Storie Shop in Paris: The ideal retail experience

Yes, that's a strong statement. And of course, it wouldn't be everyone's ideal retail experience. But let me tell you why I loved this shop so much (and spent so much money in it).

 Lovely signage and appealing merchandise, things I had never seen anywhere else, led me in. It turned out that the shop had just opened that weekend, and the owner was still setting up, waiting for merchandise, and figuring things out. We didn't care, returning three times before we found them open.

 She has an innate knack for display, using found objects in a truly creative way.

 I loved how the objects were juxtaposed in seemingly random ways. For me, it worked.

 I loved the little stories she wrote on each tag.

If you're in Paris, you don't want to miss this store! It's near Blvd. Montparnasse in the 6th, about 2 blocks from the Vavin station (Métro line #4), 20 Rue Delambre.

Sunday's Signpost

Just in case you thought those museum stickers were purely an American problem. This is exiting the Rodin Museum (Museé Rodin) in Paris.

Customer communication at Heathrow International Airport

A big thumbs-up to Heathrow, which has clearly thought through their entire customer experience and worked hard to make your time there pleasant. In fact, I was actually sorry we didn't have a longer layover, as the shopping and dining options were pretty fabulous. I especially wanted to try Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food restaurant. Maybe next time.

There is messaging throughout the transit through Heathrow, and even before you get there. When we got our boarding passes in Paris, the envelope contained clear instructions how to navigate through Heathrow. I was also impressed by these signs, showing the latest customer survey results.

I would love to see museums showing their visitor satisfaction survey results in such a transparent way.

Sunday's Signpost

They really do value their mimes in France!

I wasn't able to get a picture of this sign, which totally cracked me up. This is what the wifi instructions at Charles de Gaulle Airport said:

1. Obtenez vos codes d'acces
2. Connectez-vous
3. Surfez

:)

I'm going to Hawai'i and you should too

There is truly a once-in-a-lifetime museum conference coming up September 23-26, 2011, and I hope you have already bought your ticket and made your hotel reservations. Yes, I'm on the program committee and therefore a bit biased about the great sessions, like one on "Creating the Best Experience: Museums & Guest Service" that I might be a part of. Or not. You'll have to come and find out. They've run the numbers and it's no more expensive overall than any other conference you might attend. How can you miss it?

Still on the fence? Did you know that the Pacific Islands Museums Association will also be there? And the Hawai'i Museums Association? And the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums? Think of all the super-cool people you will meet, have conversations with, and who might invite you to visit their museum in Fiji! What other conference will kick off with a welcome and blessing from all the native peoples attending? And where else...

Does the view from every hotel room look like this? (And this is the "bad" side.)

Can you attend sessions in THE most beeootiful convention center I have ever seen?

THIS is a convention center? Be still my heart!

Can you attend an evening event in a stunning mid-century modern masterpiece like Liljestrand House?

Or have dinner in a traditional Japanese tea house?

What other conference can guarantee that you will get lei'd at least once?

Hope to see you in Honolulu on September 23rd!

Sunday's Signpost

I stay at this hotel about once a month. This time I finally turned the sheet over and left a suggestion. It's nice way to show that you want feedback from guests.

Conner Prairie: Interview with Jim Willaert

Learn how Conner Prairie moved from typical interpretation, featuring a "monologue" to a visitor-center approach. This can apply to any kind of museum, park, zoo, historic house, or garden. For more videos from Conner Prairie, visit my YouTube page. My thanks to Conner Prairie for hosting me.

Sunday's Signpost

I noticed that each door had a different, friendly greeting. Does your museum?

Conner Prairie: Interview with Iris O'Donnell

Hear first-hand from a 12-year-old first-person interpreter at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. For more videos from Conner Prairie, visit my YouTube page.

Locals vs. tourists: workshop in Hawai'i on September 23, 2011

Entry monument, Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

For museums in the Pacific Rim, it’s often challenging to create programs and services that meet the needs of both locals and tourists. This engaging half-day workshop will give you a framework upon which to build vital programs that attract the local audience, while helping you streamline your visitor service offerings for the important tourist market.

Mary Kay Cunningham of Dialogue Consulting and Wendy Meluch of Visitor Studies Services, along with yours truly will give you practical tools you can use back home. Breakout sessions will utilize the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to help you apply what you've learned to your site. Professionals from 'Iolani Palace and Mission Houses Museum have been using one of the tools and will report on their experience this past summer and how it is impacting their planning.

Flag, Arizona Memorial

Shuttle buses will be available in the morning; come early and spend time at Pearl Harbor before the workshop.

Register now!

Date: Friday, September 23, 2011 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (HST)

Location: Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

Price: $25.00