The Museum Store Association (MSA) received a SASI Award for holiday public relations for museum stores at a ceremony held earlier this year, during the Shop America Tourism Conference. SASI (Shop America Salutes Innovation) Awards are bestowed on organizations or businesses that demonstrate creativity and effectiveness in promoting cultural and heritage tourism and shopping.
MSA received the honor due to a series of news stories published during the 2007 holiday season urging gift-givers to skip the big box retailers and shop at their local museum stores for one-of-a-kind presents. The articles stressed that in addition to buying truly personal and unique gifts, purchases at museum stores also help support the institutions.
This heightened visibility for museum stores is a direct result of MSA’s partnership with the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council and Shop America Alliance. One of the goals of this strategic partnership is to increase public relations for museum stores and the cultural commerce industry.
MSA is a dynamic organization that addresses its individual member and institutional member needs with innovative solutions. MSA knows if its member stores are successful in reaching out to tourism customers and building these customer relationships, this will benefit the institution in increased attendance and higher patron loyalty.
MSA is proud of the many stores at institutions that help promote the cultural commerce industry and that continually raise awareness among shoppers about the myriad benefits of shopping at museum stores.
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Founded in 1955, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it.
