Museum marketing Kattevennen-Cosmodrome Genk
Interview about museum target groups and creating passion for space
Interview by Mirthe Smeets
Militza Kuipers of Kattevennen-Cosmodrome is hospitality, Marketing and Sales coordinator of Kattevennen-Cosmodrome, the gateway to the largest nature park in Flanders. In this interview we get to know Militza and the marketing approach of this museum located in a beautiful nature reserve.
Militza, since when have you been working at Kattevennen-Cosmodrome?
'Since 1996, with great pleasure. I am responsible for the visitor reception. I lead a team that is responsible for information, ticket sales and sales of walking and cycling maps. We also operate the mini golf and bicycle rental. I also write and coordinate projects and am responsible for Marketing, Sales and Communication.'
“The exhibition The Big Bang is impressive”
What can you experience like this?
During a trip with us you will be away from reality for a while. You can immerse yourself in the space and think about the origins of everything. Philosophize! "For me, I don't know anything for sure, but looking at the stars makes me dream," said Vincent Van Gogh. It is recognizable to many people. We also get good reactions at our 360° shows and the observatory. We are located in a fantastic nature reserve with plenty of recreational opportunities in nature such as walking, mini golf, playground, Stokkeman route for the family and lookout tower. It's too much to mention, come and discover it, I say.
The museum exhibition is a fun activity to do with the family. Interesting for parents and children. When you come home, you notice that you are relaxed and look at things differently. You use a tablet and apps while visiting the exhibition. You can solve competitions and questions via apps. We give tips for the children. We get good responses from families! We want to provide even more accessibility in the next phase. It would be nice if the app was on the smartphone.
We also provide online workshops and online lectures. In addition, we are sending out more videos and we have created do-it-yourself packages (you can buy the contents from us in a box, and you can make and launch a rocket at home). If children are bored at home, they can still do something challenging.'
'Half of all visitors consist of schools'
Which target group are you targeting?
'One half of all visitors normally consists of schools. The other half consists of groups (socio-cultural/seniors/associations) and of course families with children.'
Why is it important that young children learn about space and astronomy from you?
'Children can be so open-minded. They are amazed. Be amazed. They are creative. They are often or become fans of the universe and the planets. The children who are interested in this are getting younger and younger. 5-year-old children can sometimes name all the planets!
It's nice when children learn something here. We then plant a seed. Once you are fascinated by space, you often stay that way. Who knows, maybe today's children will later want to take up a study related to these themes. That's good, because we need scientists who choose this direction.'
“It's nice when children learn something here. We then plant a seed. Once you are fascinated by space, you often stay that way.”
Kattevennen-Cosmodrome is close to the border. Are there many Dutch people coming?
'Of course! Not only Limburgers from the Netherlands, but also tourists from other regions come here. They then stay at Centerparcs Vossemeren in Lommel or Erperheide in Peer during their holiday, and enjoy going on a trip.'
Is there ever confusion of tongues?
'Yes, it happens sometimes. We say ''arrive'', and by that we mean: ''arrive''. Feel free to ask someone "have you arrived?" without causing any discomfort. In the Netherlands you ask if someone has gained weight. That gives a completely different reaction! It's a nice confusion of tongues. And there are more examples. But hey, we'll figure it out. Sometimes you don't know the meaning of a word, other times it applies to the other person. Then you ask each other: what does this word mean? The explanation is sometimes hilarious and you get to have fun conversations.'
Do you have a lot of interest in the themes of the park?
'I love nature very much. I really like to recharge outside, to sort everything out during a walk. You also notice that more and more people experience this this way. Perhaps this is due to the busy lives that many working people have. People realize that you achieve good balance in nature and that it is important to preserve nature.
I think it's great that we are the only ones talking about the cosmos. It is unique in Limburg. The cosmos appeals to the imagination. As a little girl I watched the first man on the moon on television. That will always stay with me. I still feel that sense of excitement, adventure and relevance around this theme. More and more is being discovered. We even travel to Mars. It all remains very fascinating.'
Why does this work appeal to you?
'I always get energy from working with people. Moreover, the atmosphere here is always good. People come here for a fun day and excursion. They are in good spirits. Customers usually come as families.
“If I can make someone else happy, I am happy too”
Visitors often indicate that we are friendly at the reception, that we are truly hospitable and go that extra mile to relieve people's worries. That gives a good feeling. If I can make someone else happy, I am happy too.
I like that some families like to come back. We recently had a family visit with three children. After they visited the exhibition, we placed the stargazer outside so they could make certain observations. We suddenly heard that it was one child's birthday and we called this child to us again afterwards. We let the birthday boy take an extra look. We took pictures of this so that the family would have a nice memory of the day.
Well, they were really grateful for that. They said they were a bit emotional beforehand, because it all felt so different due to all the corona issues. Thanks to us we managed to enjoy it to the fullest. That was what we wanted to achieve: we hoped that the day would be special for the birthday boy or girl and the family. That's nice! For us it is a small effort, but for the family it means a lot.'
Your last name is Kuipers. You know who André Kuipers is: a Dutch astronaut. You both have a thing for space travel. Chance? Family?
Laughs. 'No no no. Frank de Winne is better known here. But I certainly know André Kuipers. Yes, nice what he did. But as far as I know, they are not related.
What I do know is that the name Kuipers is originally Dutch, from Den Bosch. An uncle looked into that. He immersed himself in genealogy and delved into the archives. He discovered that the Kuipers family moved from Brabant to Belgium and never left. Hm, now that I say this, I suddenly think… who knows, André and I are related very far away. In any case, my family is from the Netherlands, that is a fact.'
Kattevennen Cosmodrome in Genk is highly recommended to visit. Here you can delve into space travel and astronomy (as the park logo suggests), but also mini golf, hiking, treasure hunts and horse riding. The park offers a unique combination of indoor and outdoor activities. You'll have fun there all day long!
Museamarketing provides Google Search via Google Grants for Kattevennen-Cosmodrome.