Las Vegas Could Create a Millennials-Focused Museum

When MGM Resorts International opened The Park in April, MGM CEO Jim Murren said every great city has a park for its people, and cited New York and Paris among examples.

Murren is correct. A park serves as a community gathering place while providing recreational opportunities and diversions for the people of a great city. It also fosters the free exchange of ideas.

As an art aficionado and student of art history at his alma mater of Trinity College, Murren also likely knows every great city also has at least one great museum, and often a collection of several.

In Las Vegas, the most recognized museum likely would be the Mob Museum downtown, the National Atomic Testing Museum, the Neon Museum of Nevada, or possibly the Clark County Museum, due to its frequent references on “Pawn Stars.”

With Las Vegas looking to become more events and attractions-oriented with its many new developments underway, a truly world-class museum or collection of museum’s hosting permanent and traveling exhibits and incorporating Las Vegas’ unique history would seem a worthy endeavor.

Museums in the United States attract more than 850 million visitors every year according to the American Alliance of Museums. That’s almost double the 483 million people who attended professional sporting events and theme parks across the nation in 2011.

Museums also appeal to a wide demographic, including Millennials, who say they like to visit museums as social outings with their friends, Culture Track 2014 reported. Fortunately, Millennials rarely come to Las Vegas alone.

When Millennials travel, they typically do so with one or more friends to “’escape’” from their local surroundings by attending an event and taking in new sites and experiences, according to UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

Between Las Vegas’ new emphasis on events-based tourism and focus on attracting more Millennials, providing a modern, world-class museum designed for them could prove beneficial to tourism as well as profitable.

To obtain insight into what Millennials might prefer in a 21^st century museum, the Center for Future of Museums recently conducted several focus group sessions. Although insights elicited via focus groups don’t apply to the general population, they can provide stepping stones for conducting surveys, polls, and other research that could apply when done properly.

The Center for Future of Museums indicates Millennials prefer their museums to be highly interactive, unique and novel.

“The less stuff that’s behind glass and velvet ropes, the better,” one focus group member said.

Another suggested smaller, more intimate settings with frequently changing exhibits is best.

“The artwork that you will find hanging in a museum, like the Art Institute, is meant to be relished, because it is old. That’s what it’s for,” The focus group member told the center.

That participant suggested small venues with frequently rotating and new exhibits would be best for Millennials.

“At a small museum, the exhibits are updated more frequently with fresh material that’s never been seen before. It’s actually something that’s new and innovative and inventive,” the focus group member said.

Another focus group member suggested exhibits where “you could look at the sculptures and then go make a vase as well.”

Others suggested interactive exhibits where they could view artwork and then create virtual copies with their own unique flavor by manipulating digital images that they could share with their friends online and via social media.

Ultimately, the primary theme that emerged from the focus groups is Millennials generally view museums as identity-shaping experiences that reflect who they are. They enjoy interactive museum experiences in which artwork and exhibits inspire them to create their own works, and every visitor has an opportunity to do so.

The Center for Future of Museums says Millennials are visiting traditional museums in fewer numbers, but only because the venues do not provide the interactive experiences they seek.

Las Vegas, though, with its constant pace of development and some $10 billion in planned construction over the next three years, an opportunity exists to create a truly world-class museum that could attract Millennials and older generations, alike.

A venue like The Linq, with its many small restaurants, pubs, stores and entertainment venues is more akin to what Millennials might prefer in a museum experience.

But, instead of stores and entertainment venues, small, interactive museum exhibits, along with restaurants and pubs, would stand a good chance of attracting Millennials as well as older patrons.

Las Vegas also wants to be a Mecca for eSports to attract Millennials. Being the first to provide a permanent museum exhibit dedicated to the development and growth of eSports would help to establish the city as a global center for eSports.

A world-class museum venue could prove equally useful for local residents, while providing international visitors with another reason to come to Las Vegas for more than just great food, fun and gaming.