The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum

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The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum

• Presented by
• Caitlin Bujnoch
• Heather Buras
• Luke Cochran
• Robin Cochran
• Alicia Dobson
• Shara Tscheulin

MKT 650 Dr. Beth LaFleur Summer 2008
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Vision Statement

• The vision of the John C. Robinson Mississippi
  Aviation Museum is to become a historical and
  educational institution that inspires all to
  reach their greatest potential.

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Mission Statement

• The mission of the John C. Robinson Mississippi
  Aviation Museum is to establish and maintain a
  historical and educational account of John C.
  Robinson and all other Mississippians who played
  a role in aviation and space pioneering. The JCR
  Museum aspires to establish an accurate and
  relevant holding of oral histories, documents,
  and artifacts showing the heroics of everyone
  involved in creating this heritage. The JCR
  Museum wishes to bring hope to all that ordinary
  individuals can lead extraordinary lives.

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Board of Directors

• Dr. James Pat Smith, Gulfport (President)
• Ms. Lee T. Barnes, Gulfport (Vice President)
• Mr. Sidney Rushing, Gulfport (Secretary)
• Charles Dubra, Gulfport
• Jim Foster, Gulfport
• Mr. Francisco Gonzales, Biloxi
• Ms. Rosemary Roosa, Gulfport
• Mr. Roland Weeks, Biloxi
• Mr. Thomas Simmons, Gulfport
• Mr. Gene Warr, Gulfport
• Ms. Dorothy McEwen, Long Beach
• Ms. Deborah McGhee, Gulfport

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Background for the Study

• Ideas for theme of the museum include
• John C. Robinson
• Mississippi aviators, aviation heroes and
  astronauts
• Roscoe Turner, Jesse Brown, Key Brothers
• Fred Haise, Donald Peterson, Richard Truly
• Gulf Coast aviators
• Regional aviators
• Wiley Post, Ben Howard

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Proposed Location

• 5 acres within a close proximity to the
  Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport
• Advantages
• Runway access for air shows
• Special events
• Disadvantages
• Distance from casinos
• Commuter congestion of Hwy 49

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Statement of Research Problems/Opportunities

• The Board of Directors needs assistance with
• Projecting revenues
• Projecting costs
• Determining project feasibility
• Fundraising
• Identifying recommendations

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Research Design and Methodology for the Study

• Exploratory Research
• Academic literature reviews
• Phone, personal and email interviews
• Inquiry method
• Qualitative method

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Target Market

• Tourists to the Mississippi Gulf Coast
• Southeast region, average age of 50 years,
  average of 2 children, average annual household
  income of 61,800
• Veterans of the Armed Forces
• Aviation, average age of 78 years
• Schools on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
• Students and teachers
• Organizations affiliated with Mississippi
  heritage or aviation themes

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Museum Market in the U.S.
The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Market Segmentation

• Segment 1- Tourists to the MS Gulf Coast
• Of the 3.6 million visitors to the Gulf Coast in
  2007, 84, or 3,024,000 visitors visit on
  leisure/ personal trips

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Market Segmentation

• Segment 2- Veterans of the Armed Forces
• 9,145 retired veterans of all branches of the
  Armed Forces within a 50 mile radius of Keesler
  Air Force Base
• Also includes
• Air National Guard retirees
• 38,000 Tuskegee Airmen alumni
• 1,000 original Tuskegee Airmen
• John C. Robinson, The Brown Condor

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Market Segmentation

• Segment 3- Schools on the MS Gulf Coast
• Public School Sector
• 161 public schools
• 82,432 students
• 4,347 teachers
• Private School Sector
• 29 private schools
• 5,916 students
• 377 teachers

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Market Segmentation

• Segment 4- Affiliates of organizations associated
  with MS aviation its heritage

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Total Estimated Market Potential
The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Market Needs

• MS Gulf Coast is well-developed destination
  tourist market
• Growing need for more diverse attractions
• Appeal to wider populations
• Families with children
• Cultural tourists seeking educational experiences
• Opportunity for success
• Hurricane Katrina
• Local interest in aviation

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Market Trends

• Museum management
• Collections stewardship
• Education
• Marketing/ Public relations
• Development
• Operations
• Fundraising
• An emphasis on technology at the forefront of
  this evolution

