Targeted Cultural Experiences

INTRODUCTION

This report explores how existing data can be used to develop a co-creation process and design relevant interpretation and engagement activities for the underrepresented target group, “couples without children”, at Mark – Billund Municipal Museums.The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces’ National User Survey, which maps users of state-recognised museums and their levels of satisfaction, is conducted annually by Rambøll. Based on these data, Mark – Billund Municipal Museums and Rambøll have worked together to explore new ways of extracting information from the existing dataset. These data extracts are analysed using Destination Trekantområdet’s segment descriptions of the target group. On this basis, a framework has been developed for a co-creation process involving the target group, which will further contribute to developing and refining relevant interpretation and engagement activities. The report consists of three sub-studies.The first sub-study is a preliminary study based on existing data from Destination Trekantområdet, experience-based data from Mark – Billund Municipal Museums, and data from the National User Survey. The second sub-study focuses on developing a process design that can be used to explore motivations and preferences through a workshop. The third and final sub-study proposes a framework and content for an interpretation and engagement offer aimed specifically at “couples without children”.

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF EXISTING DATA 2022

The purpose of the preliminary study is to establish a basis for designing the co-creation process, including refining the framework for the workshop with the selected target group. The preliminary study draws on existing data from Destination Trekantområdet produced by Group NAO and Epinion, experience-based data from Billund Municipal Museums, and data from the National User Survey from 2017 onwards.

DESTINATION TREKANTOMRÅDET

This section describes existing data from Destination Trekantområdet relating to the target group of couples/adults without children. A study of the segment conducted by Epinion in collaboration with the Confederation of Danish Industry is based on the 2020 report Sådan oplever danskerne (“How Danes Experience”). Based on interviews with 5,000 Danish cultural consumers, the report identifies a total of 11 different segments and examines their market potential across a range of cultural and leisure experiences, including museums, theatres, concerts, libraries and cultural centres.The report divides visitors into different experience segments, including relaxation, adrenaline and excitement, immersion and learning, and open-minded and creative. Epinion’s study clearly indicates that:• People who enjoy art and design are also interested in history and culture.• People who enjoy active and action-oriented experiences also tend to enjoy outdoor activities. However, the reverse is not necessarily true, as a large proportion of the outdoor segment prefers peaceful experiences in nature.• Gastronomy appeals broadly to the “adults without children” segment. However, while fine dining, such as Michelin-starred restaurants, attracts many people within the segment, it does not appeal to everyone.

GLOBAL TRENDS

Tourism trend analysts Group NAO have examined the latest trends in tourism consumption among adults without children, both in Denmark and internationally. Their findings were summarised in a number of key themes describing what this segment values, including escapism, meaning, positive impact and leaving a positive footprint.

ESCAPISM

Time is increasingly perceived as a luxury. People seek closeness, nature and time together, allowing them to disconnect completely from the constant distractions and obligations of everyday life. The experience does not need to involve extravagant luxury, but it should certainly be comfortable – sometimes referred to as relaxury. Slow travel is another concept associated with this trend, and opportunities for learning are particularly attractive.

MEANING

Meaning is created together and through communities built around shared interests. These may take many forms: foodies brought together by an interest in good food, cycling, birdwatching, climate action or diving. Someone from Fredericia may discover that they have more in common with someone from Munich who shares their interests than with their own neighbour.

POSITIVE IMPACT AND FOOTPRINT

This is increasingly associated with sustainable development. More and more people find meaning in helping to leave the planet in good condition for future generations. They want to travel sustainably – and may even wish to make an active contribution as part of their holiday. Sustainability can therefore become a driver of development, transforming an experience from something meaningful for the visitor into something meaningful for both the visitor and the destination.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability can therefore become a driver of development: moving from experiences that are meaningful for the visitor to experiences that create value for both the visitor and the destination.

SEGMENTS RELEVANT TO THE STUDY

Group NAO and Epinion identified five segments relevant to this study in Sammen bygger vi fremtidens Destination (“Together We Build the Destination of the Future”).

These are:

Classic Culture: Traditional educational and enriching experiences that put things into perspective and encourage reflection.

