Episode Summary:
From tackling pandemic-induced changes in their offering to addressing the changing demographics of their constituents, The Trustees of Reservation has had their fair share of messaging challenges. Hear their Chief Marketing Officer, Matt Montgomery, talk us through them all.
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees of the Reservations has, for more than 125 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. They care for more than 100 special places—nearly 27,000 acres—all around Massachusetts. Each year, more than 2 million people visit our reservations, 250,000 people participate in our more than 5,000 programs and events, and volunteers contribute over 50,000 hours of assistance in all aspects of our work.
About Matt Montgomery:
Matt Montgomery joined The Trustees in 2013 as the organization’s first Chief Marketing Officer. Matt oversees the Stakeholder Engagement Department. He has created or transformed the Marketing, Membership, Enterprise, and Visitor Interpretation departments during this time. In the last seven years, Matt has overseen a comprehensive rebranding campaign, the implementation of a statewide POS system, the 125th Anniversary campaign, and co-authored the Excite strategy-the organizational roadmap for engaging visitors through public programming and visitor experience. Visitation at the Trustees has grown from 1.2 million visitors to more than 2 million. Membership has grown from 42,000 households ($3.2 million) to 65,000 ($5.8 million). Matt has led the communications and marketing strategy to launch several special efforts, including the Art and the Landscape program, Boston Public Market Kitchen, and One Waterfront Initiative. In 2019, he led the effort to create a Digital Roadmap for the organization, and in 2020, his department launched a newly designed website. In 2020, he became the executive in charge of Art and Culture, a new division created after the integration with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.
Previously, Matt worked as the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he oversaw the public relations and marketing initiatives for the opening of the new wing designed by Renzo Piano. He also worked as the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Before that, he worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and colleges and universities in Atlanta, GA. He has his B.A. in English from the University of Georgia and his M.A. in English and American Literature from Georgia State University.
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