Staff Highlight: Marcel Robitaille
What is your role at the museum: I am the tourism and social media coordinator. I am a ‘Jack of All Trades’ at the Museum. Essentially, I run social media, develop new programming opportunities, and design exhibits. I also answer the phones if you ever decide to call in!
What inspired me to work in the museum field: I was originally a radio broadcaster – museums weren’t on my horizon. Early on in my career, it was apparent that I was heavily invested in telling the history of Canada. I used my time within the broadcast booth to create stories involving the history of our country. I delved into story after story, which helped me realize how much I wanted to share these historical stories with the wider public. I went on to get my undergrad in history and a masters in museum studies. With all my experiences, I hope to share my love of history with Lac La Biche County.
What is your favourite part of working at the museum: I’m very new to this museum! Currently, I interact with visitors coming through, creating social media posts through the website and various social medias that the museum uses. Speaking and interacting with the public truly brings home the museum experience for me. Previously, I’ve worked as an interpretive planner and visitor researcher in museums. What that essentially means is that I designed exhibits and galleries largely through the input of what the public wanted! What I truly liked was developing and creating multi-media exhibits that told stories, sometimes educational and all the time entertaining. That’s something I hope to bring to this museum in the years to come!
What is one exhibit that holds a special significance to you and why: I’ve yet had the opportunity to create exhibits at this museum. However, you can see the passion that the current, and previous, staff have put into creating the exhibits here. My personal favourite is the exhibit focused on the Boreal Biome you see as soon as you walk in. The exhibit is truly amazing, the auditory and spatial design of the exhibit is truly a sight to see. In the past, I have designed and researched gallery spaces at the Royal Ontario Museum, and the upcoming Greek Canadian Heritage Museum in Toronto, Ontario. Creating discovery based exhibits, where the public can interact with the exhibit and learn as they go, is something I find particularly rewarding as an exhibit designer.
How do promote the museum’s exhibits and programs to attract visitors: Attracting visitors to the museum’s exhibits is all about creating an amazing promotion campaign! Get to know your audience inside and out – what they love, what sparks their curiosity – and create engaging content that speaks to them. I don’t limit myself to one channel; Lac La Biche Museum has a wide selection of social medias! I also use email, website updates and collaboration to get my message across to Lac La Biche and the county. By understanding the museum’s audience and spreading the exciting ongoings at the Lac La Biche museum, I can draw in visitors and provide them an unforgettable experience!