Socialising and Relaxation: Above all, experiences should give me the opportunity to unwind and spend time with the people closest to me. They should be fun and enjoyable without demanding too much of me.

Adrenaline and Excitement: I lead an active life, do many different things and love experiences involving speed, excitement and physical activity.

Immersion and Learning: I have specific interests that guide my choice of experiences. Experiences should give me the opportunity to immerse myself in and expand my knowledge of my areas of interest.

Open-minded and Creative: I am explorative and open to experimental and unique experiences. I want experiences to teach me something new, but in an engaging and creative way.

CLASSIC CULTURE

This is a relatively highly educated and slightly older segment that seeks out – as the name suggests – classic cultural experiences. They particularly enjoy visiting art and design museums and history museums, where they feel intellectually stimulated and can pursue traditional cultural enrichment. They may also attend events or exhibitions at libraries and cultural centres and frequently go to the theatre or concerts.

The segment loves temporary exhibitions with a degree of novelty and likes to keep up to date and be intellectually challenged by subjects they knew little about beforehand. Conversely, they often reject experiences they regard as too “popular”. Experiences should not be overly experimental either – and certainly not overly interactive.

The value of the experience may lie entirely in the experience itself or unfold through reflective dialogue with a partner or friends who share similar preferences. They also enjoy individual reflection through literature or while walking around a town and observing the architecture. They follow politics and take an intellectual interest in societal developments but rarely become involved as volunteers or activists.

SOCIALISING AND RELAXATION

The “Socialising and Relaxation” segment consists predominantly of women. It spans a wide range of age groups, and many people in the segment have vocational qualifications or short- to medium-cycle higher education.

When choosing experiences, it is important that they provide an opportunity to come together socially around something fun and enjoyable that allows them to unwind. This might, for example, be going to the cinema, visiting a theme park or eating at a welcoming family restaurant.

The segment enjoys music, films and television series as ways of relaxing. They are likely to prefer an entertaining film or a good pop song to opera or experimental jazz. They are also interested in diet and health and often enjoy fitness and similar activities.

However, it is not essential that an experience matches a specific interest about which they can learn more, nor does it necessarily have to provide opportunities for creative expression. Neither is a goal in itself, but if an interest or creative element can become a focal point for social interaction, it can work very well. Compared with the other segments, the sustainability profile of an attraction is relatively unimportant to this group.

ADRENALINE AND EXCITEMENT

“Adrenaline and Excitement” is a younger segment with an overrepresentation of men and a mixed educational profile. Some have children, while others have only recently finished upper secondary school and are moving on to the next stage of their lives. What they have in common is an active lifestyle.

The segment is characterised by wanting to do many different things. When choosing experiences, however, they tend to select high-energy activities, preferably involving physical participation.

They particularly seek an adrenaline rush in theme parks, while physical activity may involve taking part in sporting events or going swimming. These activities allow them to pursue their general interest in sport, training and exercise, often combined with an interest in gadgets and technology, such as heart-rate monitors and cycling computers.

They are happy to share their experiences and achievements on social media, which is also an important source of inspiration for their own choice of experiences. The segment has a moderate interest in the sustainability profiles of attractions and does not necessarily hold particularly strong views on the subject. However, this is the segment in which the largest proportion regard experience providers as more credible than politicians when communicating about sustainability.

IMMERSION AND LEARNING

The “Immersion and Learning” segment is relatively highly educated and primarily guided by personal interests when choosing experiences. They pursue specific interests – including history, science and politics – at libraries, museums, lectures and debates.

They enjoy experiences in which they learn something new – but preferably something new within an existing field of interest. Although learning is important to them, they also want to be able to relax. They prefer to understand the “codes” of an experience and not be exposed to something excessively experimental.

Despite the segment’s considerable interest in science and learning, science and learning centres are not necessarily particularly attractive to them. They tend not to favour experiences built around interactive elements, instead preferring more traditional forms of interpretation. They are also accustomed to slower, more in-depth learning through books, particularly non-fiction.

