Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
London’s National Gallery is set to make significant job cuts as it faces an £8.2 million deficit in the year ahead.
Due to the deficit, which is a result of considerably increased running costs and stagnant income, the museum could also cut spending in areas including public programming.
This could mean fewer free exhibitions and ticketed shows, and more expensive tickets, with these solutions to be explored.
A spokesperson told The Art Newspaper that the National Gallery will be "stopping several of our activities where, for a number of reasons beyond our control, we can no longer justify their costs".
To begin with, the gallery will offer a "voluntary exit scheme" to its staff and commercial arm. This could be followed by compulsory redundancies if the initiative does not raise sufficient savings.
The spokesperson attributed the deficit to "the present global landscape with the cost-of-living crisis" and "increasing competition for people’s time and share of wallet".
In the current financial year, which ends in March, the National Gallery expects to face a deficit of around £2m.
This is estimated to increase by a further £6.2m to £8.2m in the 2026-27 financial year unless action is taken.
"New operating structure"
"Due to many widely reported circumstances which are beyond our control, such as rises in operational costs and commercial pressures, we have now reached a point where we must make difficult and painful decisions," a spokesperson for the gallery said.
"To achieve sustainability, we must balance our artistic and educational mission with a new operating structure."
As for attendance, the National Gallery's visitor numbers are yet to recover to their pre-Covid levels of six million guests a year.
Attendance in the 12 months through September was 3.8 million visitors, although footfall has increased with the 2025 reopening of the Sainsbury Wing.
The spokesperson added: "We all must understand that things have changed. We need to make tough decisions now to future-proof the gallery for the years ahead."
In September, the National Gallery launched an international competition to design a new wing for an expanded collection, which will include modern art.
Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
SSA Group has been working on a transformative approach to operations. By weaving its signature 452 Hospitality ethos, rooted in a legacy of welcome and human connection, into Scout, a new AI-driven operating system, the company demonstrates how AI can enhance rather than replace the human side of hospitality.
For nearly 60 years, SSA Group has been a staple in the cultural attractions sector, collaborating with zoos, aquariums, and museums to provide comprehensive guest services. As a family-owned business, the company has continually adapted, but its core mission remains centred on a simple, powerful concept: hospitality.
We speak with CEO Sean McNicholas and vice president of people and culture, Jason Stover, to unpack Scout's mission and learn how it can open the door to both greater efficiency and more memorable moments.
SSA reimagines the industry
Starting by looking at the bigger picture, McNicholas says: “What I love about SSA and our family business is our curiosity for continuing to reimagine the industry.
"Those are pillars of our plan. We approach 60 years as a family business in 2030, and what’s exciting to us is continuing to innovate, not just our business, but the guest experience for our clients and partners.”
Sean McNicholas and Jason Stover
This culture of curiosity is what prompted McNicholas and Stover to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence long before it became the industry buzzword it is today.
"Five or six years ago, Jason came to me as one of the early adopters of AI. We started talking about it, and the more we looked at tools like AI, we asked a very simple question: what one, two, or three areas could AI positively impact our business?"
For SSA, the goal was not to replace staff or remove the human element from the museum or zoo experience through automation. Instead, the emphasis was on liberation.
"The thing that became clear was how tools like AI could help us become more efficient with data, back-end systems, and administrative work," adds McNicholas.
"If we can be more efficient there, we can spend more time meeting guests where they need us, which is on the front line.”
The outcome of this exploration is Scout, an AI-assisted tool and ‘unified intelligence layer’ designed specifically for cultural attractions.
Scout is positioned not as a replacement for human workers, but as a co-pilot. It is an operating system that gathers data from across the industry to provide real-time insights. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Scout has been built for the sector's operational realities.
"AI is trending now, but it’s not new," says Stover.
"I’ve been with SSA for almost 30 years, and my journey with AI in this company has existed since day one. When I first became a manager, we were already experimenting with predictive analytics, trying to forecast attendance and staffing.
"That was AI at the time."
However, the leap to generative AI offered a new opportunity to support SSA's secret sauce: its people.
Stover employs a cinematic analogy to describe Scout’s role within the workforce:
"I compare it to Tony Stark," he says. "He’s brilliant, but he doesn’t become Iron Man until he has Jarvis. That’s what Scout is. It’s a co-pilot that takes away routine, monotonous work so our people can focus on what matters."
Real-time, useful insights
Designed to support guest-journey walkthroughs, the platform collects real-time observations and converts them into actionable insights tailored to each attraction.
The tool was created in accordance with SSA’s core belief that technology should never replace connection; it should enhance it. The idea is that data and design can collaborate to create memorable guest experiences.
