Swiss Open-Air Museum posts a positive result
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The Swiss Open-Air Museum can look back on a positive 2022 financial year. Ballenberg welcomed a total of 195,000 visitors from mid-April to the end of October. Although admission figures were slightly below budget, the open-air museum division made a small profit of CHF 5,539.65 as a result of reduced outsourcing, consistent cost management and active fundraising.
The Swiss Open-Air Museum welcomed 195,000 visitors during the 2022 season. Although this number was lower than the two previous years, the open-air museum division still made a small profit. "We anticipated fewer visitors when planning the 2022 season," says Foundation Board President Peter Flück. "We also assumed that our strongest visitor segment, Swiss residents, would increasingly spend their holidays abroad again following the COVID-19 pandemic." The fact that this more cautious admission figure budget could ultimately not quite be achieved is primarily attributable to the extended heatwave during the summer holidays. The CHF 5,539.65 profit is a result of significantly reduced outsourcing, consistent cost management and active fundraising. "We also succeeded in increasing average revenue per visitor," adds Flück.
New offers proved popular
The all-round group experiences launched in 2022 have been well received. These all-day packages include a themed tour and handicraft workshop, such as cheese-making, woodcarving or straw weaving. The jam-packed events calendar also attracted many visitors to Ballenberg. Family attractions, such as Fairytale Sundays, where storytellers captivate young and old alike in the historic buildings, are set to continue during the current season. The popular Sunday tours of the medicinal herb garden at the Ballenberg Pharmacists' Shop, which are included in the ticket price, will also enrich the programme again in 2023.
No more "Fest der Feste" for the time being
The major highlight of the 2022 season was the first ever "Fest der Feste", a festival to celebrate Swiss autumn traditions at the Swiss Open-Air Museum. 20,000 visitors attended this harvest festival, which hosted a total of 15 regional festivals from all over Switzerland over two autumn weekends. This large-scale event attracted new visitors and received consistently positive feedback. "The implementation of 'Fest der Feste' in the 66-hectare museum grounds worked well, but was also very expensive," says Ballenberg CEO Martin Michel. "It really pushed our boundaries." As a result of this and the currently rather hesitant sponsorship market for new commitments, those responsible at the Ballenberg Foundation have decided not to hold this autumn event again for the time being. "We're focusing on expanding our regular museum offers," explains Michel. "There are several innovations that will delight our visitors throughout the season, namely our new 'Who wears the trousers?' special exhibition, the 'Let's play!' annual theme and our digital museum guide." The Landschaftstheater Ballenberg's latest production is also eagerly anticipated: the "Wyberhaagge" play stars Beat Schlatter and fits seamlessly into Ballenberg's attractive 2023 programme.
One foundation for the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum and Course Centre: merger completed
The merger of the two Heimatwerkschule and Ballenberg Open-Air Museum foundations into the joint Ballenberg Foundation was successfully completed in late summer 2022. This merger by absorption provides the legal basis for the consolidation of the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum and Course Centre. It means that synergies in HR and the development and marketing of services can be better exploited.
Ballenberg Course Centre appears as the handicraft education division in the Foundation's annual accounts. In contrast to the open-air museum, the Course Centre reported a loss of CHF 126,551.52. Despite optimisations in HR and savings in material expenditure, its books could not be balanced in 2022. After two transitional years dominated by COVID-19 restrictions and other challenges, the conditions have now been created to further promote the courses on offer at Ballenberg and expand the curriculum in line with customer requirements.
Contact:
Ballenberg Foundation
Peter Flück, Foundation Board President
Tel: +41 79 208 28 12
Email: peter.flueck@postgasse39.ch