Sale of food, souvenir and coffee recipe help museums

Before the process of precariousness of public investments in exhibitions and initiatives related to culture, the Brazilian museums discover alternative channels for fundraising. Among the new routes, is the opening of cafes, restaurants and souvenir trade. "The idea is that the visitor may have a complete experience in the environment. We must remember that, provided they are in line with the exposure, these business units have evolved in terms of importance and helped the financial sustainability of the Museum, "said Director of operations and finances of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo ( Masp), Fábio Frayha. The Executive noted that due to the growth of these trades in the last four years, there is a joint work between the curator of the Museum and the administration of the businesses to align the mix of products for sale. According to him, the average ticket visitors revolves around R $60. Already in relation to the number of visits in 2018, 450,000 were registered. The goal of the Masp is that this number will reach 500,000 by the end of December – 10% high before 2017. "We have regular product lines, but other items are included according to the theme and the exhibition proposal. We realized also an important evolution in the sale of the catalogues and books with the brand of the Museum, "said Frayha. Sharing of vision similar to the Director of operations and finances of the Masp, the museologist of Foundation School de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo, Cecilia Machado, pointed out the effect of diffusion that these little souvenirs have on visitors and also other potential patrons. "When you go to the Museum and there is the [souvenir] consumption, these items become communication materials also with the visitor, putting himself as well as symbols and memories of that experience in the daily life of the individual," said Cecilia. While these businesses have won space in the budget of the museums and institutes in recent years, the expert warns that the neglect and the absence of public policies for this field can result in tragedy, as was the case with the fire at the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro. "It is foolhardy when we don't talk about culture in a political campaign. The lack of appreciation of these public assets also comes from the rulers of States and municipalities ", added the expert. In this sense, she also reminds that the social conviviality of the visitors in the cafes and restaurants is important in the process of valuation of environments. "It is worth noting that these environments must be tuned in terms of communication between the curator and the business. With that, it becomes a place of socialization and debates ", she concluded. In this line, another example of Museum that comes by adjusting the environment with the purpose to increase the flow of visitors is the Museum of image and sound (MIS). "Seven us, we didn't have coffee, gift shop and restaurant. Only the parking lot. From then on, there was a turn in the performance of the Museum, "said Director of management and Finance of MIS, Jacques Kann. According to the Executive, by reason of the age range of the visitors of the Museum to be between 19 and 34 years, environments such as the café and the restaurant were thought to have a dialogue with this audience, with a more jovial atmosphere. "Visitors who go to the Museum, end up going to the restaurant. And vice-versa, same with independent entrances between the environments, "said Kann. He says that these businesses represent 3% of the total revenue of the Museum, which receives the bulk of financing through public transfers. "Until the end of October, we recorded the visit of 300,000 people, number well above our target. By the end of December, we are expecting over 40000 people, "he said. As well as the Masp, MIS offers a mix of fixed products and other "temporary", which changes as the theme of the exhibition. In addition, Kann says the Museum receives the rent for the use of these spaces, which are administered by third parties.