As a programme manager I was responsible for the business case of the audio guide (available in eleven languages) at the Van Gogh Museum.
"The audio guide (available in eleven languages) at the Van Gogh Museum had its original version introduced just before I joined. However, the initial service design was only partially implemented, and there were numerous technical challenges.
We worked diligently to refine and perfect the experience, striving for a seamless interaction. By adding an additional language, offering tours for all temporary exhibitions, and introducing special tours like a temporary musical tour with Armin van Buuren, we significantly enhanced both adoption rates and the visitor experience. One of the unique and fun highlights was accommodating a personal marriage proposal clip within the guide, showcasing our ability to manage all touchpoints with care and attention to detail.
While always prioritizing the visitor experience, I also focused on identifying business opportunities. During my time at the museum, I played a key role in increasing the visitor pick-up rate by over 10%, reaching 33%, which contributed to an annual turnover exceeding €3 million for my business unit."
The guide was also part of a research project to make better use of the capacity of the museums buildings. We ran experiments that significantly increased conversion from one building to the other.
Trough guide data analytics over all languages I also found opportunities to improve the visitor experience. A example is the visiting behaviour of Italians. From year to year we saw the same enormous spikes within the Italian population on specific days. These apparently correlated with Italy’s important holidays on which they collectively decide to travel to Amsterdam and visit the Van Gogh Museum. From then on, we make sure that all Italian speaking staff members are scheduled for these particular days. A simple but effective intervention to improve visitor experience.
