2020: an unforgettable year

Dear museum staff,

What an eventful and unforgettable year we’ve all had. After an unassuming start, the year took a drastic turn in March as COVID-19 turned our world upside down. While the pandemic has affected us all, it’s also made us more creative and flexible. And that flexibility has always been of paramount importance at Guide-ID. The first three months of the pandemic were a rollercoaster of emotions, with many difficult decisions and changes, but I’m happy and proud to have been able to lead Guide-ID through this! Our whole team worked on creating solutions that got us through this rough patch, together with you. After all, we are united by one mission: to tell inspiring stories to young and old!

I realize these have been, and still are, very tough times for you all. I’ve spoken to many museums around the world and heard stories that have pulled at my heartstrings. All of those conversations were digital, which will never be the same as meeting in person over a good cup of coffee.

I witnessed first-hand how each country chose its own strategy to contain the virus. However, I believe there’s one thing that unites us: the willpower and dedication to quickly ensure our museums were completely COVID-safe. Just as soon as you had everything sorted, museums were devastated to hear they had to close again! This situation requires a huge amount of resilience, but I’m sure you’re going to get through this too!

Museums in the Netherlands have recently reopened and I hope other countries will follow soon. One thing is for sure: your museums and heritage sites will continue to be inspiring places that nourish the imagination. And there has never been a more crucial time to imagine and dream. We will do everything we can to ensure we continue to help you tell your wonderful stories to as many people as possible.

To support this, I’ve decided I want to do something in return for our customers. That’s why Guide-ID will from now on support an annual project, as a way of giving back to society. For 2021, we have chosen for ‘Oren en Ogen tekort’, a foundation committed to helping people with a sensory impairment. Their mission is to make art and culture accessible to people with a visual or hearing impairment. As such, it’s the perfect fit for our own mission: to tell stories to everyone worldwide. We can now offer this group of visitors an equally unforgettable experience. This year saw us launch an entirely new mobile website (with audio scripts) and an app (soon with sign language), so that all visitors can listen to audio tours on their smartphone. And, as you’d expect from us, we’ll keep this as simple as possible.

So while there’ll be no Dutch delicacies as a present this year, there will be a fantastic contribution for the ‘Oren en Ogen tekort’ foundation instead. Please take care and stay creative in the days and weeks ahead. I hope 2021 will be a year full of health and happiness, one in which we can look forward to meeting each other in person again – over a lovely cup of coffee.

Do you want to know more about using the insights our audio guide has to offer? Or do you want to start to use the Podcatcher yourself in your museum or attraction? Get in touch with us directly, we’re happy to help!