Adopting an enterprising approach to maximise income

Building partnerships for our collective resilience was a panel session at our 2024 Museums and Galleries Strategy Symposium which focused on financial resilience and collaboration within the Scottish museum sector.

In the session, which you can watch below, speakers share examples of how they have maximised their income by adopting enterprising approaches.

Gordon Morrison, CEO, of the Association of Cultural Enterprises (ACE) chairs the session.

Panel speakers include:

Melanie Farrow, CEO of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust

Thania Flores, Heritage Environment Resources Officer at the Trimontium Museum

Lauren Rhodes, Commercial Development Manager at Glasgow Life Museums

(01:10 – 05:40) Gordon Morrison, CEO of Association for Cultural Enterprises.

Gordon introduces the session and talks about the work that Association for Cultural Enterprises do to support cultural organisations to generate income.

(05:44 – 12:30) Melanie Farrow, CEO of Maryhill Burgh Hall Trust.

Melanie provides some background on the Trust before highlighting how they have generated income through various activities, including their café, shop, venue hire, and a successful community-led exhibition.

(12:40 – 20:30) Thania M. Flores, Heritage Environmental Resources Office at Trimontium Museum.

Thania provides some background on the newly redeveloped Trimontium Museum before sharing examples of income generating activities they have introduced. She also talks about the museum’s involvement in the Steps to Sustainability programme and how this has helped them on their journey toward becoming more financially resilient.

(20:45 – 33:30) Lauren Rhodes, Commercial Development Manager at Glasgow Life.

Lauren provides some background on Glasgow Life Museums. She talks about how their commercial team is helping to generate much-needed income through a variety of activities across the different venues, including venue hire and investing more in their tourism offer.

(33:40 – 47:15) Q&A session.

The panel discuss challenges they are currently facing as well as examples of success within their organisations.