This supports SSA’s wider focus on innovation, which aims to turn curiosity into meaningful change that advances partners' missions. By automating data analysis, Scout helps operators make more informed decisions about designs, platforms, and revenue strategies.
"Guest expectations are evolving faster than ever," says Stover. "Scout was built to meet this moment as a tech-forward AI tool that allows us to keep experiences deeply personal.”
The heart of the system: 452 Hospitality
Although the technology is impressive, the engine driving Scout remains entirely human. At the centre of Scout’s design is 452 Hospitality, the cultural ethos that defines SSA Group’s purpose and character.
Named after 452 Leyden Street, the Denver home where SSA’s founders first lived and practised hospitality, 452 has since become both a numeric and philosophical code for what the company stands for: a spirit of welcome, belonging, and genuine human connection.
At 452 Leyden Street, anyone could come in for a meal, a chat, or a place to rest. And that sense of genuine warmth now lives on in every SSA service encounter.
Today, 452 Hospitality reflects SSA’s ongoing dedication to creating authentic, memorable moments that uplift guests, partners, and colleagues alike.
That same spirit guides Scout’s purpose: rather than replacing people, the AI system aims to enable staff to embody 452 Hospitality more fully, freeing them from administrative burdens so they can provide the personal engagement that makes guests feel welcome and valued.
In practice, this involves a particular method for engaging with guests and monitoring operations. Scout develops a digital framework for this using the SOQ model: Observation, Opinion, and Question.
"Scout is being trained by the entire zoo, aquarium, and cultural attraction industry," Stover says. "Every conversation, every audit, every partner insight gets ingested and shapes how Scout operates.”
Within the Scout ecosystem, there are various ‘agents’ dedicated to different tasks, such as labour optimisation and inventory management. However, the ‘452 agent’ is unique.
"It has vision and voice capabilities. As you walk through operations, it analyses images and observations in real time and evaluates them against our hospitality standards. It acts as a co-pilot for auditors and operators, making observations, offering insights, and matching them with best practices and solutions.
“You might miss something as a human, but Scout won’t.”
Scout in action
The deployment of Scout is already producing tangible outcomes, progressing from theoretical ideas to solving complex on-site issues. This highlights SSA’s focus on turning insights into action by combining data, technology, and human connection.
McNicholas emphasises that the team is "continually evolving Scout by testing it across multiple attractions," noting that "every new site adds more data and sharper insights.”
Stover offers an example of Scout’s operational intelligence in action from a working session with the Detroit Zoo. The team was exploring a complex “what-if” scenario: opening a new entrance near a new exhibit while navigating compliance considerations, budget constraints, and a nearby rail track.
“Using Scout as a sandbox alongside their team, we pressure-tested the constraints, surfaced relevant regulatory considerations, explored alternative approaches like repurposed shipping containers, and generated rough-order cost ranges. It was less about committing to a final plan and more about accelerating discovery.”
“What’s exciting is that every audit surfaces a new real-world question, and we ask: Should this become a new sub-agent? That’s how Scout keeps evolving.”
Another success story comes from the Dallas Zoo, where Scout was instrumental in helping the zoo team explore their own AI journey while SSA conducted an inter-department relationship audit.
Scout is tailored to each user’s psychology
What makes Scout different from typical business AI tools is its incorporation of behavioural psychology. Acknowledging that strong operations don't happen by accident, SSA has combined leadership development with its technological roadmap.
Stover, whose background is in people and culture, insisted that if they were to create co-pilots, they had to understand the humans who would use them. So, instead of providing generic recommendations, Scout adapts its guidance to each leader's thinking and communication style.
"One of the first things we decided was that if we were going to build AI co-pilots, they needed to integrate Behavioural Essentials," Stover says. "We already use behavioural assessments that give leaders a 21-point profile, with strengths, tendencies, and blind spots. We’ve now incorporated that into Scout.”
This means that when a manager logs into Scout, the system is tailored to their specific personality profile.
"It understands how I communicate, where I might need softer language, or where I might need more structure," Stover says.
He adds that McNicholas served as the ‘guinea pig’ for this feature:
"We merged his traits and blind spots into Scout as he was working through our future roadmap. Scout isn’t just an AI tool; it understands your psychological makeup and helps cover your blind spots as you operate in your role.”
The future of the workforce
A common concern about AI is the risk of job displacement. However, SSA’s leadership firmly states that their investment in technology aims to safeguard, not eliminate, their workforce.
"As CEO, culture is my responsibility, and culture starts with values," McNicholas says. "Hospitality, human-to-human interaction, has always been our foundation. I don’t want a world of all robots and automation. I love people too much.
