From ALVA visitor data to access, tours and technology, explore the visitor experience sessions shaping the programme at the Museums + Heritage Show 2026.
What do visitors want from museums and heritage sites in 2026, and how do institutions balance those expectations against the pressures of running a sustainable operation? Those questions run through a broad programme of visitor experience sessions at this year’s Museums + Heritage Show, taking place on 13–14 May at Olympia London.
The programme gets its grounding in data from Bernard Donoghue OBE, CEO of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, whose session draws on the latest ALVA consumer sentiment figures to examine current visitor trends and the programming approaches that are proving most effective. With the cultural sector continuing to navigate shifting audience behaviour, his overview of what is and is not working in practice is likely to be one of the most closely watched sessions of the show.
Commercial sustainability sits alongside audience insight in a panel chaired by Paul Griffiths, CEO of the Association for Cultural Enterprises, bringing together Laura Read, CEO of Marwell Wildlife, and Will Desmond, Operations Manager at Hever Castle. Their session explores how programming, retail and cultural activity can drive revenue while strengthening the visitor experience, drawing on real-world examples from a range of attractions.
Access and inclusion feature prominently across the two days. Robert Morgan, Head of Service at Remark!, a Deaf-led organisation, will share practical guidance on improving the visitor experience for D/deaf people, with a focus on Deaf Awareness and the role of British Sign Language in public spaces. John Boulding, Senior Industry Advisor and Global Brand Ambassador at Vox Group, takes a related but distinct angle, examining how multilingual guiding can widen access, support guides and improve commercial returns from guided tours.
The co-curation potential of smaller institutions gets an airing too. Katja Holtz, Operations Manager at the Vagina Museum, reflects on the museum’s first co-curated Black History Month programme, developed in partnership with community organisations, and what the experience revealed about bringing diverse audiences into the curatorial process.
On the technology side, Lawrence Chiles, Head of Digital at the National Gallery, and Matt Wade, Designer, Academic Author and Founder of the Office of Future Interactions, will outline how the institution has rethought its digital visitor experience, from content creation to the transformation of its entrance spaces.
Edward Hoddle, Managing Director of Orpheo-Acoustiguide, and Abbigail Ollive, Visitor Attractions Director at Castle Howard, will discuss how storytelling and technology can be combined to tailor experiences to individual visitor preferences. And Neil Lewin, Managing Director of LOOP by Semantic, offers a practical session on how museums can make more of their websites as tools for converting interest into bookings and revenue.
Rounding out the visitor experience strand, Complete Works’ Operations Director George McLean and Regional Director (Scotland) Alyce Paton share insights from their five-star tour programmes across the UK, covering everything from writing and directing tours to training staff and driving sales.
Aleia Schofield, Pre-Sales Manager at Dynavics Ltd, looks at how operational challenges including staffing, stock management and visitor flow can be turned into growth opportunities through smarter use of tools such as Microsoft Business Central.
For professionals attending the show, the programme offers plenty of space to explore what a strong visitor experience looks like across different types and sizes of institution.
The Museums + Heritage Show takes place on 13–14 May at Olympia London.
It’s free to attend.
