Research Reports from the Department of Operations

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

11-1-1974

Abstract

The Cleveland Zoological Park has experienced, over the past decade, a general trend toward increasing deficits and decreasing attendance (see Appendix A). The Zoo is a nonprofit organization, rendering services to the community in such areas as education, conservation, community enhancement, and cultural enrichment. Through the Metropolitan Park Board, it receives an annual subsidy of $300,000. In spite of this subsidy and a significant increase in donated funds, coupled with repeated admission and parking fee increases, even the most frugal management has been unable to make income meet expenses. Certainly, nothing has been left over for capital investments in new or renovated facilities. Due to the circumstances described above, and similar problems noted in other zoos throughout the country (see, for example, the results of a recent attendance survey presented in Table 1-1, showing most other zoos surveyed having greater declines in attendance than Cleveland), the Cleveland Zoological Society and the Department of Operations Research of Case Western Reserve University began, in the summer of 1973, the first of a two-phase study of zoo marketing methods and problems.

Keywords

Operations research, Cleveland Zoological Park, Zoos--Economic aspects, Marketing, Zoo exhibits, Zoos--Management, Market surveys, Zoo visitors--Ohio--Cleveland

Publication Title

Technical Memorandums from the Department of Operations, School of Management, Case Western Reserve University

Issue

Technical memorandum no. 346

Rights

This work is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded for personal or academic use

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