MSA FORWARD Educational Session Recordings
We are pleased to offer recordings of previous MSA FORWARD educational sessions for purchase. MSA members receive a special discount on all recordings. Available session recordings are listed below; to access, click the link to be taken to the purchase page for that session and follow the steps to purchase. Note: to receive the member discount, active members must be logged into their member account. After purchase, an email to download a PDF containing the link to the recording will be sent to the purchaser.
MSA FORWARD 2022 Sessions
Pricing
Non-Member: $255 for all 19 recordings, or $55 per individual recording
Member: $200 for all 19 recordings, or $40 per individual recording
Conference attendees and exhibitors can access the recordings for free until October 16; a special promo code was sent via email
Sessions included (See descriptions of each session here):
MSA FORWARD VIRTUAL 2021 Sessions
Pricing
Non-Member: $250.00 for all 12 sessions, or $49.99 per individual session
Member: Complimentary
Sessions included (See descriptions of each session here):
- Can You Get More from the ROI in Your Business? (Presenter: Tom Shay, Profits Plus Solutions) – Click here to order–
- Selling in an Age of Pandemic... and Beyond! Best Practices for Creating an Online Store (Presenter: Jay Thomson, Chrysler Museum of Art) – Click here to order
- How to Attract and Hire Great Workers in 2021 (Presenter: Cathy Nagle-Ervin, Retail Training Tools.com) – Click here to order
- Museum Product Photography with a Smartphone (Presenter: David Graveen, Popcorn Custom Products) – Click here to order
- The Psychology of Pricing (Presenter: Robin Cantrill Fenwick, Baker Richards) – Click here to order
- How to Make the Most of Your Time Here Today...and in the Future...with MSA (Presenters: Mary Lind Mahmud, World Finds; Geoffrey Clark Carroll, Original Source; Daedre Berryman, Studio Daedre; Joe Langman, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.; Mackenzie Jeans, Allport Editions Greeting Cards; Katy Murphy, Narrative Material; Ibai Demirdache, Kinzoku Custom; Susan Davis, Grandmother’s Buttons; Mark Wren, Texas Bookman) – Click here to order
- Improving the Ecommerce Customer Experience (Presenter: Lycia Lobo, English Heritage) – Click here to order
- Success with Consignment Vendors: Incorporating Local Artists Into the Store Mix Can Help Build Community Support and Build Store Profits With No Initial Investment (Presenter: Aylin Tito, Boca Raton Museum of Art) – Click here to order
- Wag More, Bark Less – Reducing Negativity in Your Museum Store (Presenter: Karen Purves, innovative impact) – Click here to order
- Inventory Control and the Basics of When, How and What to do with the Information (Presenter: Kevin Natapow, Creative Retail Solutions) – Click here to order
- Building A Digital Catalogue – Panel (Presenters: Michael Higdon, National Building Museum; Eric Huck, Detroit Institute of Arts; Maria Kwong, Japanese American National Museum; Julie Steiner, Barnes Foundation) – Click here to order
- Packing a Punch: The Ins and Outs of Museum Retail Packaging & Collateral. (Presenters: Colleen Higginbotham, Chrysler Museum of Art; Stuart Hata, De Young/Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Sandy Bastone, Prime Line Packaging) – Click here to order
All MSA FORWARD 2019 Sessions
Access all MSA FORWARD 2019 Session Recordings
Non-Member: $250.00
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Sessions included:
- 45 Terrific Retail Tips
- Advanced Financial Assessment II
- Balancing Commemoration and Commercialization: Interpreting Death in Museum Stores
- Buyer and Vendor Partnerships: Beyond the Polite Talk
- Championing Accessibility and Inclusivity for Commercial Excellence
- Creating a Stellar Social Media Strategy on a Shoestring Budget
- Creating an Experience for Your Customer
- Embracing Our Differences: Providing Personalized Service
- Fair Trade: Setting a Legitimate Ethical Standard
- How to Meet the Challenges of a Part-Time Sales Staff
- Let's Talk Museum Store Sunday: The What, Why, How and When to Prepare Your Store
- Leveraging Innovative Resources for Visual Merchandising and Custom Product Development
- Mapping a Merchandise Plan
- Mentorship: Find, Ask, Grow
- On Target: Taking the Guesswork out of Exhibition Catalogue Sales
Balancing Commemoration and Commercialization: Interpreting Death in Museum Stores
Presenter: Vincent Jacot
Knowledge Standards: Customer Relations, Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: After decades of being underutilized by museum administrators, museum stores are increasingly being revitalized as extensions of their institution. This trend, while all around beneficial for most institutions, provokes a pre-existing tension spaces that interpret death operate under; the need to balance commemoration and commercialization. This presentation will use real world examples to illustrate how store design and inventory can impact a visitor's experience at these spaces. It will also offer attendees some strategies to better balance commemoration and commercialization in their spaces.
