We’ve all guessed it, and we’re right: the  Frida & Diego exhibition is off to a flying start.

Alicia Vandermeer  (Director, Visitor Experience) sat down last Thursday for a quick latte in the Espresso Bar and shared attendance results in three key areas: members, paid attendance, and school groups.

In all cases, she is measuring results against the targets for this time-point in the exhibition.

• Members’ attendance: 30% above target. (It got a great kick start, says Alicia. We had three days of Members’ Previews followed by a week-long incentive for members to visit during the first week after opening.)
• Paid attendance: 9% ahead. This is really, really good. As Alicia explains, “People tend to wait and rush in when a show is about to close. To be ahead like this, at this stage, is great!”
• School groups: Bookings are not only ahead of target for this point in the show, they’re ahead of the target for the entire run of the show.

Alicia gives credit to Steve Rayment (Director, Marketing) and his attendance team for their contribution to this success. “We’re now better at setting our targets, better at identifying and marketing to our target audiences, and better at contacting people who have attended previous shows in order to interest them in the new one as well.”

She also gives credit to AGO volunteers. “You have an important role – a variety of roles. You welcome our visitors, you help them find other exhibits while they’re here, and of course you interact with them inside Frida & Diego.”