Compared with the other segments, “Immersion and Learning” is not especially concerned with the sustainability profiles of attractions. This does not mean they consider the subject unimportant; it is simply not generally one of their primary interests.

OPEN-MINDED AND CREATIVE

This is a younger and relatively highly educated segment. Above all, it is characterised by a preference for experimental and creative experiences, which it seeks out more than any other segment.

Experimental and creative elements are found across many types of attractions, but particularly at museums that use interactive forms of interpretation, allowing visitors to engage all their senses and perhaps even feel that they are helping to create something themselves.

Many people in this segment are interested in drawing or painting, although creative activity can also take place in a scientific context, for example at science and learning centres.

The segment is also keen to discover unusual and unique experiences that are not widely known. New attractions and temporary exhibitions are welcome, but preferably not if they have become too widely known, as becoming “mainstream” diminishes some of their appeal.

Of all the segments, this is the one most concerned with the sustainability profile of attractions. Its members are particularly interested in cultural and experience providers taking a more active role in the sustainability debate.

PRELIMINARY STUDY

THE NATIONAL USER SURVEY

This section describes data from the National User Survey relating to the target group of couples/adults without children. Since 2017, the National User Survey has been conducted at all state-recognised museums in Denmark, with Rambøll operating the survey.

With assistance from Rambøll, data were extracted from a total of 221,655 respondents, of whom 69,302 fall within the “adults without children” target group.

The data extracts compare Billund Municipal Museums with the museums achieving the highest Net Promoter Scores (NPS). The three highest-ranking museums are Give-Egnens Museum, Tirpitz and Moesgaard Museum. The following sections describe the areas in which these museums receive particularly high ratings from the target group.

COMPARISON OF NPS SCORES

Billund Municipal Museums has an NPS of 67.7. Of the three highest-ranking museums, Moesgaard Museum scores 12.8 points higher, Give-Egnens Museum 12.5 points higher and Tirpitz 11.2 points higher.

COMPARISON OF THE MUSEUMS’ OFFERINGS

Respondents were asked to rate their experience on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 was “Very poor” and 10 was “Very good”.

Looking at the use of digital media, Moesgaard and Tirpitz score 1.9 and 1.7 points higher respectively than Billund Municipal Museums. This is probably because our digital offering is very limited compared with those two museums.

In terms of opportunities to learn something new, Give-Egnens Museum and Tirpitz score just over half a point higher, while Moesgaard Museum scores a full point higher than us. The three museums also score approximately half a point higher for their exhibitions.

Billund Municipal Museums, however, scores higher for the opportunity to participate actively.

COMPARISON OF VISITOR ACTIVITIES

Respondents were asked: “What have you done at the museum today?”

The largest differences compared with the two larger museums are found in “watched films and other visual presentations”, which is consistent with Billund Municipal Museums’ limited digital offering.

Another difference is “listened using an audio guide or portable device”, probably for the same reason. “Read shorter and/or longer texts in or about the exhibitions” also differs considerably from the three highest-ranking museums.

Respondents at Billund Municipal Museums were more likely than those at the top three museums to have “talked to museum staff about the exhibition”, “talked to other visitors about the exhibition” – although Give-Egnens Museum scores highest on this parameter – and “participated in workshops”.

COMPARISON OF VISITOR MOTIVATION TYPES

Respondents were asked which statements best described their reasons for visiting museums that day and could select multiple answers.

Among Billund Municipal Museums and the three highest-ranking museums, it is particularly clear that visitors to the two larger museums, Tirpitz and Moesgaard, are motivated by “curiosity and learning something new”, as well as by “experiencing something” and “focusing on what catches their attention”.

Visitors to Billund Municipal Museums are more likely to come in order to “relax and recharge”, because they are “accompanying others”, or because of a “specific professional or academic interest”.

First-time visitors are particularly interesting because their experience is not influenced by previous visits. Billund Municipal Museums has significantly fewer first-time visitors than the three highest-ranking museums. Many visitors return at least once every six months. Tirpitz has the largest proportion of new visitors, followed by Moesgaard and then Give-Egnens Museum.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS – COMPARISON OF THE MUSEUMS’ OFFERINGS

Among first-time visitors, Moesgaard and Tirpitz score 2.7 and 2.9 points higher respectively than Billund Municipal Museums for the use of digital media. Again, this is probably due to our comparatively limited digital offering.

