Profession, Articles, On a Personal Note
Stacey Ludlum
Growing Small: An Alternate Definition of ...

My company is just me. And that’s by design. I do not intend to hire employees and I purposefully keep my fees and client volume low. I view it as a complete success, but given the common perception of “business success,” I often wonder if others would agree… In this article, I outline my business strategy of Growing Small as an alternate measure of success.

Growing Small: An Alternate Definition of Success
Articles, On a Personal Note, Profession
Stacey Ludlum
Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants

Believe it or not, many consultants, including yours truly, are actually introverts! Learn the best practices for working with introverts by reading Felis Consulting’s somewhat self-effacing and certainly vulnerable ‘Top Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants.’

Tips for Working with Introverted Consultants
How-Tos, Master plans, Profession
Stacey Ludlum
Master Planning 101

As a designer dedicated to the long-term planning of zoos and aquariums, I’ve had to explain the process of master planning many times, and although every zoo and aquarium is different, the best master plans (i.e. those which have been implemented) always follow a similar structure. In this post, we address the most commonly asked questions to help you understand what master planning is, when is the right time to start, and who should be involved.

Master Planning 101
Case Studies, Reviews, Travel
Stacey Ludlum
Columbian Park Zoo: Gold-Standard Small ...

The city of Lafayette, Indiana has one of the oldest—and best—small zoos in the country. Recent renovations, thoughtful and modern designs, and focusing on providing for their local guests as top priority are a few reasons they are successful.

Columbian Park Zoo: Gold-Standard Small Municipal Zoo
Profession, News
Stacey Ludlum
Addressing DEAI in Zoos and Aquariums

Zoos and aquariums have a long way to go related to being community assets that are truly reflective of their surrounding communities. Recent discussions in the AZA suggest that instead waiting for ‘best practice’ solutions, that individual organizations must start somewhere acknowledging that our strategies will evolve as we all learn the most productive ways to approach DEAI.

Addressing DEAI in Zoos and Aquariums

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Giraffe Ranch: Luxury Model, Backyard Experience

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Giraffe Ranch: Luxury Model, Backyard Experience

Giraffe Ranch, a privately owned, family-run safari experience, located in rural Dade City, Florida benefits from the tourism market of Orlando. Drawing from decades of knowledge and experience in the zoo community, the owners created an intimate and beautiful experience focused on one-on-one interactions between the keepers, guests, and the animals. The high ticket price per person, however, sets expectations very high, and although the experience is lovely, feels like it misses the luxury price point. Focusing on improvements to the core of the facility could begin to address this issue.

To Safari or Night Safari...

In the past few years, a trend of opening zoos later or keeping them open longer has been spreading across the globe, especially during summertime.  Recently, I saw that San Diego Wild Animal Park is offering night safaris until 9pm, which got me to wondering why all zoos dont capitalize on this.  For one thing, allowing visitors to come at night opens your market up to young professionals who are busy working during weekdays, and uninterested in fighting the family crowd (and heat) during the weekends.  The teenage market would also, more than likely, love extended hours as teenagers are constantly looking for places to hang out, and the zoo would be a "safe" and acceptable place from their parents point of view.

Increasing your market equals increased spending and increased chance to meet educational goals.

Secondly, nighttime visitation allows people to avoid the peak heat of summer days, and will theoretically increase their stay time.  Additionally, many animals displayed in zoos are crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk) or nocturnal, and therefore, will be the most active during evening hours.  Animal activity always equates increased stay times.

An increased stay time equals increased spending and increased chance to meet educational goals.

Opponents site the extended hours actually hurt the zoo due to increased cost of staffing for extra hours.  However, some zoos in especially hot climates have actually changed their summer hours to shift toward the evening.  For example, the Al Ain Zoo in Abu Dhabi, UAE changes their summer hours to open in the afternoon and stay open past midnight, when in winter, have more traditional morning through afternoon hours.

Another zoo in Singapore, the Singapore Night Safari Park, was actually developed to only be open in the evenings.  Their novel approach has brought loads of attention from the industry and visitors worldwide, and from what I can tell, are tremendously successful.  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fd44p0Y_Ag&hl=en]

What's your experience with nighttime summer hours?

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