Virtual Membership Program Showcase
Texas State Aquarium
About: The mission of the Texas State Aquarium is to engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas, and support wildlife conservation. Located in Corpus Christi, TX, the Texas State Aquarium has 5,000 member households. Program Title: Virtual Trivia for Wildlife Program Summary: "We partnered with a trivia company out of Chicago and they hosted a virtual trivia night for our young professional group." This was a public event, not restricted to members only. How it went: "While turn out was not quite what we were hoping, our attendees all had a great time and we have gotten several inquires about when the next one will be." Technology/Platforms Utilized: Twitch Contact: Erin Kane | [email protected] |
Museum of Science and IndustryAbout: The vision of Museum of Science and Industry is to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in science, technology, medicine, and engineering. Located in Chicago, IL, Museum of Science and Industry has 20,000 member households.
Program Title: Virtual Member Open House Program Summary: "This year, our Member Open House went from an evening of exploring the Museum to a month long celebration of our members. We featured behind the scenes photos, videos and write-ups, member submissions of their pets, art, collections, Live virtual events and more." This was a members only event. How it went: "The program was well received! We're going to flip the site to be less event-centric so we can continue adding members-only virtual content to the site as a new benefit." Technology/Platforms Utilized: Zoom, YouTube Live Click HERE to check out the program event page. Contact: Jill Siar | [email protected] |
Old Sturbridge VillageAbout: Old Sturbridge Village, a museum and learning resource of New England life, invites each visitor to find meaning, pleasure, relevance, and inspiration through the exploration of history. Located in Sturbridge, MA, Old Sturbridge Village has 6,000 member households.
Program Title: Friends' Day Program Summary: "Friends' Day is an annual celebration of members with a full day of members-only programming. In 2020, this included virtual elements, both live and prerecorded, as well as in-person programming with COVID restrictions." This was a members only event. How it went: "Friends' Day was a huge success - we had over 100 member households participate in our virtual Friends' Day programs. Since this was the first time we had done any virtual programming for members, we were very pleased with this number. The response was overwhelmingly positive both on the day and in subsequent weeks." Technology/Platforms Utilized: Zoom, YouTube, Constant Contact Contact: Cara Massey | [email protected] 
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Florida Museum of Natural History |
Denver Museum of Nature and Science |
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About: The mission of the Florida Museum of Natural History is understanding, preserving and interpreting biological diversity and cultural heritage to ensure their survival for future generations. Located in Gainsville, FL, the Florida Museum of Natural History has 1400 member households.
Program Title: Mega-Distanced Megalodon Member Reception Program Description: "Virtual member reception for the opening of our Megalodon exhibition. The program included a welcome from the Museum Director, a talk on the exhibit development, a back-and-forth discussion between a shark researcher and a paleontologist, and a live Q&A. We shared the recording with non-members a few weeks after the event. " This was a members only event. How it went: "We received positive feedback from attendees. " Technology/Platforms Utilized: Zoom, YouTube Click HERE to see the event recording. Contact: Kara Schwartz | [email protected] |
About: The mission of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is to ignite our community's passion for nature and science. Located in Denver, CO the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has 45,000 member households.
Program Title: Exclusive Member Virtual Programming Program Description: "Our membership program benefits - like many - are visitation based. So, when COVID19 happened and the Museum closed we rapidly innovated to launch exclusive member virtual offerings in order to keep members engaged and connected to their Museum. In doing so, we built a new section of our site where when members log-in they can access videos, content and even computer games that only they can see as members!" This is members only content. How it's going: "Though we are still learning as things have changed since we re-opened at the end of June and are still providing virtual programming to members in addition to their visitation-based benefits." Technology/Platforms Used: Website is based on eGalaxy; Zoom, YouTube, Vimeo; Games built using Unity. Click HERE to check out the program page. Contact: Ashley Alexander | [email protected] |