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.
Tate has announced that Maria Balshaw, who has served as the institution's director since 2017, will step down next year.
After nine years of leadership, Balshaw will leave Tate in spring 2026. In a statement, she said it "has been an absolute privilege" to "work with such talented colleagues and artists".
"With a growing and increasingly diverse audience, and with a brilliant forward plan in place, I feel now is the right time to pass on the baton to a next director who will take the organisation into its next decade of innovation and artistic leadership," she said.
"My greatest thrill has always been to work closely with artists, and so it is fitting that Tracey Emin’s exhibition at Tate Modern will be my final project at Tate.”
During her tenure, Balshaw steered Tate through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as shifting attendance and financial issues.
This year, for example, Tate cut 7 percent of its workforce in order to address a funding deficit left over from the pandemic.
Balshaw also worked to diversify Tate's collection and engage a wider public, and has overseen the growth of Tate's partnerships around the world.
Additionally, under her leadership, Tate has built the world's largest arts membership.
Director to leave Tate after nine years
Upcoming projects that Balshaw has led include the new Clore Garden at Tate Britain, which opens in 2026, as well as a complete transformation of Tate Liverpool, opening in 2027.
For next year, Balshaw is curating an exhibition celebrating the work of artist Dame Tracey Emin at Tate Modern.
One of Balshaw's most important projects, according to a press release, was the establishment of an endowment fund for Tate’s long-term financial security, working with Tate’s chair Roland Rudd.
Launched earlier this year, the fund has secured more than £50 million of donations to date.
"Maria has been a trailblazer at Tate. She has never wavered from her core belief – that more people deserve to experience the full richness of art, and more artists deserve to be part of that story," said Rudd.
"As the home of British art and of international modern and contemporary art, Tate today reflects the audiences we serve and the artists who make up our nation," he added.
"We engage a wider public than ever before through our own galleries, our digital channels, and our projects in other venues across the UK and the world.
"Maria has my heartfelt thanks for those achievements and for all her work over the past decade."
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.
At the museum, visitors can engage with digital avatars of historical figures who shaped Saratoga Springs and the institution itself.
Using their smartphones, guests can chat with these AI figures, ask them questions, and explore the city's past.
In select exhibits, visitors can also speak directly to portrait-based avatars for an immersive, face-to-face experience with history.
The AI tour guide software was created in-house by the museum's director of communications, L.F. Leon, as part of a project to combine innovation and accessibility.
Among the AI tour guides are John Morrissey, who helped to establish Saratoga as a leading destination in American culture.
Morrissey founded the Canfield Casino (now home to the museum) and created the Saratoga Race Track.
AI-powered museum experiences
Another AI tour guide is Frank Leslie, a pioneering publisher and advocate for women’s suffrage, whose legacy contributed to national conversations around women’s rights.
Also appearing as an AI guide is civic leader and founder of the Saratoga Historical Society, Ellen Hardin Walworth, who played a pivotal role in shaping local and national history.
"This reopening marks an exciting new chapter for the Saratoga Springs History Museum," said the museum's executive director James Parillo.
"We are honoring our past while embracing the future, using innovative technology to create meaningful connections between our visitors and the people who shaped this city."
The AI tour guides are included with museum admission and available to all guests.
The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) in Dudley, England, has announced three Peaky Blinders nights scheduled throughout 2026, with the first on 14 March.
Visitors to BCLM can walk in the footsteps of Birmingham's most infamous gang, as it was used as a filming location for several scenes in the hit TV drama. Now, with the release of the film The Immortal Fan, the museum is running a series of special evening events.
The museum offers visitors filming location maps, and Blue Plaques can be found around the site.
Charlie’s Yard is the most iconic backdrop, appearing in all six series of the show. First introduced in episode one, it quickly became a central setting. In truth, it is the Museum's boat dock and anchor forge, rich with regional industrial history.
Additionally, the canal towpath has witnessed several tense moments, acting as a drop-off point for characters visiting the Yard. The Canal Street bridge also became a key meeting spot for Freddie and Ada in season one.
The museum's forges and metalworking shops have experienced their own dramas, including shootouts.
The Peaky Blinders nights will include live entertainment, including music, games, and interactive performances, while they explore the immersive atmosphere and enjoy proper Black Country food and drink.
Describing the 16+ event, BCLM says:
"Stay alert for stories unfolding all around, but watch your step as you never know who might be lurking around the corner. Keep your wits about you and don’t forget, if you spot something unusual – you didn’t see anything, alright?
"Dress to impress in your finest threads and frocks as you wind your way through our historic streets. Enjoy incredible live music, witness wild entertainment and tuck in to fantastic food."
Last month, BCLM also announced that it is expanding its dog-friendly days through the rest of this year. Amid a growing trend for pet-friendly experiences in visitor attractions, the trial initiative was launched in November 2025.
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.”
The Dalí Museum in Florida has announced plans for a 35,000-square-foot, $65 million expansion, with construction due to start this autumn.
Expected to open in 2028, the new addition to the Dalí Museum will boast flexible gallery environments for experiential exhibitions that blend art and technology, a dedicated learning centre, and community spaces for events and programming.
Since opening in St. Petersburg in 1982, the Dalí Museum has welcomed more than 10 million visitors. Following the debut of its landmark building in 2011, it has generated more than $1 billion in economic impact for the area.
Combined with the museum’s existing galleries, theatre, dome and Avant-garden, the expansion will create a dynamic campus.
Hank Hine, executive director of the Dalí Museum, said the project is "a defining moment for our institution and for St. Petersburg".
"We are creating a museum that will stand with the great cultural institutions of the world, prepared to meet the expectations of today’s visitors and the curiosity of those who will walk through these doors decades from now," he said.
Hine added: "It’s not about being bigger; it’s about being bolder. For more than four decades, the Dalí has led through innovation, empowering visitors to see differently and think expansively.
"This next chapter allows us to move beyond existing limitations and create space, intellectually and physically, for deeper learning, more ambitious experiences and broader access."
The expansion will be designed and built by the Beck Group, which constructed the 2011 building.
The project has received early support from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the official tourism marketing organisation for Pinellas County, Florida.
"The Dalí Museum is a cultural engine for this community and a cornerstone of St. Petersburg’s global identity," said Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
"Investments like this strengthen the identity that defines our region and attracts visitors from around the world."
A 3D model of the proposed expansion will go on view at the Dalí from 2 May, as part of a special exhibition exploring the museum's architectural evolution and future vision.
The Dalí Museum will remain open throughout construction.
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.
Panel with Marilyn Jackson, AAM president & CEOPhoto courtesy of Todd Buchanan, Corporate Event Images