Friends - Here's a very useful article on how to pump up the normal snake show to a community event. Yes, it is tied to a certain performer but good advice is good advice. Enjoy.
Suzan Nyfeler Youth Services Specialist Central Texas Library System, Inc. ...and mom to a houseful of reptiles over the years... 1005 W. 41st, Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78756 512-583-0704, x17 800-262-4431 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 11:14 AM To: Suzan Nyfeler Subject: Report Hello again Suzan. I wrote this report and originally sent it out as an attachment, but lots of people just don't open attachments these days, and the word "report" in the subject probably left the whole thing snagged in the filters. So here it is in plain text, for your unencumbered review: A Proven Technique for Creating Animal Events that Draw Much More Traffic and Media Exposure, at Minimal Cost! >From the Desk of: Daryl Sprout March, 2008 Dear Friends of Nature and Science: 2007 was a big year for Snake Encounters, and it brought into sharp relief the value of a technique I learned from two excellent Science Museums that have booked my show year after year. Simply put, the idea is to book a time-tested, big-draw animal show performer/educator (like me!) as a headline attraction for a number of shows at scheduled times during your event. Simultaneously, you will be engaging and occupying a crowd larger than your performance hall can accommodate, over a broader range of hours than the performances, at very little cost - by inviting exhibitors with animals related (or even unrelated) to your theme! These exhibitors will greatly expand the scope of animals to see and things to be learned at your event, and will create additional traffic as friends and family visit the event to see them in such a prestigious setting. Even if you prohibit selling anything (an idea that can drive more visitors to your gift shop - which should be stocked with extra theme-related items) they will get exposure and credibility from doing your event and will realize future revenues. An excellent example would be regional herpetological societies, who stand to reap the windfall of new membership fees as eager new recruits to the rapidly growing hobby of herpetoculture are inspired by the shows. Breeders who hope to be the providers of that next pet critter will love being able to meet parents who are at the early stages of considering a reptile or amphibian for their excited kid, and can provide the additional service of ensuring that proper husbandry practices are learned and followed. This always leads to a better experience for the animal - and for the entire family. Pet rescue outfits are another excellent example of the type of exhibitor who will gravitate to your event, creating more "hands-on" opportunities and allowing parents who resist the idea of a herp in the home an opportunity to encourage their children to consider the adoption of a more traditional pet. A list of the types of exhibitors who would probably love to have a presence at your event is provided below. It's easy to imagine how each would benefit from being involved. Best of all, your event is not just creating the biggest draw in town by having the coolest animals to come and see up close, but will be promoting and furthering an increasingly important cause. Reptiles represent the fastest growing niche in the enormous pet industry, and irresponsible owners who either fail to do their homework on the needs of their pets or eventually just lose interest are creating a large backlog of animals under the care of increasingly stressed rescue workers - and sometimes even contributing to feral populations of non-native species. Even worse, the practice of taking animals out of the wild and forcing them into captivity rarely ends well. Populations of many native reptiles and amphibians that we take for granted are exhibiting alarming declines in much of the country. With so many adoptable animals available and waiting for good homes, your event will have a direct and favorable impact on both situations by providing useful education about what exactly is at stake. Played in this way with the media, the event stands to reap kudos from animal lovers and the environmentally concerned alike, and general warm fuzzies from the whole community. A great all around reason (and method) for packing the house! Of course, your own employees and volunteers can do all of the craft projects, exhibit tours, workshops and demonstrations you would probably have done to begin with, but the presence of all the exhibitors and their animals will take the look and feel of the event to the next level in size, energy and excitement. The two museums I have seen employ this concept are Science Spectrum in Lubbock, Texas and the Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. Science Spectrum calls its annual event "CritterFest" and hires, in addition to my show, a larger, more expensive animal road show (usually big cats as the primary focus) plus a petting zoo, camels, horseback rides for the kids, etc. The generalized theme means that exhibitors can be parks and wildlife, adoptable dogs and cats, reptile breeders, staff exhibiting museum animals, even a guy with a monkey posing for pictures. The petting zoo, horseback rides and photo services vendors are allowed to charge a fee. Lunch, t-shirts and OMNI tickets are provided by the museum to exhibitors, who are always clearly happy to be there. This event is wildly popular and attendance is always excellent. James Nesmith at Lubbock's Science Spectrum/OMNI Theater said, "Daryl takes his show to a level few can reach. Not only is it the most educational animal show we have ever had, but more entertaining and exciting that our visitors would have ever expected! Daryl's participation in our annual "CritterFest" event helped set new records in attendance, sales and membership." He added that the best thing about having so many other things to see and do in addition to the shows is the increased per-guest visit time - translating directly into gift and concession sales. Your headline act must be capable of gentle but effective pitches for giftshop visits and memberships integrated into the performances. A true team player - like me. The Museum of Nature and Science does an annual ReptileFest, formerly called Reptile Weekend, which is more focused on herps. This narrows the scope but the event remains their biggest draw of the year. Snake Encounters shows are presented three times per day, and for six years now, visitors have begun queuing for performances 45 minutes in advance, and every crowd has been capacity. Smaller shows are done by one of the exhibitors as well. Exhibitors must have related animals and are not allowed to sell anything, but the networking, exposure and credibility they derive from the event more than compensate. The museum provides tables, drapes, signage, lunch and bottles of hand cleanser. Participation is enthusiastic. Either way, the concept of inviting interested parties with animals to exhibit can easily increase the scope, media interest, draw power and overall profitability of your animal themed event - with very little additional outlay. Types of exhibitors to consider inviting: Reptile and amphibian breeders Parks and Wildlife agencies Animal rescue organizations Herpetological societies Educational animal shows Animal parks/attractions Pet adoption agencies Nature tour operators Environmental groups Eco-tourism resorts Nature centers Petting zoos Vendor possibilities: Specialty concessions Keepsake photos Animal rides Well, that's it. Hope people find this report useful even if they don't book my show - which indeed you should if they want their event to knock the ball out of the park. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. All the best, Daryl Sprout Herpetological Humorist www.SnakeEncounters.com Comedy. Magic. Snakes. 972-709-8796 c214-912-7730 Science and Nature Museum client list: Sci-Quest, Huntsville, AL Science Spectrum, Lubbock, TX Gulf Coast Exploreum, Mobile, AL Discovery Science Place, Tyler, TX Museum of Natural History, Houston, TX Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, CA Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge, LA International Museum of Art and Science, McAllen, TX Also: Discovery Networks South Texas State Fair Winston Science, Dallas Austin Children's Festival Houston Children' Festival Animal Planet Animal Rescue Tour Market Street Festival, Columbus, MS And of course, Libraries, schools and scouting organizations across Texas!