“That’s why Scout exists. It helps us live what we love to do: creating special moments for people.”
Stover shares this view, considering AI as a safeguard against the decline of interpersonal skills observed in other industries:
"We have to be proactive in shaping the future. Many companies will use AI purely to impact the bottom line. That’s their choice. But SSA has always been people-focused. We’re adopting AI safely and intentionally to better our people. As interpersonal skills decline elsewhere, we’re protecting them by freeing people up to reconnect.”
The efficiency gains are clear. Stover notes that tasks like scheduling, which previously took hours to analyse against weather and sales history, now happen in seconds. "That frees managers up to spend time with their team. That’s the point.
“We’re hospitality people. We want to be in front of guests, not behind a screen.”
A vision for 2030
Looking ahead, SSA has set bold goals for the next five years. As the company approaches its 60th anniversary in 2030, the vision is for a fully enabled workforce where each employee has a digital partner.
"By 2030, every person in our company will have a co-pilot that helps them be more efficient," predicts McNicholas. "We’ll also bring a unified revenue strategy to attractions, something the industry lacks.”
He also believes the metrics of success are shifting. It is no longer enough to simply count heads at the gate:
"The future metrics won’t just be attendance. They’ll be revenue, guest experience, and fulfilment," he says.
"There’s more competition than ever, and we have to be the place where guests leave thinking, 'That felt right.' To do that, our people need tools like Scout so they can spend more time creating those moments.
“That’s how we reimagine the industry.”
The future of hospitality
Summing up the benefits, COO Travis Kight says:
"AI is the future of hospitality, but not in the way most imagine. We see AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement, designed to protect the human connection that defines our industry.
“Tools like Scout allow us to turn data into real-time insights, freeing our teams from repetitive tasks so they can focus on creating unforgettable guest experiences.
"As Sean mentioned, by 2030, our vision is for every team member to have a digital partner that amplifies their strengths, covers blind spots, and helps us deliver hospitality at a level the industry has never seen.
“AI isn’t about automation. It’s about empowerment.”
As SSA Group looks towards the attractions of tomorrow, its message is clear: the path to the future is built on data, but the goal remains human connection.
By anchoring Scout in 452 Hospitality's philosophy of creating meaningful, human-centred moments, SSA isn’t just adopting AI for efficiency. It’s enhancing its ability to deliver heartfelt experiences that define its brand and shape the future of the guest experience.
"That’s the foundation of Scout," Stover says. "If a tool doesn’t protect hospitality or make us better people-facing operators, it doesn’t get built.”
Event Network, a leading operator of retail stores for experiential attractions in the US, has lent its support to the American Alliance of Museums' annual Museums Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, which advocated for federal funding, tax policies, and legislation that benefit museums and cultural institutions in the United States.
The event on 24 February was attended byVeronica Nicholas, EVP of strategic growth, and Michael McCrory, director of marketing and brand management.
They stood alongside representatives from some of the company's current partnerships across the US, including The Franklin Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Museum of Science, The Henry Ford, Intrepid Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Panel with Marilyn Jackson, AAM president & CEOPhoto courtesy of Todd Buchanan, Corporate Event Images
Marilyn Jackson, president & CEO of the American Alliance of Museums, says: “Event Network’s participation in Museums Advocacy Day exemplifies what it means to be a true partner to the museum field.
"Beyond their daily work as museum partners in retail operations and brand stewardship, they brought their voice and business perspective to Capitol Hill in support of museums.
"Industry partners who understand the broader economic ecosystem in which museums operate — and can speak authentically to that impact — strengthen our collective advocacy in powerful ways.
"We’re deeply grateful for Event Network’s leadership and partnership and look forward to continuing this work together."
Silver linings in challenging times
Prior to Museums Advocacy Day, Nicholas participated in a panel of museum leaders on the topic 'What’s Next'.
She presented data on the shared challenges of 2025, as well as the encouraging finding that Event Network’s stores’ overall per capita sales increased during this period. This indicates a willingness among guests to 'shop and support' at their local museums.
Nicholas also shared early 2026 data indicating that many of the attractions in Event Network's portfolio are seeing higher attendance than in the previous year.
"The main message I hoped to communicate was that we feel your frustration because we’re seeing it on our side, too," says Nicholas.
"We’re doing our best to overcome it in the retail space in order to deliver as much revenue as possible to our partners in these challenging times."
Advocating for the sector
The AAM sought to make three specific requests: first, to ensure Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding remained intact in the 2027 budget.
The primary source of federal funding for US libraries, museums, and cultural institutions, this vital support amounts to less than $1 per person per year.