For the “opportunity to learn something new”, Moesgaard Museum scores 1.2 points higher than us, Tirpitz 1 point higher and Give-Egnens Museum 0.8 points higher.

All three museums also score higher for their exhibitions. Billund Municipal Museums scores highly for the “opportunity to be in a pleasant place”, although Give-Egnens Museum scores 0.6 points higher.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS – COMPARISON OF VISITOR ACTIVITIES

The largest differences compared with the two larger museums are again found in “watched films and other visual presentations”, as is the case for the overall target group of adults without children.

The same applies to “listened using an audio guide or portable device” and “read shorter and/or longer texts in or about the exhibitions”.

Respondents at Billund Municipal Museums were more likely than respondents at the top three museums to have “talked to other visitors about the exhibition” and “talked to museum staff about the exhibition”, although Give-Egnens Museum again scores highest on the latter parameter.

Participation in workshops and guided tours is another area in which Billund Municipal Museums scores higher than Tirpitz and Moesgaard, while Give-Egnens Museum has a higher proportion of respondents who have participated in guided tours.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS – COMPARISON OF VISITOR MOTIVATION TYPES

For first-time visitors to Billund Municipal Museums, the most common motivation is accompanying other people, although Give-Egnens Museum scores 24 percentage points higher on this parameter.

A significant proportion also visit Billund Municipal Museums because of a specific professional or academic interest. Another motivation is creating a good experience for the people they are visiting with. Give-Egnens Museum scores five percentage points higher on this parameter.

Among Billund Municipal Museums and the three highest-ranking museums, it is particularly evident that visitors to the two larger museums, Tirpitz and Moesgaard, are motivated by curiosity and learning something new and, to a lesser extent, by experiencing something and focusing on what catches their attention.

FIRST-TIME VISITORS – COMPARISON OF NPS SCORES

Billund Municipal Museums has an NPS of 37.0 among first-time visitors. Moesgaard Museum scores 40.6 points higher, Tirpitz 40.0 points higher and Give-Egnens Museum 35.1 points higher.

QUALITATIVE DATA FROM 2017 TO THE PRESENT – HOW CAN WE IMPROVE YOUR MUSEUM EXPERIENCE?

The qualitative data below consist of selected comments from adults without children who visited Billund Municipal Museums from 2017 onwards. Data from 2020 are excluded because the museum participated in a pilot project that year.

Examples of responses include:

• 2018: “By having more digital or physical posters and explanations about the place and its history.”

• 2018: “Make it bigger so that it can compete better with other open-air farm museums around the country. I think it is too small and uneventful. I would like it to feel more alive – it was good to see a pig being slaughtered – with things such as role play, more inclusive guided tours and more stands featuring things associated with old farm museums. Perhaps something Halloween-inspired during the autumn half-term. Otherwise, the open farm and exhibition showing what homes looked like 50 years ago are good initiatives.”

• 2018: “Learning new things.”

• 2018: “Add short texts to things such as clothes, photographs and furniture so that their stories are preserved.”

• 2018: “Put labels on the objects in the farmhouse. We were told, for example, that the little dress in the room belonged to Karen, who lived here. It would be nice to have a small label on the dress and the other objects.”

• 2019: “Perhaps better information about the day’s activities.”

• 2019: “Old mopeds and more machinery. But a really good experience.”

• 2021: “More participatory activities.”

• 2021: “More exhibitors with creative ideas and things you could buy.”

• 2021: “I like when the museum hosts events.”

• 2021: “Showing how things were done in the old days.”

• 2021: “More activity. It is often very quiet and nothing is happening when you visit the museum, even at weekends.”

FINDINGS FROM THE DATA EXTRACTS

COMPARED WITH OVERALL TRENDS AND SEGMENTS

Comparing these comments with the motivation types in the User Survey, it is clear that many responses relate to “curiosity and learning something new” and “experiencing something and focusing on what catches your attention”. The responses indicate that visitors want more information, opportunities for learning and activities.

