Lessons Learned from the Bicentennial

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Lessons Learned from the Bicentennial
Presented by Karen Seaberg
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The Complexity of the Bicentennial

• Collaboration
• Community
• State/Bi-State
• National Trail

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Lewis Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
National Council For The Lewis Clark
Bicentennial
US CONGRESS
Kansas Commission
TRAILS
MARKETING
NATIVE CULTURES
EDUCATION
FUNDRAISING
A JOURNEY FOURTH SIGNATURE EVENT
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The LCTHFPerspective

• The Parent Organization

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How the Bicentennial Changed Us

• LCTHF morphed into a professional organization
• Increased Federal funding/NPS cost share
• Increased staff
• Chapters grew/membership increased
• Cooperation with Partners
• Changed how we look at the story
• Increased awareness of our role in the Third
  Century

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Challenges Along the Way

• Burnout 4-year Bicentennial/12-20 year project
  
• Financial independence
• High expectations of the LCTHF
• New interpretative sites
• Inventories The Repository
• Archiving the Bicentennial
• Chapters/Membership How to maintain the
  excitement

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The City/State Perspective

• The Grassroots Effort

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What Does It Take to Be Successful?
The Making of a Regional Network

• An Executive Committee The Umbrella
• An Executive Director
• State representation
• All participating communities
• Shared Resources
• State agencies
• Performers/interpreters
• Special interest groups
• Funders

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What Does It Take to Be Successful?
The Making of a Regional Network

• Shared marketing
• Printed materials and advertising
• Regional television coverage
• Challenges for participating communities
• To maintain uniqueness, but still fit in
• To raise supplementary funds
• To maintain participation at all meetings

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What Does It Take to Be Successful? The Event

• Maintain uniqueness
• Well thought-out logistics
• Two to three-day event maximum
• Do not charge, or minimal charge
• Plan for more/expect less
• Large numbers are not necessarily a measure of
  success

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The Legacy for the Future

• New bricks and mortar along the trail
• New community/state/national partners
• Communities and chapters
• Think bigger
• Take ownership of the trail

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Lessons Learned from the Bicentennial
The deep end is where the fun happens!
Thank You