Buyer and Vendor Partnerships: Beyond the Polite Talk
Presenter: Geoff Carroll, Owner/Founder/President, Original Source; Deirdre Scott, Business Officer, Library of Congress; Michael Guajardo, Director of Retail Operations, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Operations, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: We operate in a hyper-competitive retail marketplace. Both buyers and vendors can dramatically improve the retail experience of museum store visitors by being willing to find new innovative options for increasing each other's effectiveness. We all use the word "partnership" – hear from buyers and vendors about sensible and effective tools for use by both buyers and vendors to add a fresh spark of energy and effectiveness to existing relationships. Buyers and vendors can make each other much more effective. Let's rejuvenate quality relationships by taking a few extra steps and going beyond the polite talk; let's take tangible actions to form effective and lasting partnerships.
Creating a Stellar Social Media Strategy on a Shoestring Budget
Presenter: Luke Burton, Commuter Engagement Manager, Presence.io
Knowledge Standards: Communications
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Amp up your social media game by delving into the latest social media trends, getting to grips with algorithms, and creating captivating content with little-to-no budget. After presenting to rave reviews in 2018, Luke is returning to MSA FORWARD in a session will be designed for you to take home practical tips on improving your social media strategy and have an opportunity for you to ask any burning questions about your own social media accounts.
Embracing our Differences: Providing Personalized Service
Presenter: Colleen Higginbotham; Director of Visitor Services, Chrysler Museum of Art
Knowledge Standard: Customer Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: We've all heard the golden rule, treat everyone as you would like to be treated. This session flips that a bit and focuses on training our staff to test visitors as THEY would like to be treated. This includes welcoming the LGBTQ community, overcoming language barriers, welcoming visitors with disabilities and looking at our own businesses' unique visitor types based on socio economic and psychographic differences as well as preferences on staff interaction and level of museum experience. By varying our approach to each customer, we can facilitate the best possible experiences and in return, the best business.
Fair Trade: Setting a Legitimate Ethical Standard
Presenter: Chris Solt; Executive Director, Fair Trade Federation
Knowledge Standard: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: A clearer picture of fair trade principles, code of practice, and issues in the fair trade movement, all with an emphasis on how attendees can participate or adapt their work to align with fair trade values.
Free Money: The Art and Science of Pricing Merchandise for a Profit
Presenters: Ray McKenzie, Member Emeritus; Andrew Andoniadis, Owner, Andoniadis Retail Services; Eric Huck, Director of Retail Operations, Detroit Institute of Arts; Janice Wrhel, Retail Services Manager, Georgia O'Keefe Museum
Knowledge Standard: Financial Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: How you price your merchandise directly affects your store's bottom line. By not taking the time to look at how your items are priced, your store is missing out on free money. Hear from industry consultants and seasoned buyers about how they have mastered the art and science of pricing, and the impact that's had on their profits. This lively panel discussion will provide real-world success stories and 5 takeaway action items that you can implement in your store.
How to Meet the Challenges of a Part-Time Sales Staff
Presenters: Alice Woods, President, ABW Designs LLC; Laura Murphy, Manager/Buyer, The Preservation Society of Newport County
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Financial Management, Human Resources, Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Learn how to create objectives and then identify and train your staff to meet and exceed those objectives.
Mapping a Merchandise Plan
Presenters: Jan Bannister
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Create a visual road map for your strategic merchandise plan, for the purpose of evaluating products, communicating to your organization, and enlightening your staff.
Mentorship: Find, Ask, Grow
Presenters: Kelli Davis, Store Manager, Science Center of Iowa; Barbara Lenhardt, General Manager/Deputy Chief of Retail, NGA; Patricia Sampson, Manager of Retail Shops & Visual Merchandising, High Museum of Art; Andrew Uchin, Head of Retail, Norton Simon Museum; Phil Zuckerman, President, Applewood Books
Knowledge Standards: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: This session would be on how to identify and ask someone to be your mentor. Also on how to lay the ground work and how to assess and achieve goals set up by the mentorship. This session could also be a starting point for people who want to mentor those in the early stages of their careers.