These motivations also correspond well with broader trends such as “escapism”, where learning is one of the important elements.

Among the five segments described above, the data extracts also reveal motivations associated with the “Classic Culture” segment, which seeks educational experiences that put things into perspective and encourage reflection.

Respondents belonging to the “Open-minded and Creative” category also appear to be represented in the User Survey data. They are motivated by experimental and unique experiences that teach them something new in an engaging and creative way.

The “Immersion and Learning” segment, which is motivated by specific interests and experiences that provide opportunities for in-depth engagement and expanding knowledge within existing areas of interest, also appears to be represented.

The data tell us less about how the social dimension – the people visitors are accompanied by – affects the experience. The “Socialising and Relaxation” segment and its motivations could therefore be explored further through the co-creation process.

The “Adrenaline and Excitement” segment is not immediately apparent in these data, but could also be explored further through the co-creation process. Motivation relating to sustainability and the desire to leave a “positive impact and footprint” is another area that would be interesting to investigate further.

COUPLES WITHOUT CHILDREN WORKSHOP – 21 JUNE 2022

PLANNING

Based on the findings of the preliminary study, we developed a process design in the form of a game. The purpose was to explore how museums, through co-creation with users, can translate users’ motivations and interests into high-quality interpretation and engagement activities.

FRAMEWORK AND DELIVERY

On 21 June 2022, a workshop was held at Billund Municipal Museums with three couples representing the “couples without children” segment. They belonged to the slightly older age group and had mixed educational backgrounds.

Participants played a specially developed game designed to encourage discussion around questions the museum wanted to explore. They first described themselves on a game piece and then discussed their motivations when planning a cultural visit together, when visiting museums in general and when specifically visiting Billund Municipal Museums.

They also attempted to design their ideal experience and, finally, discussed how they responded to an experience after their visit.

Throughout the workshop, participants used “puzzle pieces” as prompts for discussion. These featured findings from the preliminary study based on quantitative data from the same target group.

Material and quotations were collected through participants recording their own answers on accompanying note cards. A substantial part of the workshop was also recorded on video and subsequently analysed.

RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS

Recruiting participants for the workshop proved difficult because the desired target group – “couples without children” – was not part of the visitor profile in the area at the time the workshop was scheduled.

We therefore had to recruit participants through our own networks, resulting in a relatively homogeneous age profile. Geographically, however, participants came from a wide area spanning Southern Jutland, Western Jutland and Greater Copenhagen, and their educational backgrounds also varied.

Two of the “couples” were pairs of friends. Women and men were equally represented.

CO-CREATION THROUGH A GAME

As we wanted to gain a deeper understanding of our target group through a co-creation process, we worked with Billund Municipality’s play designers to develop a game.

The game is a qualitative research method designed for use by museums in developing high-quality interpretation and engagement activities based on users’ motivations and interests.

The game design draws on research into co-creation, relevant experience and knowledge from our own museum practice. The game/method requires input from the individual museum and active use of its National User Survey. It can also serve as a tool for informing and refining other relevant development projects.

The game/method is innovative because it combines quantitative data from the museum’s User Survey with the production of qualitative data through co-creation and play. Together, these provide substantial insight into the research question – in this case, the motivations and interests of couples without children.

The game/method takes a qualitative ethnographic approach. Through co-creation, participants use the game to generate dialogue and record their conclusions. These conclusions, together with observations made by museum staff – including notes, video recordings and photographs – constitute the empirical material and the method’s learning about the target group.

Using a game as a method provides greater insight into how knowledge about user preferences can be obtained and how participants’ input can be facilitated and incorporated into museum practice and interpretation.

Through its dialogue-based format, the game/method incorporates a sociocultural focus on participation, bringing social and multimodal interactions into play throughout the workshop.

The workshop demonstrated that the format felt safe and familiar to participants because they already understood the conventions of playing a game. The approach also supported the research process: involving the target group generated considerable engagement and motivation to contribute as co-developers of the museum’s interpretation.

