The ZA team just returned from the AZA National Conference with lots of food for thought to share. What were our top 10 takeaways? Read on to learn about what’s hot and trending…and what you need to think about as you plan for 2020.
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Be Your Own Advocate. This year’s stellar panel at the Women in Leadership session—The Honorable Helena Moreno, New Orleans City Council, President/Member at Large; Lisa Peterson, Director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park; and Cassandra Ray, VP Finance/CFO, Saint Louis Zoo, more than rocked it with actionable advice for greater gender equity. Women who don’t negotiate the salary of their first job stand to lose more than $500,000 over the course of their career. To improve this startling statistic, the audience was reminded to be your own advocate, push your organization to conduct an internal comp review, and support equal pay legislation. Use #AZAWomenLeadNow to further the conversation and movement and share your actions.
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Where’s the Money? There was huge interest in public funding opportunities, supported by The Path to Public Funding and other topical sessions. Given recent successes around the industry, it appears that AZA organizations who haven’t in the past considered the possibility of public funding are waking up to the fact that they may be leaving money on the table. Getting there may take some time, but we heard many proven stories of success. Keys to success? (1) Start early: Your organization should begin research at least a year before you intend to be on the ballot. (2) Keep it simple: Develop a concise messaging strategy that’s easy to remember and speaks to your advocates. (3) Timing is key: What other issues will you be sharing the ballot with? Which candidates will be up for election and how might that help or hurt your cause? The answers to these questions can make or break your effort.
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Put the Phone Down. The concept of “leveraging technology” continues to be a hot topic, but we still can’t seem to agree on exactly what that means. We’ve seen advances on the in-house/administrative side of zoo and aquarium operations, but not so much in the guest-experience area. Some VR and AR in the exhibit hall but still not sure how zoos and aquariums or our guests will embrace it and why they’re not experimenting more. Art museums and science centers are beating us to it—can’t we harness technology to interpret and enhance our guests’ experience with our amazing live animals?
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Partners are Important. The Partner Directors group—Societies, Foundations, Friends—was formally recognized by AZA via their own association track. Congratulations as this was a big moment for them and recognition of all they do to support their public organizations and their missions.
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It’s in the Water. In terms of new facilities, aquariums are where it’s at. New aquariums are popping up all over the place, but new zoos? Almost none. What do you think is fueling that boom? Shifting public perceptions? Funding sources? Success of aquariums in general? Changing demographics?
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Your Mission Matters. Don’t underestimate the importance of an institution’s reputation for visitors. Colleen Dilenschneider explained that reputation and revenue go hand in hand. Revenue efficiency (revenue sources, expenses, attendance) + reputational equity = success. How well you do at your mission is tied to how well you do with revenue: organizations that highlight mission outperform those that position themselves as attractions.
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Make a Deal for Nature. A global science and data-based initiative was created to engage world leaders in protecting 30% of oceans and land by 2030. Dr. Enric Sale, National Geographic scholar and recipient of many conservation awards, explained that he became a conservationist when he realized his studies were, in effect, writing an “obituary” for the ocean. Find the petition for change at www.globaldealfornature.org. It’s a pretty compelling vision!
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Your Audience is Going Away. The importance of reaching new potential visitors can’t be underestimated. “Negative substitution” says that for every visitor who leaves the market, they’re replaced by <1 visitor (0.948)—not a great trend. Combine that with the fact that cultural attractions are not perceived to be as welcoming as they should be to all audience—it’s not a rosy picture. Opening our doors, minds, and hearts to more diverse audiences isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a crucial business imperative.
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Conservation—it’s Everyone’s Job. There are lots of novel ways to raise awareness of and engage visitors in conservation, like—”Ask us how we’re saving wildlife” staff T-shirts. We were reminded that engaging all staff in conservation is critical, from the ticket takers to the maintenance staff to the “animal people”. For example, create opportunities for all staff to participate in field work, locally, regionally, and if possible, internationally.
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The Sky’s the Limit. We heard of many new exhibits on the boards, some with some pretty hefty price tags. This makes us wonder—is there a limit? How high can they go? What’s the return? Where are our dollars best spent for maximum impact? Is this the right direction and is it sustainable? And what’s the alternative?
