Second phase launches for Wonders of Wildlife

With its Nov. 2 grand opening, the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum began its quest to reel in 900,000 visitors and produce $9.3 million in ticket sales next year.

The opening weekend drew 8,000 paying patrons to kick off the push towards that goal, and a total of nearly 19,000 have walked through its doors in the museum's first 11 days.

While getting the doors open was a big sigh of relief for the museum staff, much work outside the walls of the facility still lies ahead, said Beth Noble, the museum's associate executive director for external relations.

Membership drive

A phase the museum is now entering, Noble said, is to generate memberships. By the end of next year, the museum plans to have 7,500 memberships.

As of Nov. 12, Wonders of Wildlife had secured a total of 3,022 memberships on three different levels: individual, partner and corporate.

"In just the last two months alone (the membership) figure more than doubled," Noble said. "We're going to be ramping up a campaign that will really drive membership."

According to the museum's 2002 forecasted statement of revenues and expenses, which is based on an operating budget in excess of $12 million, membership sales are budgeted to generate $621,995.

Membership benefits include unlimited admission for a year, special invitations to member-only functions, a 10 percent discount on food and gifts, a quarterly newsletter, and discounts on museum festivals and educational events.

CVB involvement

Another mission for the museum staff is to increase public awareness not just in Missouri, but nationwide.

"We know that we've got a really expansive reach," Noble said. "From a public relations standpoint, we've really been working to develop the media contacts and exposure."

To that end, Wonders of Wildlife has teamed with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau for some national ad-vertising campaigns.

This media co-op is a $725,000 campaign that covers radio, print and television advertising. The radio ads a first for the CVB, according to Tammy Leigh, director of communications at the CVB are airing in Kansas City, St. Louis, Tulsa, Okla., Fayetteville, Ark., and the Rolla-Fort Leonard Wood area.

Leigh said the three-week run is promoting the opening of Wonders of Wild-life as well as Bass Pro and Fantastic Caverns the two other organizations inolved in the radio co-op. The promotion includes discounts offered by numerous Springfield hotels.

The CVB, the museum and the city of Springfield can all expect to benefit from the TV commercials that will run next spring in Kansas City and St. Louis, as well as national cable including The Weather Channel, outdoor channels and fishing shows, Leigh said.

"We get visitors from all over," she said. "What we try to generate are overnight stays in Springfield. We know that a lot of people come through, they do some attractions and a lot go on to Branson. With the opening of Wonders of Wildlife what we're hoping to see is that there is more to do in Springfield, therefore, it's very possible we may be able to get some of those people to overnight or stay longer in Springfield."

Already, print ads have appeared in na-tional travel magazines including those of the National Tour Association and the American Bus Association, Leigh said.

Tourism

Wonders of Wildlife Sales Coordinator Linda McNally last week attended a mo-tor coach convention in Houston sponsored by the NTA and ABA. Museum Director of Sales Denis Schmidt said motor coach tours are something he and his staff have been targeting.

"Tour operators are looking for something new," he said, "and we offer it. ... We're in a prime position right here ... Springfield is a safe location, and it's an easy drive; we're very accessible."

Schmidt said McNally, is selling both the museum and Springfield on a national level.

"Everybody's really pumped up and excited nationwide about this facility," Schmidt added. "Once you reach one tour operator it just spreads"

Bringing in tourists and their dollars helps all parties, Schmidt said, via the quarter-cent hotel/motel tax.

This year the museum received $208,000 from the hotel/motel tax, and it is forecasting $255,367 to come in 2002.

Total income and revenues revenues are predicted to exceed $12.5 million next year.

Ticket prices

Based on Schmidt's January study of 10 national aquariums, the Wonders of Wildlife ticket prices fall below the averages on all levels.

Wonders of Wildlife prices are $11.25 for adults, $7.25 for children and $9.25 for students and senior citizens, with discounts for groups of 15 or more.

Noble said the museum is tracking visitor ZIP codes, and people have come through from as far away as Alaska and Florida.

The museum operates with a paid staff around 100, whose salaries and benefits account for more than $3.5 million of the $12 million operating budget, plus about 400 volunteers.