MSA Promotes Museums as Unique Shopping Destinations

Denver, CO, April 27, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The Museum Store Association (MSA) will participate in the American Association of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo April 27 – 30 in Denver to communicate to museum executives the vital role that museum stores can play in increased attendance through cultural tourism shopping and therefore, greater earned income for the institution.

MSA is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of museum retail professionals. By encouraging business excellence in museum stores, MSA helps cultural commerce professionals better serve their organizations. MSA also is focused on helping increase awareness about museum stores as unique shopping destinations for tourists and cultural travelers.

MSA knows if its member stores are successful in building customer relationships, this will benefit the institution in increased attendance and higher patron loyalty. As MSA members, museum stores are able to take advantage of numerous tools to drive cultural commerce and more deeply establish their institutions as destinations for cultural travelers. The recently launched MSA Knowledge Standards program is a major component of this tool box, providing a comprehensive educational program built around the core knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the job responsibilities of a cultural commerce professional.

In addition, MSA has formed several smart partnerships within the shopping and tourism industries both to help extend the museum visitors’ institutional experience and to inform cultural tourists and shoppers about museum stores as unique shopping destinations.

As part of a strategic alliance with the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council (USCHT) and Shop America Alliance (SAA), MSA provides expertise in the cultural and heritage tourism arena to its members and the general public. Shopping is the #1 activity of all travelers, according to data tracked by the U.S. Department of Commerce / Office of Travel & Tourism Industries and the Travel Industry Association.

MSA, with these tourism partners, will soon launch a new publication called The Cultural Traveler, a tourism-focused publication featuring the leading museum stores in North America. The Cultural Traveler will be distributed in 2009 to more than 40,000 consumers, tour operators, travel agents and travel media interested in museum store shopping. By increasing awareness and interest in visiting museums and museum stores as unique cultural destinations, the publication also will help drive attendance at cultural institutions in general. The premiere issue is scheduled to be launched in 2009.

In addition to building institution revenue through sales, museum stores provide a high-impact point of contact with cultural institution patrons. The store is a place to reinforce the experience of visiting a cultural institution and to re-emphasize the mission of the institution. As the entire cultural community faces the effects of tight economic times, building value within institutions is more important than ever.

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Founded in 1955, MSA is a nonprofit, international association governed by a seven-member board of directors. A staff of 10 full-time employees operates from MSA headquarters in Denver, CO.