you might try contacting the dallas symphony.  they used to have (and
probably still do - i don't live there anymore) a very good young
professional's program.

we've tried 'happy hours', with music and hardly anyone came.  so we're back
scratching our heads as well.

one of the things so important about young professionals and getting them
into your organization is that they have the potential to be upper level
donors as their earnings go up (hopefully) with age.

our most successful program, and one we'll try in other forms, was a 'quiz
night.'  the reason it worked well: an informal format, encouraged teams
(thereby you don't have to go cold into a crowd of strangers).  what we
didn't do was target it and young professionals, but that's who came?)


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Liz N.
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 10:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Young Professional Programs


Hi Mike. I am a member of a growing young professional group in Youngstown
Ohio. We currently have over 150 young professionals who hope to defy our
community's brain drain. The cultural institutions in town have thought
about doing something to lure the group into their facilities, but have not
yet made the move. I hate to say it, especially as a trustee of MVP 20/30
(Mahoning Valley Professionals), but if you don't offer some appetizers and
beverages (alcohol), you might not get them, and even then its tough. Our
professionals group has begun to offer a program where we meet once a month
at a cultural institution. It has been shamefully unsuccessful. Maybe 4-6
people per event. We are still going to push it, but I am going to talk to
the cultural institutions again to see if we can try something in
collaboration to attract people in this age group. I think we have to keep
encouraging young people to have a stake in museums and arts organizations.
Its tough though, especially in our community, where the emphasis in regards
to museums has always been that they are a great field trip destination
during your elementary years. This is not intended to discourage you; try to
be creative. I saw that one children's museum has a group called the Young
Professionals Playgroup (they are donors.) Before I forget (which I should
have mentioned earlier), while working for my previous employer, the
Mahoning Valley Historical Society in Youngstown, I developed a group called
YLAB (Young Leaders Advisory Board.) Our goal was to present a 130 year old
society as young and hip. We were pretty successful with our first event,
called History on Tap. We had over 200 people, most of whom had never
visited the Society, or the museum. We made it a very youthful event, and
partnered with a hip university museum, the McDonough Museum of Art at
Youngstown STate. MVHS saw a 10% increase in membership just from that
event, and raised about $5,000. Still, it is a struggle. I am still a member
of YLAB, though I now direct a new children's museum in town. YLAB is
currently focusing on a three-month lecture series, the first of which deals
with the Oscars. Feel free to e-mail me at my personal address to talk more.
Its [log in to unmask] Sorry for the long winded message.

Liz Nohra
Children's Museum of the Valley
Youngstown, OH

>From: Mike Rippy <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Young Professional Programs
>Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 12:53:17 -0500
>
>What type of program does your institutions have for young
>professionals?
>
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