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Market Trends

• Interactive exhibits
• Simulations, theatrical exhibits (IMAX),
  interpretive signage, static exterior exhibits
• Collections stewardship
• Reflected Energy Matching, Microclimate
  control, Plug-and-Play exhibit cases
• Going Green
• Business partnerships

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Strategy Implementation Summary

• Focus to Educate and Inspire
• Educational Setting
• Accurate and Relevant Historical Accounts
• Inspirational Atmosphere
• Build a Relationship-Oriented Business
• Create Long-Term Business Relationships
• Intense Direct-Mail Marketing Program
• Special Events

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Business Partnerships

• Provide a critical opportunity to gain access to
  valuable resources that otherwise might not have
  been discovered.
• Shared Costs
• Shortened Schedules
• Enhanced Expertise
• Expanded Visibility Awareness
• Potential Alliances
• MS Dept. of Archives History
• MS Dept. of Transportation
• MS Heritage Trust
• Cultural Heritage Tourism Alliance
• National Trust for Historic Preservation

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Marketing Strategy

• Discounts
• Family, Group, Student, Military, Veteran, Casino
  Cardholders, etc.
• Package Sales
• Local Museums, Casinos, Malls, Water Parks, etc.
• Coupons
• Airline e-Tickets, Hotel Receipts, Website,
  Company Flyers, Rental Car Receipts, etc.
• Special Attractions
• Flyovers, Rocket Tests, Air Shows, Special Guest,
  Educational Lectures, etc.

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Marketing Strategy

• Special Pricing Days
• Veterans Day, Memorial Day, International Museum
  Day, Mississippi Culture Heritage Month, The
  National Aviation Day, etc.
• Advertising
• Newspapers, Flyers (Located at Hotels, Gas
  Stations, Airport, Car Rental Counters, etc.)
  Special Interest Magazines, Pertinent Websites,
  etc.
• Transportation Partnerships
• Partnerships with CTA and Local Cab Drivers to
  Direct Tourist, as well as, Locals to the Museum.

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Initial Fundraising

• Critical to identify potential donors
• Museums are built by a small number of large
  gifts and operated by a large number of small
  gifts.
• -Stephen Watson

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Fundraising Strategy

• Memberships
• Direct Mail
• Visitors Donations
• Corporate Sponsorships
• Naming Rights
• Special Events
• Air Shows
• Conferences
• Industrial / Educational Lectures
• Endowment

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Initial Projection Resources

• Mr. Stephen Watson
• V.P and C.O.O. , D-Day Museum, New Orleans, LA
• Mr. John McFarland
• Director of Marketing, SunHerald, Biloxi, MS
• Income Tax Returns (990s)
• Museums of Interest

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Revenue Projections

• Museum Categories
• Small Scale Aviation Museums
• Mid-Scale Aviation Museums
• Large Scale Aviation Museums
• Local Museums
• Projections derived from
• Local Museums
• Mid-Scale Aviation Museums

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Discrepancies Found

• Hurricane Katrina
• Larger Contributions from donors
• Larger expenses for rebuilding
• No revenues from sales or admissions
• For research purposes financials were used from
  previous years

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Average Annual Revenues

• Estimated Potential Yearly Revenue of 516,127

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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10 Growth Over 7 Years
The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Average Annual Expenses

• Estimated Potential Yearly Expenses of 660,061

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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12 Month Cost Projection

• Other Expenses Include Consulting Fees,
  Advertising Fees, Insurance, Memberships,
  Maintenance, etc.

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Start-Up Costs
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Conclusions Recommendations

• To be successful, it is necessary to appeal to
  and achieve the highest market share possible,
  which can be accomplished by
• Expanding theme/ subject matter of museum
• Choosing a well-positioned location
• Access, proximity to other attractions, room for
  special attractions (ie. Air Shows), room for
  expansion
• Capitalizing on innovative technologies

The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum
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Conclusions and Recommendations

• Creating a strong family-oriented atmosphere with
  a focus on being historical, educational and
  inspirational
• Identifying potential loyal donors
• Initiated by Board of Directors
• Building strong business partnerships

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Conclusions and Recommendations

• All of the researched data concludes that
  achieving each of these recommended elements will
  facilitate the proposed museums ability to
  succeed as a revenue-generating educational
  institution.

The John C. Robinson Aviation Museum
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The John C. Robinson Mississippi Aviation Museum