An American Sports Museum is proposed for Chicago. The new museum would aim to educate about science and history using sports as a reference.
Mark Lapides, former chief marketing officer at Adler Planetarium, heads up the new non-profit organisation as CEO with Roger Germann, formerly executive vice president at Shedd Aquarium, as senior adviser. Other board members include Gary Cohen, CEO of EZLinks Golf in Chicago; Ira Stahlberger, senior vice president at talent agency IMG Worldwide; and Willie Wilkov, chief marketing officer at PlayFusion.
Plans are in the early stages with the museum needing $50 million in funding and a 100,000 square feet site. With backing the museum could open withing three or four years.
Chicago Business reports that American Sports Museum preliminary forecasts put the annual operating budget at $20 million with around 250 staff and attract 500,000 to 600,000 visitors a year.
The museum will feature high-tech interactive exhibits to teach a variety of subjects.
Lapides and Germann have launched an Indiegogo campaign hoping to raise an initial $100,000 to hire the first staffers.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170317/NEWS09/170319938/two-chicago-nonprofit-execs-planning-sports-museum