The workshop furthermore showed that participants found it relatively easy and motivating to understand and engage with complex data and questions because they could develop their responses collaboratively through dialogue within a facilitated process.

WORKSHOP GAME DESIGN – DESIGN OF THE GAME/METHOD

The game consists of one game board, game pieces, dialogue cards and puzzle pieces.

Duration: The workshop lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, which proved to be a suitable length. Ten minutes are allocated to the introduction and approximately 15 minutes to each section, with the final space used to summarise the workshop.

The purpose of the game board is to provide a playful framework and facilitate the process from the beginning to the end of the workshop.

The spaces “Planning a Visit”, “Museums in General”, “Billund Municipal Museums” and “After the Visit” are all dialogue spaces.

The game begins with participants completing their own game piece by answering the question:

What are the three most important things to you when having a cultural experience?

They then place their pieces on the starting space. Participants play in pairs, but each has their own piece. The pieces are colour-coded in pairs so that participants can play as couples.

IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION

The game board contains six spaces:

Start – Planning a Visit – Museums in General – Billund Municipal Museums (or another specific museum) – After the Visit – Finish

The facilitator guides participants from one space to the next.

Puzzle pieces are available throughout the game. They are not intended to form a literal jigsaw puzzle; instead, participants can combine different elements to support and inspire their discussions. The puzzle pieces contain extracts and findings from the museum’s National User Survey.

QUESTIONS: PLANNING A VISIT

• What are the most important things when you plan experiences with friends or your partner? Why?

• What aspects of an experience might prevent you from planning it with your partner or friends? Why?

• How do you find information about an experience? Which types of communication work best?

• What was the deciding factor in choosing your current stay in this area? Why?

QUESTIONS: AFTER THE VISIT

• As a couple or pair of friends, what would you like to take home from your museum experience?

• How would you share your experiences and memories afterwards? Why would you choose this particular way of sharing them?

• What other experiences have you recommended to friends and family? Why?

DIALOGUE CARD QUESTIONS: MUSEUMS IN GENERAL

• Tell us about your best museum experience as a couple or pair of friends. What made it good?

• Tell us about your worst museum experience as a couple or pair of friends. What made it bad?

• What do you expect to do together during a museum visit?

• What do you actually do together when you visit a museum?

QUESTIONS: BILLUND MUNICIPAL MUSEUMS

• How can you find out about the experiences offered by Billund Municipal Museums? What kinds of communication attract your attention most effectively?

• What are the most important things the experience should offer you as a couple or pair of friends? Why?

• What would make the experience completely unappealing to you as a couple or pair of friends? Why?

• What would you like to gain from the experience as a couple or pair of friends?

• Design your perfect experience at Billund Municipal Museums.

Some of the dialogue cards require minor adjustments because participants felt that some questions were too similar and that they had already answered them.

Another issue concerns the distinction between museums in general and Billund Municipal Museums. A lack of familiarity with the latter – for example among first-time visitors who had not experienced the museum before the workshop – made it difficult for some participants to distinguish Billund Municipal Museums from other museums.

The puzzle pieces were particularly helpful in supporting dialogue in this situation, and the facilitator also played a more active role.

Participants made extensive use of the puzzle pieces as starting points for discussion and as prompts whenever they found a question difficult to answer. In this way, quantitative data were actively incorporated into the production of qualitative data.

Feedback from participants about the workshop and the game/method was positive. They enjoyed the format and preferred playing their way towards answers to participating as respondents in a more conventional interview.

They felt involved and listened to and considered the process meaningful.

RESULTS

WORKSHOP GAME PIECES

Participants first completed their game pieces with the three things they considered most important when choosing an experience.

Food and drink featured prominently. Other terms included immersion, learning something new, visual stimulation, atmosphere, local provenance, entertainment, tranquillity and conversation.

PLANNING A CULTURAL VISIT

Participants then discussed how they plan cultural visits. They explained that they often research an attraction online before visiting:

“We search online for something that sounds exciting.”

“We find information online.”

“We get information from newsletters.”

