Post by Ron Walker on Sept 7, 2022 11:48:22 GMT -7
Posted by: moonmagic Aug 3 2015, 06:43 PM
There have always been "seasonal" trends and an ebb and flow to planetarium attendance.
Part of the cycle is the summer vacation season and the start of a new school year.
People tend to shy away from "routine" in summers and get back to business in the fall.
I've also suspected that people generally do less long range planning of their schedule of "free-time"
than in times past, and thus make more last-minute unplanned decisions of how to spend their time.
You work harder and more than some of the people who do this as a full-time job.
Keep it light and fun as usual, and don't forget that even you deserve a break as you have many other
interests and hobbies that also deserve some of your time. Fortunately THIS hobby offers a great deal
of variety...which is one of the things that has always appealed to me about it.
A downturn in attendance is NEVER personal. It is just part of a cycle.
With the exception of perhaps the 5-6 largest planetariums in MAJOR cities, the MAJORITY of 30, 40, and 50 foot theaters
present many shows to audiences of less than 10 people. As you mentioned that feels very awkward to a live presenter
and make him wonder if he is the cause. I say no. Just as a movie theater with only 2 people in the whole theater.
I personally have sat in the big Zeiss V (Atlanta/Fernbank Science Center) which the last time I was there still had
nearly 500 seats in a circular pattern (70' dome). There were two of us, plus the presenter. At the time their shows were
mostly live for the general public. The "Astronomer" gave a very solid presentation and didn't skip things to try to get the
show over with in a hurry. I was impressed not by so much of what he said and showed, but the basic professionalism of
the "show must go on." We didn't feel slighted. Again, that is still a BIG room with only 3 people!
I also needed to reflect on the "mission" of that planetarium installation. It is owned by the local School System and its primary purpose is to host
school shows for school children from THAT county. Those shows are big affairs and many are near capacity. Thus, they serve their
mission VERY well. Public shows are just more of a side-line.
This is perhaps another reason why you may want to develop some shows for small school groups like you mentioned, private schools, however as mentioned before one always has to consider liability issues, especially with young people, but if you insist of adequate parental supervision for every 4-5 elementary aged persons, you might find this even more gratifying.
As long as you honor the old rule of giving a show for one, just as you would if the room were full. That word of mouth travels very well. Meanwhile you can always look at a less than average attendance as a good time to practice your presentation skills AND to engage participation with the smaller audience. Let them hold the pointer and show you the constellations. They will love that!
Also IMHO, If you have advertised a start time, stick to it. Don't wait for late arrivals has always been a good rule of thumb, as those who managed to arrive at the designated time deserve to have the event start on time.
As always, KEEP having FUN! mm
There have always been "seasonal" trends and an ebb and flow to planetarium attendance.
Part of the cycle is the summer vacation season and the start of a new school year.
People tend to shy away from "routine" in summers and get back to business in the fall.
I've also suspected that people generally do less long range planning of their schedule of "free-time"
than in times past, and thus make more last-minute unplanned decisions of how to spend their time.
You work harder and more than some of the people who do this as a full-time job.
Keep it light and fun as usual, and don't forget that even you deserve a break as you have many other
interests and hobbies that also deserve some of your time. Fortunately THIS hobby offers a great deal
of variety...which is one of the things that has always appealed to me about it.
A downturn in attendance is NEVER personal. It is just part of a cycle.
With the exception of perhaps the 5-6 largest planetariums in MAJOR cities, the MAJORITY of 30, 40, and 50 foot theaters
present many shows to audiences of less than 10 people. As you mentioned that feels very awkward to a live presenter
and make him wonder if he is the cause. I say no. Just as a movie theater with only 2 people in the whole theater.
I personally have sat in the big Zeiss V (Atlanta/Fernbank Science Center) which the last time I was there still had
nearly 500 seats in a circular pattern (70' dome). There were two of us, plus the presenter. At the time their shows were
mostly live for the general public. The "Astronomer" gave a very solid presentation and didn't skip things to try to get the
show over with in a hurry. I was impressed not by so much of what he said and showed, but the basic professionalism of
the "show must go on." We didn't feel slighted. Again, that is still a BIG room with only 3 people!
I also needed to reflect on the "mission" of that planetarium installation. It is owned by the local School System and its primary purpose is to host
school shows for school children from THAT county. Those shows are big affairs and many are near capacity. Thus, they serve their
mission VERY well. Public shows are just more of a side-line.
This is perhaps another reason why you may want to develop some shows for small school groups like you mentioned, private schools, however as mentioned before one always has to consider liability issues, especially with young people, but if you insist of adequate parental supervision for every 4-5 elementary aged persons, you might find this even more gratifying.
As long as you honor the old rule of giving a show for one, just as you would if the room were full. That word of mouth travels very well. Meanwhile you can always look at a less than average attendance as a good time to practice your presentation skills AND to engage participation with the smaller audience. Let them hold the pointer and show you the constellations. They will love that!
Also IMHO, If you have advertised a start time, stick to it. Don't wait for late arrivals has always been a good rule of thumb, as those who managed to arrive at the designated time deserve to have the event start on time.
As always, KEEP having FUN! mm