I differ with the following:
 
>Such an old issue. At Laguna Art Museum we researched it--the clear consensus:
>*
>no* food or beverages in galleries with art. Period.
 
I've also responded privately to the original inquirer, and  disagree with
the above sender.  Control, expertise, trust, and cooperation are
*critical*  when serving F&B in a museum setting, but our museum's special
events office  is proof that it can be both profitable and workable.  I've
stayed out of the recent discussions about profits and NFP's, and really
don't want to open that can of worms again, but in our museum "Special
Events" are regarded as an imporant revenue-generator --- along the same
lines that our gift shop is a revenue generator.
 
We have had an active program for doing both private ( corporate and
social) events and museum-related (openings, mixers, funders' dinners)
events for the past 9  years.  I could send anyone a copy of our info
packet by snail-mail if you send me your address.  It's too big to FAX
conveniently.  The packet contains sample contracts, policies and
procedures, fees, caterer guidelines, etc.  I would appreciate it if you
wouldn't ask for  it unless you really want to see it --- it is fairly
large, and this expensive to mail.
 
The bottom line is that our department is extremely profitable for the
museum.  We do "turn-key" events for private clients and provide full
party-planning services (from hiring caterers and managing bars  to
ordering flowers).   We do not charge separately for party-planning --
frannkly, our fees are large enough to justify the museum's investment in
paying for our time, in addition to the fact that we provide the same
services to the museum's internal departments --- membership, development,
etc.   The full-service nature of our office is one reason why we are
successful  --- from both the museum's perspective and the client's
perspective.  We tend to become *extremely*  involved in every event ---
whether the client really  wants us to or not!  Most appreciate our
involvement  because we actually function  as their personal party planner,
which makes their lives a lot easier.  I use our "hands-on" involvement as
a selling point when speaking with clients, when, in fact, from the
museum's perspective our involvement is considerable so that we can
maintain proper controls over each event.
 
The program was controversial at first --- 9 years ago! ---  but our
Special Events Director, has, over time, achieved a high level of trust
with the curatorial staff --- so now they are fairly comfortable with our
procedures  when we serve F&B around art.  We cannot usually serve F&B
around loaned art, unless the work is glazed (e.g.,some photo shows are
OK). If a curator doesn't want to have F&B around the exhibition that
he/she is curating, then we don't.  They make the call.  However, the
museum's director is very supportive of our efforts, and those sorts of
potential disagreements are usally resolved easily --- we are all working
for the same goals, and the curators are aware that our efforts help to pay
for their exhibits.  All revenues produced by the Special Events office go
towards the general operating budget of the museum.
 
Our rules for caterers are extremely comprehensive.  Only the better
caterers in Houston make the list --- the smaller caterers don't have the
insurance we require, and can't execute events to the standards we insist
upon. We  require insurance from both caterers and clients.  Our "mission",
as we see it, is to provide an additional revenue base for the museum
without compromising our primary mission  as a museum --- we can, and do
(to the tune of about 250 events a year) execute events safely around works
of art.  So, we are marketing-driven but are also restrained, as we
*should*  be, by the exigencies of working in a museum environment.
 
My  job is to handle all inquiries for  all outside events --- corporate
and social.  We do wedding receptions, but we do not do wedding ceremonies,
political events, or fundraisers for outside groups.  Another museum in
Houston (the Houston Museum of Natural Science) does, however.  We prefer
to  stay out of those areas.  We are also fairly picky about other kinds of
things --- no high school dances, for instance.
 
So, it can work, and well.  But, the museum has to be willing to commit to
hiring a staff with the expertise to make it work properly.
 
Carol McDavid
Corporate Services Consultant
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77005
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