>We're trying to decide on a visitor incentive for filling out an exit
>survey.  We've decided not to do food or drink for logistical reasons.
>Right now our two top choices are:
>1) visitor is entered into a drawing and winner has the choice of a museum
>membership or $50 worth of merchandise from the museum store
>
>2) visitor immediately receives one free voucher, for use any other time,
>for both the exhibits and the Omnitheater film

Because both of these incentives are musuem-experience related, you must
realize that you'd be creating bias in the response profile? People who had
a positive experience at your facility will be more likely to fill the thing
out and return it to you because they're the only ones interested in winning
a membership, museum merchandise, or getting a voucher for a return trip. If
someone had a negative experience, they may not be motivated to complete and
return the survey...you might be missing out on some important data.

You'll run into this kind of problem in various permutations no matter
*what* incentive you offer. But have you considered getting one of your
sponsors (especially someone who manufactures or sells consumer goods, or
perhaps a restaurant) to donate a $50 voucher for their services for a prize
drawing? Or a coupon if you wanted to go with that immediate reward for all
respondents thing...

Rachel E. Hull
Bolz Center for Arts Administration
UW-Madison School of Business