Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
Matthew will share an inspiring overview of Beamish Museum’s immersive retail, including creating products that represent the museum’s collections, developing new and engaging ideas during challenging times and examples of where commercial work has brought real joy.
Speaker: Matthew Henderson, Head of Commercial Operations and Development, Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
From launching an online shop, outdoor retail and a Golden Ticket competition to delivering traditional afternoon teas in Edwardian costume, Father Christmas video calls and launching a wholesale venture, Beamish Museum is continuing on its recent retail success.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Beamish had to close its doors during its Golden Jubilee year. As a charity that relies on visitors for 95% of its income, the museum faced its biggest ever challenge in its 50-year history. Beamish was determined to rise to this challenge, thinking outside the box and acting quickly and innovatively. The museum is extremely proud to have developed an exciting range of creative ideas, continuing their connection with visitors, bringing much-needed income to the museum and allowing them to reach new audiences – right across the world. New ideas and products, many created by local suppliers, continually represent Beamish’s amazing collections and generate much needed income. Engaging staff with a non-retail focus has also been key.
Matthew Henderson, Head of Commercial Operations and Development at Beamish, will share an inspiring overview of the museum’s creative and immersive retail.
