Our 5 Favorite Things from SEMC in Charleston.
Boom! Just like that, conference season is over. Last week we found ourselves in Charleston for the annual meeting of Southeastern Museums, or SEMC. Here are our 5 favorite things from our time there:
1. The Veiled Lady at The Gibbes
First off, what a cool museum. We had heard nothing but great things about The Gibbes Museum of Art, but weren’t expecting the homey feel that came too. The exposed, original brick! The museum cafe! Ah! Talk about transforming the myth of how inviting a museum can feel for its visitors. Being able to view The Veiled Lady while there was the icing on the cake of a great museum experience.
2. Gov. William Aiken House
Spooky season is here, and this stop fit right in with the time. By label reading and deducing from our own knowledge, we learned how this family kept their antebellum lifestyle afloat. The dimly lit rooms and preserved yet aging architecture gave you the sense that the walls were oozing with stories, both trivial serious.
3. Stella’s Greek Restaurant
What a find this was! A small Greek place with a diner feel, the modern fare was delicious and left us wanting more. Even better to us museum people was the story of Stella herself. She emigrated after an arranged marriage and, after her husband’s successful restaurant, they opened one in her namesake. It was so successful they opened another location in Charleston! If you find yourself in town anytime soon, try to make it over there. It won’t disappoint!
4. Our T-Shirts!
Did you see our shirts? Museums & Zoos & Gardens & Aquariums? We debuted our new design at the conference this year and you guys loved them more than we thought! We handed some out to a few lucky winners from our prize wheel, but others were wondering how they could get their hands on one. If you missed your chance, don’t worry. We’ll be around the conference circuit again next year, or, if the anticipation is killing you, reach out to us to chat!
5. You
The best part of every conference: getting the chance to talk with you about your visitors and how to improve and add to their experience. We had quite a few conversations about museums wanting to take on more green initiatives, something that our interactive mapping can easily help with. Even further, it was exciting to help everyone see the potential of mobile story-telling in their space and how it can engage visitors. Ready to be their favorite destination? Reach out and we’ll get talking!
