Andrew,

The amount that you mention, $6 million, indicates to
me that your institution is attempting to develop this
PDA in-house.

The audio guide companies spend a lot of time on R and
D and live and breath this stuff--they have a lot
expertise in this area that your museum does not. Yes,
it's CAN be an investment to outsource, but it's
doesn't necessarily have to be. Regardless, your costs
won't come anywhere close to approaching $6 million.

It would be difficult to obtain a "cost benefit"
analysis on this subject--there are numerous ways in
which these projects are structured. The answers
you're looking for depend heavily on attendance, the
type of museum, etc. I would suggest you contact
museums with PDAs in use.


--- Andrew Schuricht <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Thanks for the non-answer Yin.
>
> Let me clarify. The XD of a particular museum is
> considering spending
> upwards of $6 million on a PDA-based visitor guide
> under the probably
> mistaken impression that some of this $6 million can
> be recouped by
> increased attendance or the addition of a few
> dollars to the ticket price.
> Personally, I think it's a bad idea but I need some
> hard facts to prove it.
>
> Believe me, I've tried the "educate and inform"
> argument, and he's not
> buying it. If you want to see my 12-page treatise on
> the subject, you're
> certainly welcome.
>
> So, has anyone done a formal study on the costs and
> benefits of a
> technology based visitor guide system? Or is
> "educate and inform" generally
> enough to satisfy the finance people?
>
> -Andy
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Most times, guides are designed to educate and
> inform.
>
> Yin Yoon, Education Manager
> Petersen Automotive Museum
> 6060 Wilshire Boulevard
> Los Angeles, CA 90036
> Phone: 323.964.6347
> Fax: 323.930.6642
> www.petersen.org <http://www.petersen.org>
>
>
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