A deep dive into what is needed at the Norfolk Botanical Garden!
Introduction to Norfolk Botanical Garden
Norfolk Botanical Garden is a local garden, located in Norfolk, VA, that is 175 acres and includes over 60 different themed gardens. Every inch of the garden can be seen by foot, tram or even boat. Norfolk Botanical Garden stives to provide an educational experience for anyone of any age while keeping them entertained with the beautiful and rare sites they have for all to see.
Their mission statement is “to connect people to nature through the world of plants has never been more prescient as we address the environmental crisis we all face. That passion for plants and nature is shared by many of you and we hope, the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come here each year.”
Norfolk Botanical Garden, along with other local garden societies and volunteers, plan to expand and improve the grounds each year. Norfolk Botanical Garden is preparing to undergo the largest expansion in its history and has hope that many of the locals and visitors to the area will be excited to come and check it out. The plan is for the Garden of Tomorrow to take Norfolk Botanical Garden to the next level allowing them to connect even more people to nature, providing an intimate and immersive Garden experience, as well as expand our conservation efforts. The project will include a new entry pavilion & parking garden as well as a 26,000 sq. ft. conservatory which will feature some of the rarest and most threatened plants around the world. These improvements will not only raise value to the garden but will enhance the experience for the people who have the opportunity to see and enjoy it.
So, the question is, how do we get more people to come out and see all that Norfolk Botanical Garden has to offer, raise environmental and garden awareness as well as increase membership?
Problem Statement
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is a nonprofit that needs to expand the amount of financial support it receives from the general public so it can continue to connect people to nature and the environment. The garden also struggles with maintaining and building engagement and awareness with their desired audiences in order to increase membership and thus increase the funds it needs to keep the garden up to date.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
Event Options/Variety/Opportunity
Institution
Art/Artists
Location
Education/Demonstration Variety
Aesthetics
Weaknesses:
Lack of Advertisement and Social Media/Public Engagement
Attendance
Donor Rates
1 Restaurant/Vendor for visitors
Opportunities:
View from Norfolk Airport
Advertisement
Social Media
Airport
Visit Norfolk
Zoo
Local Schools
Specials
Vendors
Sponsorships/Partnerships
Event Opportunities
Threats:
Weather
Airplane Noise
Local Dog Parks
Aggressive and Unintended Animal Interaction
Event Recommendation
After analyzing the results of my conducted SWOT Analysis, I think a great solution to our question is to hold an event that would potentially tap into a new market, dog owners/walkers, for Norfolk Botanical Garden. The event would be called Paw on the Pavement and it would be held at the Norfolk Botanical Garden on a Sunday ideally from 6am to 9am. All dog owners and walkers would be welcome to this event regardless of membership status. The idea is that this event would raise awareness of Norfolk Botanical Garden and their efforts in regard to the environment while they enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the garden. This experience would then have the opportunity to increase membership for the garden which would help them continue to fund the garden and support their overall mission. The first Sunday, the actual event day, would be the “try-it-out” experience where non-member and current members could bring their dog to enjoy a stroll through the garden and would have to opportunity to sign up for a membership before they leave. The idea is that the event would be show casing an exclusive time frame (every Sunday from 6am to 9am) for members only to come and walk their dogs. This exclusive membership perk would be included in new Norfolk Botanical Garden memberships and would be added on to current Norfolk Botanical Garden memberships.
References
Norfolk Botanical Garden. (2023, January 31). Our history. Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/about- us/history/
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