2016 Civic Museum of Regina Feasibility Study and Business Plan: Final Report Prepared for the Civic Museum of Regina and the City of Regina by Ken Alecxe, President Alecxe Business Consulting April 15, 2016 Table of Contents Civic Museum of Regina Feasibility Study and Business Plan: Final Report ................................ 3 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 3 The Modern Museum .................................................................................................................. 6 The Ecomuseum Aspect .............................................................................................................. 6 The Proposal: Contemporary Collaborative Museum ................................................................ 7 Transition and Implementation Plan ........................................................................................... 8 Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 9 REGINA CULTURAL HERITAGE NETWORK CHART ......................................................... 11 CIVIC MUSEUM OF REGINA FEASIBILITY STUDY AND BUSINESS PLAN .................. 12 Expectations .............................................................................................................................. 12 WHAT IS A MUSEUM? .............................................................................................................. 13 WHY A MUSEUM? ..................................................................................................................... 13 WHY NOW? ................................................................................................................................. 14 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Vision ........................................................................................................................................ 14 2015 Mission: ............................................................................................................................ 15 Principles ................................................................................................................................... 16 Regina: The Museum Experience ................................................................................................. 16 WHY HERE? ................................................................................................................................ 17 “LAYERED HERITAGE”: THE COMMUNITY HERITAGE INVENTORY ...................... 24 PEST Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 26 The full PEST Analysis is in the Appendix. Excerpts are provided herein. ........................ 26 Political ................................................................................................................................. 26 Economic .............................................................................................................................. 27 Social ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Technological ........................................................................................................................ 27 Legal ...................................................................................................................................... 27 Environmental ....................................................................................................................... 27 Comparative Funding ............................................................................................................ 28 SWOT ....................................................................................................................................... 28 CMOR Feasibility Study and Business Plan: Final Report Page 1 Alecxe Business Consulting April 15, 2016 Strengths ................................................................................................................................ 28 Weaknesses ........................................................................................................................... 28 Opportunities and Threats ..................................................................................................... 29 Market Perceptions ................................................................................................................... 29 Marketing Recommendations: .............................................................................................. 30 Regina’s Heritage Assets ........................................................................................... 31 What We Need ............................................................................................................. 35 The Gap ...................................................................................................................... 36 WHAT DO OUR STAKEHOLDERS THINK? ........................................................................... 37 WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS? ..................................................................................................... 41 The Modern Museum.................................................................................................... 43 Museum Business Models and Applied Key Factors ........................................................ 47 The Proposal: Contemporary Collaborative Museum .................................................................. 49 The Regina Public Library and the Civic Museum: A Discussion ............................................... 50 Transition and Implementation Plan .......................................................................... 54 Risk Assessment .................................................................................................... 57 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 58 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW ............................................................................................. 58 Comparative Museum Funding ..................................................................................................... 62 Political ....................................................................................................................... 63 Economic .................................................................................................................... 63 Social .......................................................................................................................... 64 Technological .............................................................................................................. 64 Legal........................................................................................................................... 65 Environmental ............................................................................................................. 65 SWOT Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 65 Regina’s Heritage Assets .............................................................................................................. 67 Civic Museum of Regina: A New Approach – Stories to Tell ..................................................... 75 CMOR Feasibility Study and Business Plan: Final Report Page 2 Alecxe Business Consulting April 15, 2016 Civic Museum of Regina Feasibility Study and Business Plan: Final Report Introduction The Civic Museum of Regina (CMOR) Feasibility Study and Business Plan Phase 1 Report was proposed by the CMOR Board of Directors, and subsequently, funded by the City of Regina as the primary funder for the museum and the CMOR Board of Directors. It was precipitated by a fiscal crisis when rising operating costs and a rapid increase in lease costs forced the Museum to relocate into new premises. The leasehold improvements and outfitting of the new premises only momentarily alleviated the fiscal crisis. As a result, the City of Regina has funded this two-phase study and the associated business plan to provide new options and a recommendation on a way forward for the Museum. The two-phase approach was used due to severe time constraints in order to meet the initial deadline set by the City of Regina of December 31, 2015. The first phase explored the primary models adopted to establish and operate modern museums, and reviews high level business plans for each of the models. In this case, the models reviewed are, as follows: traditional, virtual, eco-museum, and contemporary collaborative. The CMOR Board of Directors are presenting these findings to the City of Regina for a go-forward decision on operational funding to the museum. In Phase Two the consultant worked with the Board of Directors to develop a more detailed business plan and implementation plan for the preferred model. Phase Two was completed by April 6, 2016. The writer would like to