Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab

Antonio Velasco
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MANAGEMENT

 The “Culture Animals: Museum Leadership Lab” podcast is where the business of culture meets the art of leadership. Each episode explores how museum executives, development, marketing, and operational leaders are redefining what it means to lead in today's cultural landscape. From revenue and operations to digital transformation, audience engagement, and organizational culture, we unpack the strategies and stories driving sustainable impact in museums worldwide. Whether you're a museum director, department head, or emerging leader, Culture Animals gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how great institutions evolve, one bold decision at a time.

Episodes

  1. 12/11/2025

    Doubling Attendance: Marketing, Mission, and Museum Leadership with Adam Smith

    In this episode of Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab, we sit down with Adam Smith, President and CEO of Exploration Place, who has led cultural institutions from the National Museums of Scotland to the Comic-Con Museum. Adam shares how he doubled museum attendance while better managing marketing costs and offers practical strategies that any museum leader can use. Learn how to unlock thousands per month in free advertising, master pricing psychology, build high-performing teams, and create a mission-driven culture. From digital marketing breakthroughs to leadership insights, this conversation is full of actionable ideas to help your museum grow, engage more visitors, and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.   Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

    59 min

  2. 11/12/2025

    The Real Business of Museums: A Conversation with Nik Honeysett

    Welcome to the premiere episode of Culture Animals: Museum Leadership Lab!  Are you a museum director, department head, or cultural institution leader struggling with operational efficiency, declining attendance, or board pressure to modernize? This conversation is for you.  Antonio Velasco, CEO of Veevart, sits down with Nik Honeysett, CEO of the Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC), a nonprofit consultancy specializing in museum digital transformation and strategic planning. A leading voice in museum innovation, Nik has held senior roles at The J. Paul Getty Museum and UK-based CogApp, working with over 140 museums on technology implementation, organizational transformation, and sustainable operations. What we will discuss:  Why treating "nonprofit" as a mindset (not tax status) is holding museums back. The dual obligation every museum owes its community (social AND financial).How to unlock a full FTE of productivity through better systems.Why disconnected systems are killing your revenue and efficiency.The 3-phase innovation roadmap: Efficiency → Sustaining → Growth.How the Bovington Tank Museum generates £3M in digital revenue.Leadership principles that separate thriving museums from struggling ones.Why you should hire people smarter than you (and how to do it).How to gain board buy-in for technology investments.AI strategy for museums: policy first, platform second.The real definition of museum success (it's not what you think).Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of today's conversation. If this episode inspired you or made you curious to learn more, please like and subscribe to the Cultural Animals: Museum Leadership Lab podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Don't forget to follow Veevart on LinkedIn, Meta, and X for our latest stories, topics, and updates about future episodes. Thanks again for listening, and as always, stay curious. All the links are in the description below.

    1h 15m
  • 2 Episodes

About

 The “Culture Animals: Museum Leadership Lab” podcast is where the business of culture meets the art of leadership. Each episode explores how museum executives, development, marketing, and operational leaders are redefining what it means to lead in today's cultural landscape. From revenue and operations to digital transformation, audience engagement, and organizational culture, we unpack the strategies and stories driving sustainable impact in museums worldwide. Whether you're a museum director, department head, or emerging leader, Culture Animals gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how great institutions evolve, one bold decision at a time.

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