It also requested that members of the House of Representatives join the newly formed bipartisan Museum Caucus.
Co-chaired by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), this was created last year to bring cultural attraction issues into the national conversation and to coordinate lawmakers’ efforts to support museum interests in federal policy.
Its third request was to share a new bill called the CREATIVE Act of 2025 (H.R. 6165).
This bill, which stands for ‘Capital, Repairs, and Employment for Art Talent to Improve Visibility Everywhere,’ was introduced in November 2025 to establish a grant scheme to increase job opportunities for artists and creative professionals, and to improve the quality and availability of arts facilities and arts-related programming.
Members of the House were asked to co-sponsor the bill, and Senators were encouraged to introduce similar legislation.
Serving the local economy
Event Network’s mission is to serve its partners by optimising their retail revenue potential and representing their missions and brands within their stores.
It is proud to add to that commitment by lending its voice to AAM’s Museums Advocacy Day in support of the partners and all cultural attractions across the US.
Nicholas and Michael joined AAM conference attendees to meet with members of Congress and participated in 14 meetings with House and Senate staffers.
Event Network's goals were to emphasise the importance of IMLS funding and highlight the economic impact of museums, which serve as an important layer of the local economy, not only providing on-site jobs but also supporting local artists and small businesses that supply merchandise.
Across the country, Event Network employs almost 3,000 constituents, whose livelihoods depend upon the existence of museums and cultural institutions.
Last year, Event Network launched a 'round up' donation initiative with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals, inviting customers at more than 200 Event Network-operated hotel and resort gift stores across the US to round up their purchases and help support life-saving care for children in the local community.
Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) in Oceanside, California, has announced its plans for a significant campus expansion, designed by Safdie Rabines Architects from San Diego.
This marks a key milestone in the museum’s development and its $10 million Campaign for Expansion.
The expansion includes the historic Oceanside Fire Station No. 1 and will increase OMA’s campus size by 50%, covering a full city block. It also preserves two Irving J. Gill landmarks: the former 1934 City Hall and the 1929 Fire Station.
OMA’s size will grow from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, increasing space for exhibitions, a dedicated education centre, and public programmes.
Outdoor areas will also be expanded to accommodate public art, an informal gathering terrace, and a café. The design improves flow between galleries, public zones, and outdoor plazas, integrating indoor and outdoor spaces to highlight Southern California artists in the Oceanside Cultural District.
“As Oceanside Museum of Art grows, our commitment to the community grows with it,” says Maria Mingalone, executive director of Oceanside Museum of Art.
“This expansion allows us to preserve an important historic landmark while boldly investing in the future of artists and our cultural community, creating new opportunities for arts education, and meaningful public gathering spaces.
"This ensures OMA remains a vibrant cultural hub for generations to come.”
Honouring iconic architecture
Safdie Rabines Architects is a local firm with a long-standing history of shaping the region’s architecture, including numerous civic structures and the campuses of UC San Diego and UCLA.
The design adopts a contemporary style that honours the historic architecture of Fire Station No. 1. Constructed in 1929 and designed by modernist pioneer Irving J. Gill, the station will be restored to preserve its original features, including the distinctive arches, windows, and the historic fire hose drying tower.
Gill’s iconic arcades will link OMA’s central pavilion and terrace to the surrounding outdoor areas, enhanced by sculptures, public art, gardens, gathering spaces, and landscape elements.
“This project is an opportunity to expand the museum as a vital community hub," say Taal Safdie and Ricardo Rabines, founding partners of Safdie Rabines Architects.
"We have designed new indoor-outdoor spaces that create fluid connections between all three buildings and activate this coastal area. Art al fresco, from Gill to Gill."
The expansion will grow the gallery space from 7,000 to 10,000 square feet. It will include two new galleries: a community space in the old fire station bay and a dedicated area for OMA’s expanding permanent collection, highlighting Southern California art.
Collection storage will also expand from 600 to 2,000 square feet, and a dedicated arts education centre will support the growth of OMA’s award-winning education programmes.
New multi-purpose spaces will host lectures, workshops, community gatherings, rentals, and informal social events.
In March 2024, OMA commenced the quiet phase of its $10 million Campaign for Expansion and surpassed 90% of its fundraising goal in just over 18 months.
Before officially launching the public phase in February 2026, the campaign raised over $9 million through major gifts from nearly 80 donors, including individuals, foundations, civic organisations, county funds, and public partners.
Construction is expected to start in early 2027, with a planned public opening in spring 2028.
Elsewhere, the New Museum in New York has announced that its 60,000-square-foot expansion, designed by the architecture firm OMA, will open on 21 March.
