Submitted By: John Spencer
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Presentation By: John Spencer
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Department: Recreation and Parks
FORMAL TITLE:
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Rental agreement with Omaha Children's Museum for the "My Wild Backyard" educational traveling exhibit in the amount of $55,000
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OCALA'S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Quality of Place, Operational Excellence
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
Historically, educational exhibits at the Discovery Center (Center) have been developed in-house by staff. In 2024, the Center transitioned to renting professional traveling exhibits. These high-quality, externally produced exhibits offer unique interpretive displays and content that cannot be replicated with internal resources, thereby enhancing visitors' educational experience.
Traveling exhibits are typically booked one to two years in advance to allow licensors sufficient time to coordinate transportation, installation, and scheduling with host organizations.
The Center has secured a rental agreement with Omaha Children's Museum for its "My Wild Backyard" professional traveling exhibit. The exhibit is scheduled for Summer and Fall 2028 (late May through mid-September). The rental fee for this exhibit is $55,000.
Center staff will handle installation, facilitation, daily operations, and maintenance throughout the rental period.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The Discovery Center welcomes approximately 21,000 visitors annually. Since transitioning to professional traveling exhibits, average daily attendance has increased by about 25 percent, with projections on track to exceed 25,000 total entries this year.
This rental arrangement represents a cost-effective strategy to advance the Discovery Center's strategic plan goals, specifically: (1) Quality of Place - Enhancing customer satisfaction through engaging, high-quality exhibits at the Discovery Center, and (2) Operational Excellence - Increasing admissions and overall visitation to the Discovery Center.
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