As Epinion’s research also found for this segment, food and drink were important factors in participants’ choices:

“Having a good time, good food and unique, new experiences are important.”

Participants also expected the practical facilities to be of a good standard:

“Food and drink and toilet facilities are important when we visit somewhere.”

Accessibility was another consideration:

“We look at the location and logistics. It needs to be easy for us to get there.”

A shared interest and some prior familiarity with the subject were also decisive factors when choosing an experience.

The “Immersion and Learning” segment is driven by experiences that enable people to learn something new within an existing field of interest:

“We research the history of the place or the history of the subject.”

“The subject and the place are important because they need to interest both of us at the same time.”

“I always think you need to know some of the history before you want to explore it in greater depth.”

“A shared interest.”

The preliminary study identified motivations associated with the “Classic Culture” segment, which seeks educational experiences that put things into perspective and encourage reflection. This corresponds well with participants’ motivations.

Participants also approach the core experience with curiosity. They want to discover something new and are happy to return to the same place to learn more:

“To see something new, digital interpretation – we are curious.”

“We want things put into perspective; we want to try something new.”

“We often return to experience more at the same place.”

The participants’ demographic profile also corresponds well with the “Classic Culture” segment: a relatively highly educated and slightly older group that prefers traditional cultural experiences such as museums, where they can be intellectually challenged by subjects they did not previously know about.

The experience can be valuable simply through reflective dialogue with a partner.

MUSEUMS IN GENERAL

After discussing how they plan visits, participants moved to the “Museums in General” space on the game board, which explored their motivations for visiting museums more broadly.

Many of the same motivations identified during the planning stage reappeared. Food and drink were mentioned again, as were good practical facilities. Participants also emphasised that price and quality should correspond:

“We would like food and drink during our visit.”

“…and if it is cold and draughty.” (negative)

“The price and the experience need to match; otherwise you are disappointed when your expectations are not met.”

Learning something new, having shared interests and reflecting together with a partner were also important motivations. However, participants were also comfortable occasionally experiencing things independently:

“We visit places that interest us. We expect to experience new things and talk together about what we see.”

“An enjoyable shared experience involving relationships and interaction.”

“We are happy to go our separate ways sometimes because you also want to have your own experiences in your own head.”

The comments about museums in general indicate that an experience is enhanced when it is facilitated, for example by a guide who can provide new knowledge and perspectives:

“We like guides.”

“Good experiences with staff who tell you about things.”

“A few spoken words rather than an entire text.”

“Someone doing something for you.”

“We talk and exchange experiences – someone helped us understand the experience and made it interesting.”

Participants did not respond positively when an experience interfered with their social connection:

“I would rather have someone tell me in person than listen through headphones, because that makes you alone in the experience.”

In this respect, participants differ somewhat from the “Immersion and Learning” and “Classic Culture” segments, which are generally described as less motivated by interactive experiences and more inclined towards traditional interpretation, such as books and particularly non-fiction:

“We would like to be active – we like workshops.”

When discussing the core experience, participants highlighted objects and narrative as important elements:

“We experience exhibitions.”

“Old houses and objects, different standards of living.”

“The story within an experience is important.”

BILLUND MUNICIPAL MUSEUMS

Participants then turned specifically to Billund Municipal Museums. Many of the same motivating factors reappeared. Acquiring new knowledge and learning something new remained important:

“We want new knowledge and to learn something new.”

Participants find the museum online and through social media, where photographs and engaging descriptions attract their attention:

“We find information about BKM online and through photographs on social media.”

“Information about the experience needs to be engaging and well described.”

Participants expressed an interest in place-based stories, local culture and authenticity. Food experiences were again highlighted as an important factor and something that contributes to an enjoyable atmosphere:

“Place-based experiences are important – actually being where the history happened.”

“We want to learn about local culture.”

“We want to have an enjoyable time together, and food is often part of that.”

When participants were asked directly how the museum could best design an experience for them, their responses were very similar to their previous answers.

One couple wanted to immerse themselves in the subject and participate actively, while another preferred a more passive experience.