Currently the director of the Palace of Versailles, Leribault was chosen by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
An art historian, Leribault previously led the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, both in Paris, before joining the Palace of Versailles in 2024.
His appointment at the Louvre comes four months after the high-profile theft of €88 million worth of jewellery from the institution.
During a seven-minute raid of the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon in October, thieves stole eight pieces of jewellery,
"Leribault's priority will be to strengthen the safety and security of the building, the collections, and people, to restore a climate of trust, and to carry forward, together with all the teams, the necessary transformations for the museum," France's culture ministry said in a statement.
New leader for crisis-hit Louvre museum
Des Cars, who had offered to step down in the immediate aftermath of the robbery, submitted her resignation to Macron on Tuesday (24 February).
Macron praised her decision and described it as "an act of responsibility", the Elysée Palace said.
He said the Louvre needed “calm and a strong new impetus to successfully carry out major projects involving security and modernisation”.
Following the daylight break-in at the Louvre, the museum has faced a series of setbacks, including water leaks, a suspected ticket fraud plot, and ceiling safety issues.
In response, staff at the museum have been striking over building maintenance and staffing increases, as well as a rise in ticket prices for most non-EU visitors.
Adding to these difficulties, activists on Sunday (22 February) hung a photo in the Louvre of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being driven from a police station after his arrest.
Avius, a provider of real-time customer experience solutions, including feedback and customer relationship management systems, has collaborated with the Norton Museum of Art to transform real-time visitor feedback into a powerful tool for audience growth and engagement.
The Norton Museum of Art is Florida's largest art museum, with a collection that includes European, American, Asian, contemporary art, and photography. It attracts a wide range of visitors, lifelong learners, and community members.
As the museum grows and evolves, it has become increasingly important for the marketing and operational team to understand how visitors experience exhibitions, spaces, and services.
The challenge
Like many museum marketing teams, the Norton faced a series of common challenges.
Visitor preferences varied widely across different demographics, interests, and expectations. Traditional feedback tools such as comment cards and lengthy surveys proved time-consuming and inefficient, resulting in lower participation rates as many visitors opted out.
Additionally, manually collecting and entering data slowed the process of deriving insights. These insights were often difficult to present clearly for leadership and board discussions.
To address these issues, the marketing team needed a way to capture honest visitor sentiment in real time, increase participation without disrupting the visit, and transform the feedback into actionable data to support marketing strategies and inform leadership decisions.
Feedback for museums and other attractions goes beyond just satisfaction scores. It should be easy for visitors to provide, even if they are in a hurry. The feedback should capture emotional responses, not just long-form opinions. Timeliness is important so that teams can act while the experience is still fresh.
Also, the feedback needs to be clear and credible to influence leadership decisions effectively. Ultimately, it should support strategic planning rather than just serve as a reporting tool.
The solution
Avius assisted the Norton Museum of Art in transforming immediate visitor feedback into an effective tool for audience development and engagement.
By replacing traditional approaches like comment cards and lengthy surveys, the museum can now collect visitor insights more quickly and efficiently with custom-built survey kiosks.
Visitors are encouraged to provide feedback during their visit and can choose to join the museum’s email list to stay informed about upcoming exhibitions and programmes.
To maintain data quality, email fields include validation rules that prevent visitors from continuing unless they enter a valid email address. This ensures the marketing team receives clean, dependable data for campaigns, audience building, and future planning.
Feedback is automatically gathered and shared with the leadership team, enabling insights to be quickly reviewed and acted upon, thereby fostering faster decision-making and a more audience-focused, responsive strategy.
By capturing real-time feedback, the marketing team can understand changing preferences, balance the needs of diverse audiences, and create campaigns and experiences grounded in genuine visitor insights.
Charlee Nolan, chief marketing and communications officer at the museum, says: "Theaudienceisthemostimportantthing.Itisthereasonbehindeverythingwedo.Soifwe'renotgettingitrightfortheaudience,we'renotgettingitrightatall.
"We think we know what the audience wants, and a lot of the time we are right, but we need to have the data that backs it up and helps us inform our leadership, so we can make better decisions."
She continues: "The data is really only as good as the reporting is, and the reporting has been an absolute game-changer for us. As a marketer, I have worked with many vendors over the course of my career, and one of the challenges I have historically faced is a set-it-and-forget-it mindset: we sign the contract and then never hear a peep again.
"That has not been the case with Avius. They really are partners to us. They help us achieve our goals, and that makes all the difference in the world."
Panel with Marilyn Jackson, AAM president & CEOPhoto courtesy of Todd Buchanan, Corporate Event Images
