Save the date! Events 2023-2024

The Visitor Studies Group: Championing excellent visitor experiences

The latest news and upcoming events from The Visitor Studies Group (VSG)
To find out more or make a booking please see the events posted below.

Author Archives: Lucy

Save the date! Events 2023-2024

We have a suite of events, socials and networking opportunities this year, free for all VSG members. Most events will be open to non-members as well for a fee, check booking links for details. Tea with VSG dates – Zoom 18th October, 6-7pm – Joint Tea with VSG/Latte with VSA. Book here 20th December, 6-7pm –More

Call for proposals! VSG Conference 2024

We are seeking proposals for our 2024 conference on Friday May 10 at ISH Venues in London. The topic is The cost of culture: measuring barriers affecting the visitor experience Britain is in the middle of a cost of living crisis and audiences are feeling the pinch. Financial restrictions to participation and enjoyment of artsMore

Call for Stories – VSG Newsletter

Do you have an exciting story or news to share with VSG members? We are now sending out VSG Newsletters to members every quarter, and we would like to hear from you. If you have an interesting story or trending news about visitor studies, please get in touch

What is in store for VSG 2023-2024?

This September marked the start of a new term – get to know the Committee here . Our wonderful outgoing Chair from 2020-2023 Jen DeWitt led us through a year of listening at the end of her term and as promised, we have been reflecting on VSG’s next steps. We are very excited to share theMore

VSG Committee Opportunities

Extensions to this deadline have been agreed. Get in touch if you’ve missed the deadline and would like to arrange to send an expression of interest by 4th November. Interested in audience research? Keen to expand your network and skills?  Being a part of the VSG Committee is a great opportunity to develop your skills andMore

On Sale now: VSG Conference Open for all: working towards inclusive practice

Tickets for the 2023 VSG Conference, Open for all: working towards inclusive practice are on sale via Eventbrite here> View the full Conference Programme here> View the Conference Schedule including detailed timings for the day here> Join delegates from the UK cultural sector and beyond to connect, share and reflect on experiences of developing inclusive visitor studies practice.More

Mentee Applications now open

Continuing with the last few years successful Visitor Studies Group Mentorship Programme, we are pleased to announce that we are continuing this offer for 2023 to support emerging audience researchers and anyone who has had audience research responsibilities recently added to their role. First ideated by long-standing VSG members who want to give something backMore

Key Dates for 2023

We’ve got a busy year ahead, here are the key dates you need to know: Mentorship Programme w/c 9 Jan – applications for mentees opens 10 Feb – mentee applications close Conference 18-19 May – Open for all?: Working towards inclusive practice In person at ISH Venues and online, tickets coming soon 16 Jan –More

VSA training event

Surveys 101 WorkshopTuesday, January 10, 2023 | 1:00 pm ET, 10:00 am PTPresenters: Stephen Ashton, Ph.D., Director of Audience Research and Evaluation, Thanksgiving Point Kari Ross Nelson, M.A., M.S., Research and Evaluation Associate, Thanksgiving Point Description: Back by popular demand! Surveys are one of the most widely used and flexible tools used by evaluators. InMore

Conference Bursary

In line with our efforts to be a more inclusive community, each year the Visitor Studies Group offers at least one bursary to support attendance at our annual conference. For our next conference (2023) we will be offering two bursaries. Each covers one full (two-day) ticket for the conference plus £100 towards travel and priorityMore

Call for Proposals now open!

The call for papers for our 2023 conference “Open for all?: Working towards inclusive practice” is now open. The conference will take place 18 & 19 May and will be hybrid – in person at ISH Venues in London, with an online component. The VSG annual conference brings together delegates from the cultural sector and beyondMore

Emma Slater

Emma Slater

EMMA SLATER www.psresearch.co.uk   Services Emma is one half of PS Research, bringing together a blend of quantitative and qualitative research skills to ask the questions that matter and find the answers that make a difference for their clients. Services include: Qualitative research methods Qualitative fieldwork: face-to-face and online methods including online communities, in-depth interviews, focusMore

Virtual Event – Like herding cats: Coordinating evaluation across multiple areas

Virtual Event – Like herding cats: Coordinating evaluation across multiple areas

Wednesday 9th November, 4-5pm Join us for tea as we discuss the challenge of evaluating programmes or projects which involve multiple partners, sites and activities. Such projects can be fraught with difficulty and contention as well as opportunity to support wide-scale change. Kate Measures and Jen DeWitt will begin the session drawing on our experiencesMore