They were not opposed to guided tours or workshops. They wanted to learn more about local culture and were happy to do so in the company of others. One couple considered the social element particularly important to immersion because they wanted to explore the subject together with someone else.

The same couple discussed creative workshops but ultimately agreed that these were primarily aimed at children:

“Creative workshops aren’t a bad thing.”

“But I do think they are mostly for children.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

There should be time for relaxation and reflection, and participants welcomed surprises along the way. We interpret the desire for surprises as a wish for elements that exceed expectations and make an experience memorable.

Alongside these elements, good practical facilities remain essential, including food and drink – preferably featuring local produce – and good toilet facilities.

Taken together, these quotations and observations strongly suggest that participants display characteristics associated with both the “Immersion and Learning” and “Classic Culture” segments.

There are also indications of “escapism”: seeking closeness, nature and time together while disconnecting from everyday life. Participants do not demand luxury, but the experience should be comfortable, with learning remaining a central element.

AFTER THE EXPERIENCE

Finally, participants were asked to consider how they behave after an experience. Learning something new emerged as an important prerequisite for recommending an attraction to friends and family.

The word “surprising” recurred:

“To recommend somewhere, there need to be interesting experiences associated with the visit. We need to have learned something new and perhaps have a small physical memento to take home.”

“We recommend somewhere if the local history is surprising.”

Participants do not generally use social media when recommending experiences. Instead, recommendations are shared by word of mouth, often accompanied by photographs and videos:

“We recommend places to friends and family – by word of mouth.”

“We like talking to friends about good experiences; we don’t use social media.”

“We take lots of photographs and videos that we show to friends and family. We also use them to immerse ourselves in the experience again and remember it.”

The following comments provide insight into what participants consider worth recommending. Visual aesthetics clearly play an important role:

“I recommend places where there is plenty to feast your eyes on. The experience needs to capture me and fascinate me. It can certainly be aesthetically pleasing.”

“We recommend beautiful scenery.”

Participants also like to buy something to take home as a way of preserving and sharing the experience:

“We often buy things from museum shops that are locally produced and also represent the experience we have had.”

Finally, food is once again mentioned as something that adds value and increases the likelihood of recommending an experience to friends and family.

The experience can be enhanced further when the setting and atmosphere are also appealing. The final quotation additionally shows how the desire to learn something new can enrich the food experience:

“We recommend good food.”

“Food and drink in welcoming surroundings, something for both of us – perhaps jam, and it is nice to know how they made it and so on.”

CONCLUSION: DESIGNING INTERPRETATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Based on what we have learned about the workshop participants’ motivations and interests, there are clear indications that they correspond to the “Immersion and Learning” and “Classic Culture” segments identified by Epinion.

We also see characteristics associated with the “Escapism” segment defined by Group NAO.

The same segments and motivations were identified in the User Survey.

The workshop also showed that the experience begins during the planning stage. The subject needs to appeal to both people, while engaging texts and interesting photographs should be used to attract their attention.

Practical information should be clearly visible and easy to navigate, including how to get to and from the attraction, parking, toilet facilities and the overall setting of the experience.

Marketing of the experience should take place online and through social media. Further research could identify which specific channels the target group uses in relation to the subject of the experience.

When designing interpretation and engagement activities for this target group, our findings demonstrate the importance of every element of the visitor experience.

The experience itself should contain an interest hook that connects participants with local cultural history – in other words, it should allow them to learn something new within a field that is already familiar or interesting to them.

The experience should be developed as a package, with food and drink forming an important element both of the experience itself and of visitors’ willingness to recommend it. The findings also suggest including a small gift or souvenir related to the content of the experience.

Food and drink should be of high quality and closely connected to the content of the experience.

To add value and make it easier to curate the experience around the target group’s motivations and interests, a guide should accompany participants throughout the experience.

In our case, the element of surprise could be provided by impressive natural surroundings and their aesthetic beauty. Personal stories could also provide an emotional and memorable dimension.

The experience should allow space and time for partners to reflect together. The workshop findings also suggest limiting the number of participants to a relatively small number of couples and/or pairs or groups of friends.