Wonders of Wildlife looks to fix first-year problems

Conservation education, traveling exhibits and more realistic projections for income and visitorship are among the 2003 plans for the American National Fish & Wildlife Museum, Wonders of Wildlife.

The museum brought in about $5.29 million during its first 12 months of operation from November 2001 through October 2002, well short of its projection in excess of $12.5 million. The museum also hoped for 900,000 visitors, but had only 472,000.

But things are looking up, according to Executive Director Fred Marty.

"November and December have been absolutely gangbusters in the evenings with various firms and organizations scheduling events and we've got some planned after the first of the year," such as Valentine's Day special dining and other evening events, Marty said.

He added, that there was potential lost revenue from facility rental last summer due to general admission hours running into times when it might have been used by groups. As a result, the museum will close its doors to the public at 6 p.m. in 2003.

Meanwhile, the museum will continue to target Branson, Bass Pro customers and conservation groups in its 2003 efforts to generate visitors, said Marty.

"Those are the principle affinity markets that our research shows would be attracted to a venue like this."

Generating visitor interest in the $52 million museum is high on everybody's agenda. During its opening month, November 2001, 52,583 people viewed the museum, while in November 2002, 19,122 passed through, according to Peggy Smith, director of finance and administration.

Numbers

General admission revenues for the museum's first 12 months came in at $3,665,417, Smith said. Taken together with $649,154 in museum shop sales and concessions and $427,116 in membership fees, these three income sources accounted for nearly 90 percent of all first-year receipts.

The museum's proposed 2003 budget is $8,676,696 with $5,368,396 coming from operating revenue and 3,308,300 from nonoperating revenue, Smith said.

Expectations for 2003's ongoing operating revenue are $3,581,469 from general admission; $644,450 from museum sales and concessions; $530,886 from memberships; $210,000 from the hunting and fishing gallery revenue; and $199,551 from group sales, Smith said. Group sales for groups of 15 or more haven't "been as bright as we hoped," Marty said.

Next year's nonoperating revenue proposal comes from a variety of sources. Leading this list is a contribution and grant income target of $1,739,325 comprising more than 20 percent of total nonoperating income. That's tenfold the $173,000 in contributions and grants actually generated since November 2001.

Other principal nonoperating sources will be Missouri Department of Conservation revenue of $500,000, sales tax revenue of $490,815 and Springfield hotel/motel tax of $257,000.

Oct. 31 was the end of WOW's first 12 months of operation and total revenues for that time were $7,740,775, Smith said. Of this, $5,288,579 was operating revenue and $2,452,196 was nonoperating revenue.

Previous visitor forecasts

While attendance numbers varied dramatically from initial consultant estimates of 750,000 to 1.25 million, the 472,000 visitors who cleared the gate at the museum were satisfactory to Marty.

"There are not many other Missouri attractions that are putting that many people through the gate," Marty said. Still, next year's estimates have been scaled back in accord with this year's numbers. "We're putting together a budget that would see 465,000 people" visit the museum for 2003, he added.

Marty cited several project assumptions accounting for the high visitor projections that at one time were actively entertained by the 26-member board, but have since been abandoned or delayed. He said an on-campus outdoor enthusiasts' hotel, a large cafeteria and the addition of an IMAX theater all figured at one time or another in consultants' projections.

While the hotel and restaurant ideas appear indefinitely shelved, the museum is "into discussions that could prove fruitful with regard to an IMAX," Marty said.

The appeal of Springfield's Bass Pro Shops to visitors as the flagship store has also been diminished with the construction of "Bass Pro Shops on about every corridor that's coming into Springfield," Marty said.

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World stores operate in 15 locations nationwide, including two locations in Tennessee, one in Illinois and one in St. Charles.

The museum's grand opening on the heels of Sept. 11's tragedy didn't bode well for visitor dollars, either, he added.

Sparking interest

Ticket price revisions are under board consideration, Marty said, but they haven't been adjusted yet.

The addition of larger, more diverse aquatic species, the installation of interactive exhibits, and the showing of traveling displays are slated for 2003, according to Sandy Poneleit, public relations manager.

Marketing expenses year-to-date for 2002 are $729,552 with $720,370 proposed to be spent in 2003, said Smith. Television advertising expenses of $280,000, $194,410 in billboard signage, and $117,510 in print ads, accounted for 82 percent of next year's proposed marketing budget. The remainder of the budget will go toward printing at $89,500, production at $7,000 and other marketing expenses at $31,950.

Marketing accounted for $915,291 during calendar year 2001, she added.

Employee rearrangements

Low attendance numbers and budgetary constraints are behind the 14 staff changes effective Jan. 1, 2003, according to Poneleit. Six positions will be eliminated and another eight reduced to part-time status.

Affected areas will be community relations, guest services, human resources and sales, and there will be no cost of living increases for remaining staff, Poneleit added.

In July, the museum employed 65 full-time and 41 part-time staff. Smith said 54 full-time and 29 part-time employees cover all operations now.

Shady Inn plans scuttled

The museum is counting on its budding conservation education program to stimulate interest and increase visitors, Poneleit said. The former Shady Inn was to play a role in that, but plans have changed.

"The Shady Inn was always a part of our project plans," said Bruce Colony, director of operations. "The museum had to either build around the restaurant, purchase the restaurant and raze it, or purchase the restaurant and use it in its daily operation."

The museum bought the restaurant and the 32,785 square feet of land it's situated on for $1.25 million Feb. 15 from the George B. Koch Trust.

Original board plans called for the Shady Inn to become an educational facility, including three classrooms, a lab, a conference room, a library/resource room, staff offices and a catering kitchen. Its 3,000-square-foot basement was to house an animal collection.

Due to Turner Construction Company's high bid of $1,258,591 $382,201 over the board's budget of $876,390 previous renovation plans for Shady Inn were scuttled.

"Turner was the one that always had the bid option on it," Marty said. Any subcontractors to be used were to be selected by them, he added.

Instead, a new freestanding education center is slated to be erected on museum district land using gift moneys pledged by John L. Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder, and his family. Architectural bids will be solicited in early 2003.

Morris had suggested a new educational facility with an adjacent IMAX theater be constructed about 100 yards south of the Shady Inn.

In the meantime, the museum is planning on using Morris-donated space in the former Kmart building at 720 W. Sunshine to house temporary classroom facilities to launch its 2003 on-site educational activities, Smith said.

"We're in the development phase of that. We've looked at the space; we know what we want to do. Now we're looking at that's going to cost and how quickly can we get that done," Smith said. "It's something we need to have done by the end of the year so we can get our education program up and running."