly legal requirements regarding accessibility in public places, but organizations can be too quick to categorize service provision for disabled people as just a business obligation rather than an opportunity; many improvements actually then go to provide an inclusive service for all, increasing footfall and sales. The consequence of failing to investigate accessibility and inclusivity can be a greatly missed opportunity. The Deep in Hull would like to share how it has strategically managed accessibility resulting in good practice, experiences and practical examples, growing staff confidence, engagement and job satisfaction, excellence in service delivery standards/customer feedback and commercial expansion through audience reach and new markets.
Creating an Experience for Your Customer
Presenters: Susan Benjamin; Founder, True Treats Candy
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Buying is typically a matter of walking through a store, looking at merchandise and, if all goes well, buying something. But entering a museum gift store should be as engaging and, even, riveting, as the exhibits. Even more, it will drive them to the Web site and other follow-on purchases. To achieve this entails low-to-no cost strategies outlined in the session from telling product stories to creating a visceral, hands-on display. These ideas are based on research indicating why people buy, what input triggers specific responses and more…All while upholding the professionalism of a museum environment.
Creating the Dynamic Museum Store
Presenters: Lisa Uhrik, Co-Owner, Franklin Fixtures
Knowledge Standards: Communications
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: From a physical perspective, what is vital to your store’s success? And what is dynamic about your store to the explorers it serves? Lisa Uhrik will share findings and observations drawn from successful museum stores and introduce the concept of timeless pattern languages that are consistently evidenced in successful spaces. Take stock of your strengths and opportunities for learning and discovery as you prepare to better engage and connect with customers while feeding both your sales and your mission.
Let's Talk Museum Store Sunday: The What, Why, How and When to Prepare Your Store
Presenters: Erin Brown, Marissa Jones Issa, Susan Tudor, Stuart Hata, Angela Colasanti, Cara Storm
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Learn how to create and implement a successful marketing and sales strategy that communicates to your patrons, the importance and value of your museum store on Museum Store Sunday and beyond.
Leveraging Innovative Resources for Visual Merchandising and Custom Product Development
Presenters: Jay Thomson; Barnes Shop Assistant Manager, The Barnes Foundation
Knowledge Standards: Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: By leveraging the power, speed, and low minimum investment of new technologies, services, and vendor marketplaces, MSA members can effectively compete against traditional retail stores. Using the resources and techniques learned in this session, attendees will offer truly unique products that will enhance and extend the visitor experience well beyond the initial trip to the museum.