DJS Research Ltd

DJS Research Ltd

 www.djsreseach.co.uk   Services: Audience profiling Formative and summative evaluation Segmentation Member and donor research Stakeholder research Box office and database surveys Desk research and secondary data analysis Market sizing Background: DJS Research Ltd is an independent, UK-based insight consultancy, specialising in research with visitors, the general public, businesses and other stakeholders. We have extensive experience ofMore

Christina Lister

Christina Lister

  www.christinalister.co.uk    Services: visitor research data analysis non-user research and consultation segmentation strategies marketing and audience development strategies workshop facilitation training and mentoring     Speciality: Christina is a marketing and audience development consultant with 16 years’ experience, and specialises in working with museums, heritage sites and cultural venues, including on HLF and ACE-funded projects.More

Ann Nicol

Ann Nicol

 www.heritagepathfinder.co.uk    Services: Audience insights, development and segmentation Learning strategy and programme development Visitor experience and engagement planning Research and consultation Workshop facilitation Training and mentoring Speciality: Ann is a specialist consultant with over 25 years’ experience of supporting natural and cultural heritage sites to engage visitors with their stories.  She brings skills in research, planning,More

Alice Fenyoe

Alice Fenyoe

www.curiouser.me.uk Services: Visitor research Workshop facilitation   Speciality: Curiouser is a small audience insight consultancy specialising in the cultural, heritage and charity sectors. Led by Alice Fenyoe, a qualitative researcher with over 25 years experience, it was founded to provide these sectors with affordable and expert audience insight. Our core specialisms are around the development andMore

WE’RE GROWING! VSG COMMITTEE OPPORTUNITY

The Visitor Studies Group is managed by a committee whose role is to: set the strategic direction for the Group oversee the annual programme of activities represent the Group professionally at conferences and workshops encourage partnership working with like-minded organisations within the UK and from overseas meet four times a year to ensure the needsMore

2021 Virtual Event Series Programme

Join us for a Visitor Studies Group conference with a twist! For 2021 we have created an online event series taking place throughout May bringing together practitioners from the cultural sector and beyond to discuss a variety of themes. We want to explore, discuss, and discover different techniques that we have used in the pastMore

Morris Hargreaves McIntyre

Morris Hargreaves McIntyre

 www.mhminsight.co.uk    Services: Audience and market appraisal Marketing and engagement strategies Psychographic segmentation Digital audience insight Staff and volunteer surveys Database tagging Membership, retail, donor development Visitor journeys and interpretation Exhibition evaluation Brand analysis and development Speciality: Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (MHM) is an audience strategy and insight consultancy working with cultural and heritage organisations to connectMore

Big data toolkit

As part of the VSG 2018 Conference, ‘Big Data, Big Opportunities’, delegates were invited to contribute ideas to a ‘Big Data Toolkit’.  We have compiled notes collected from the conference into the toolkit, which we are sharing with VSG members.  This includes examples of ‘big’ and ‘bigger’ data used in the sector, examples of ‘bigMore

Conference 2018 – Keynotes

We are delighted to have two fantastic keynote speakers joining us at our annual conference in March 2018. Angie Judge, Chief Executive of  Dexibit , market leaders in musedata will discuss the opportunities big data offers for the cultural sector. Presenting provocations and insights from an international perspective, we will hear what that sector can gain from usingMore

Two VSG bursaries open for applications!

We have opened applications to two bursaries that we will be offering in 2018. The Alison James Professional Development Bursary  is open to students and early career professionals.  It provides funds of up to £500 to cover travel, conference registration fees or other related expenses that will further careers or research within visitor studies.  The deadline for applications is ThursdayMore

New VSG & GEM training events!

Training events in Scotland in October   ***Please note that due to low uptake we have been unable to proceed with the workshop scheduled for 16th October*** The Visitor Studies Group has partnered with GEM  to offer two training events in Scotland, ‘The Visitor Studies Survival Kit’. Presenting an overview of qualitative and quantitative research techniquesMore

A survey from VSG

  VSG Member and recent member consultation As a membership group which advocates for audience research, the VSG Committee thought it was time for us to conduct some research of our own to find out what our members and recent members think. In this short survey we invite you to tell us honestly where weMore

Committee member and helpers wanted!

*** UPDATE – this call has now closed.  Thank you to all who expressed interest.  We are looking forward to having new representative on board very soon. *** We are looking to recruit one Member and two Helpers to our committee . Are you passionate about visitor studies and audience research?  Would you like to helpMore