On Target: Taking the Guesswork out of Exhibition Catalogue Sales
Presenters: Tim Neidert, Book & Media Manager, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Don Henderson, Senior Buyer, National Gallery of Art; Marie du Vaure, Book Buyer, J. Paul Getty Museum; Kieran Whitworth, Manager of Book Buying, Imperial War Museums
Knowledge Standards: Merchandise Planning, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Exhibition catalogues occupy a singular position of importance in museum retail, providing the greatest opportunity for revenue while also directly fulfilling the educational mission of our institutions. Catalogues also pose the greatest challenge, requiring a high level of strategic planning to maximize the highly profitable, but short-lived opportunities presented by special exhibitions while minimizing inventory investment and leftovers. A panel of museum store book buyers will discuss these issues and help equip attendees with the necessary tools to confidently develop their own effective sales and management strategies.
45 Terrific Retail Tips
Presenters: Cathy Nagle-Ervin; Regional Manager-Great Lakes, Eastern National
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Financial Management, Merchandise Planning, Operations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: A 45 minute presentation with one minute each tips on all aspects of retail operations. Attendees will be able to take short one-minute tips and immediately start using the tips in their stores.
Advanced Financial Assessment II: Using the Retail Industry Report to Advocate for Your Store and Your Career
Presenters: Julie Steiner and Kelli Davis
Knowledge Standards: Financial Management, Human Resources, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Use MSA's Retail Industry Report to benchmark your store, ask for a raise, set goals, and improve your standing in your organization.
Avoiding Being Outsourced
Presenters: Ross Beardsley; Director of Retail Operations, Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
Knowledge Standards: Business Relations
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
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Session Description: What does it meant to be outsourced? Who are the major concessionaires? Why is it better for an institution to keep retail operations in-house? Though it's often not your decision, what strategies can you take to keep your job?
Championing Accessibility and Inclusivity for Commercial Excellence
Presenters: Louise Kirby; Director of Operations & People, The Deep
Knowledge Standards: Customer Relations, Business Relations, Strategic Management
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: There are clearly legal requirements regarding accessibility in public places, but organizations can be too quick to categorize service provision for disabled people as just a business obligation rather than an opportunity; many improvements actually then go to provide an inclusive service for all, increasing footfall and sales. The consequence of failing to investigate accessibility and inclusivity can be a greatly missed opportunity. The Deep in Hull would like to share how it has strategically managed accessibility resulting in good practice, experiences and practical examples, growing staff confidence, engagement and job satisfaction, excellence in service delivery standards/customer feedback and commercial expansion through audience reach and new markets.
Creating an Experience for Your Customer
Presenters: Susan Benjamin; Founder, True Treats Candy
Knowledge Standards: Communications, Customer Relations, Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Buying is typically a matter of walking through a store, looking at merchandise and, if all goes well, buying something. But entering a museum gift store should be as engaging and, even, riveting, as the exhibits. Even more, it will drive them to the Web site and other follow-on purchases. To achieve this entails low-to-no cost strategies outlined in the session from telling product stories to creating a visceral, hands-on display. These ideas are based on research indicating why people buy, what input triggers specific responses and more…All while upholding the professionalism of a museum environment.
Creating the Dynamic Museum Store
Presenters: Lisa Uhrik, Co-Owner, Franklin Fixtures
Knowledge Standards: Communications
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: From a physical perspective, what is vital to your store's success? And what is dynamic about your store to the explorers it serves? Lisa Uhrik will share findings and observations drawn from successful museum stores and introduce the concept of timeless pattern languages that are consistently evidenced in successful spaces. Take stock of your strengths and opportunities for learning and discovery as you prepare to better engage and connect with customers while feeding both your sales and your mission.
Let's Talk Museum Store Sunday: The What, Why, How and When to Prepare Your Store
Presenters: Erin Brown, Marissa Jones Issa, Susan Tudor, Stuart Hata, Angela Colasanti, Cara Storm
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: Learn how to create and implement a successful marketing and sales strategy that communicates to your patrons, the importance and value of your museum store on Museum Store Sunday and beyond.
Leveraging Innovative Resources for Visual Merchandising and Custom Product Development
Presenters: Jay Thomson; Barnes Shop Assistant Manager, The Barnes Foundation
Knowledge Standards: Merchandise Planning
Non-Member: $49.99
Member: Complimentary
Click here to access
Session Description: By leveraging the power, speed, and low minimum investment of new technologies, services, and vendor marketplaces, MSA members can effectively compete against traditional retail stores. Using the resources and techniques learned in this session, attendees will offer truly unique products that will enhance and extend the visitor experience well beyond the initial trip to the museum.