本章详细考察了英国和美国动手型科学中心和博物馆的财务表现。通过详细分析三个大型独立科学中心的法定会计账目,意在总结出一些好的管理措施(尽管这些指标可能适用于大型非营利性的动手型中心,而不适用于不同尺寸或类型的其他中心;事实上,美国科学技术中心协会报告阐明了这些科学中心确实有很大差异性)。很明显,不管是英国的,还是美国的动手型科学中心,很大程度上都依赖于多样化的收入来源,尽管社会赞助和资助收入依然是重要的财政来源,尤其是最重要的创始资本,但是我们发现商业活动作为收入来源的重要性在不断增加。

在美国,近期发展起来的动手型中心比更古老和建设更完备的中心更加依赖于商业经营活动。正是因为这些新生机构的资金来源有限,它们才会更奋力寻求生存之道。因此,新的科学中心相互角逐,竞争观众市场,也必将导致老的博物馆和科学中心的观众量减少。在英国,国家福利彩票对互动中心建设的支持加剧了本已十分激烈的休闲市场的竞争。尤里卡儿童博物馆和布里斯托尔探索馆的财务数据反映出这两家机构在促销活动上的付出更多,即便如此,仍然不能避免观众数量的减少的困境。有一些证据表明尽管这些机构很年轻,但它们已经进入产品生命周期的衰退期。这两个中心正在计划重点开发更新核心产品,提升吸引力。动手型科学中心与其他旅游景点之间的竞争如此激烈,不得不说好的市场管理手段极为迫切,而下一章我们则着重讨论功能管理的问题。

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