[MassHistPres] Western MA historic commission coalition

Sat Nov 23 11:59:38 EST 2013

Great goal, Elizabeth.  Glad to see your effort to bring people and organizations together to share what each has learned and to work together to promote local history.  These resources may be helpful, and they may be of others on our list regardless of the scope of their efforts:

- Last week at the New England Museum Association conference a few of us presented a panel on collaboration and those in attendance developed some guidelines and recommendations for collaboration.  My presentation and the guidelines that were developed jointly are here: http://www.thehistorylist.com/resources/102-Collaboration-for-non-profits-Case-studies-and-guidelines

- The Pioneer Valley History Network, started in 2005, has 43 sites participating and has been led by Cliff McCarthy there in Springfield.  It is included in that presentation.  Here's a short case study with more information:  http://www.thehistorylist.com/resources/100-Case-study-Creating-a-regional-network-of-historical-societies-for-joint-marketing.  Given your goals, it seems like Cliff would be a great person to contact.  (Cliff McCarthy <cliff at springfieldmuseums.org>)

- In late October we did research specifically on the issue of attracting consumers to holiday events at historic sites and historic buildings.  Though the sample size was small, the results help guide the design and promotion of holiday events, including understanding perceptions, the competitive set--hint: it's not other historic sites and history organizations--and what would cause consumers to seek out more information about one of your holiday events.

The 35 page report is available (free) to view online or download: http://www.thehistorylist.com/resources/98-New-research-What-families-want-in-a-holiday-event-and-what-you-should-include-in-your-ad-web-listing-or-press-release-to-attract-them-to-your-event.

- I've believed for quite some time that we should do more to raise the profile of historic sites, historic preservation, and local history.  There has been some talk at AASLH about a national ad campaign.  If that happens at some point, great.

In the mean time, we created a campaign that anyone can adopt: "Make this holiday historic!"  The materials can be downloaded and used as-is, and the designs can be incorporated into your site, fliers, posters, and other materials.

They are available with 11 messages in 2 different designs--there are also badges for bloggers--and are included, along with the study mentioned above and slides explaining the campaign as a single download.  More information, photos, and a link to download the materials is here: http://www.thehistorylist.com/the-holiday-campaign-for-history.  They are also perfect for smaller organizations that may not have the budget or time for professional graphic design.

In short, these can help an organization promote their own holiday events, gifts, and gift memberships.  If people see this message popping up in several places maybe we can, in some small way, raise awareness about the great historic sites and get more people out to see and support them.

Best regards--

Lee

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Lee Wright  |  Founder -- www.TheHistoryList.com  |  Member -- The Marlborough Historical Commission  |  Trustee -- The Marlborough Historical Society

On Nov 22, 2013, at 11:36 AM, Elizabeth B. Rairigh wrote:

> Hello all –
>  
> Recently we have been approached about getting local historical commission and historic district commissions from different municipalities together, in order to provide an opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences, share knowledge, and promote local history. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), and Preservation Massachusetts (PM) are asking for your help to create the Western Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition.
>  
> Members of local historic commissions and local historic district commissions in Western MA are invited to participate in the first meeting of the Coalition.  It will be held on December 9th, at the PVPC office in Springfield (60 Congress St).    Those outside the region are also welcome to participate, as are planners who work with these commissions!
>  
> This meeting will begin at 9:30am, and include the formation of a steering committee.  In addition, Chris Skelly, Director of Local Government Programs for the Massachusetts
> Historical Commission, will be on hand to answer questions about the running of an historical commis! sion or historic district commission.  There will be an opportuni ty for networking and asking questions.  
>  
> At this time we will also be gathering ideas for future meetings and presentations that may be of use to commissioners. Among the initial ideas are presentations on the Community Preservation Act and its benefits to historic commissions, learning about Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and information on completing Inventory Forms for MHC. Please bring ideas for other topics your commission would be interested in discussing.
>  
> Please contact Elizabeth Rairigh at 413‐781‐6045 or erairigh at pvpc.org to confirm your attendance by December 5th. We look forward to seeing you at PVPC’s office (60 Congress St, Springfield) on Dec. 9th.   
>  
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
>  
>  
> Elizabeth Rairigh, AICP
> Historic Preservation Planner
> Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
>  
> 60 Congress Street, 1st Floor
> Springfield, MA 01104-3419
> 
> Tel. 413.781.6045 Fax 413.732.2593
> www.pvpc.org
>  
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