by Ashley Hess, written on July 9, 2020

As a new guide and educator, you may be faced with challenges when leading private tours. Here are some tips for four common problems and questions you might have. 

1. How can I customize the tour for the group?
2. What art or artifacts should I show the group?
3. What topics should I avoid? Can I talk about religion with the group?
4. I started with five people on my tour, and now I have ten. What do I do? 

The first challenge I had as a guide was tailoring the tour for each group. Have they been here before? When? What have they seen in the UAE? My main tip for this challenge: Ask the visitors. They will be more than willing to share their experiences. If they are new to the UAE, you can suggest places to go, eat, experience. Remember, you are the cultural ambassador to the UAE.

The second challenge acts as a follow up to the first challenge. Where is the group from, should I show artwork from that country? What art, artifacts do they like? Often a tour is pre-booked, and you will receive a list of information stating the guests’ home country, the age range of the group, and the time frame for a visit. Sometimes you will even be lucky and will have a request for a specific theme, time frame, or list of crucial artworks the group wishes to see. Other than that, it would be best if you educated yourself on the collection. Make sure you know where the artworks & artists are from and where they placed in the gallery spaces.  I have had experiences finding out the guests’ country of origin on the spot as I introduce myself. 

You might be asking yourself how can I be culturally sensitive? What should I avoid? Can I talk about religion with the group? You might have a heads up before the tour, or the oranigsation’s protocol will advise you accordingly. Other than that, you must read social cues. Most people visiting the region will be interested to learn about Islam. If you are concerned about discussing religion, you can highlight that the UAE recently celebrated a year of tolerance that led to plans for a church, synagogue, and mosque (designed by the same architect) to share the same garden on Sadiyaat Island, Abu Dhabi. 

And finally, what if you find your group increasing in numbers. If your tour is engaging, this will typically happen. Please take it as a compliment. But remember, you must be careful when dealing with this situation. For this, I always like to find a spot in the museum that allows visitors to explore on their own. I introduce the space and give the group time to explore. During that time, I will approach those that have decided to join my group. I politely explain that this is a paid tour, and tell them where to buy tickets, the timing for the next scheduled tour, and any other information that they would find helpful.  

If you found these tips helpful, remain on the lookout for more information, blogs, and videos on the Talents UAE website, which we will release over the coming months.

by Amaryllis Georges

As part of the Talents UAE team my first tour at the Louvre Abu Dhabi was during the VIP pre-opening of the museum. It started with a group of ten directors of a prominent auction house and ended just shy of fifty VIP visitors. I want to establish this fact at the onset of this blog as it discloses the crux of any VIP tour – confidence. 

Needless to say, confidence emanates from various elements. When speaking about art to individuals who are seasoned art professionals, by definition, one’s knowledge and facts must be on par with that of their audience. Polished knowledge of art history, along with any relevant terminology is a prerequisite for delivering a VIP tour in a universal art museum. Your VIP has attained that acronym because they excel at what they do. Whether they have won an Academy Award, are the head of a country, or the president of a company, they are used to receiving top-quality services and this is true of their museum experience. Of course, no one can be an expert in everything, and it is inevitable that at some point in your VIP tour, or any tour for that matter, you will be asked a question to which you do not have the answer. There is no shame in admitting you are “unsure” or “do not know”. However, these are responses you do not want to frequently fall back on. In other words, when you know your stuff and are prepared, you walk into the tour from the outset with confidence.

Good museum educators study and know the collection they speak about; the best museum educators make that knowledge tangible to a varied audience group. I once gave a VIP tour to an art collector, who happened to be a patron and a board member of a distinguished museum. When I was informed of this visit, I knew that the language the tour necessitated was one of eloquence. Then the guest arrived, with their three children, the eldest being twelve, the youngest five. A good museum educator will deliver the tour as planned, directed to the VIP. An exceptional museum educator will juggle all these different components – age, interests, prior-knowledge, attention spans, etc. – and switch from expertise and fluency of expression with the VIP to interactive and elementary explanations with said VIP’s children. Naturally, it helps if you are delivering your tour in a language that you are comfortable in. A sense of situational awareness is essential here, especially when avoiding the pitfall of being pedantic. If your VIP is knowledgeable, avoid stating the obvious. Likewise, if your VIP has an interest in learning but is not an expert in the subject, keep theory and terms at a minimal. Manipulating speech to cater to different groups shows malleability, spontaneity, and ultimately the ease of confidence.

Before beginning your tour there are a couple of implied conditions that would benefit you when delivering a VIP tour, as first impressions do matter. Aesthetic finesse in affording someone with the necessary respect by dressing and presenting oneself appropriately, is obvious but goes a long way. Another little nuance can be found in your handshake when greeting your VIP. A good sturdy handshake is suggestive of someone who is strong and confident (there’s that word again!).  It is also, highly beneficial to do some light research on your VIP guest prior to their arrival. If they are arriving with an entourage, which is often the case, it helps to know who your VIP is among the group. This light research will also allow you to prepare on how to address your VIP. Distinctions of title and position, such as Your Excellency, Mr President, Mrs Prime Minister, Your Highness, etc. are vital, not just upon greeting your VIP, but throughout your interaction with them.

Finally, possessing a natural rapport with your VIP cannot be stated enough. At times, I have found myself giving a tour to visitors who do not share the same passion for art as I do and it is easy in that moment to feel underwhelmed or demotivated. Instead, find out what they do care about and incorporate that into the conversation you have with them. I say conversation because a tour with a VIP should be just that. A VIP does not want to feel like they are being herded into a tour with the masses. They are expecting a premium experience and rapport, small talk, wit, etc., is part of that experience. Being malleable and adjusting to these types of situations shows a level of ease and confidence in your abilities as a museum educator.
I began this blog by briefly writing about a personal experience I had, from which it seems my entire trajectory at the Louvre Abu Dhabi was forged.  I would like to close by reminiscing on another VIP experience I had at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, where I delivered a tour to more than forty patrons of a prominent French museum, along with their director. After the tour of the main galleries, the director approached me and amidst the lovely conversation, asked if I would lead the group into the international exhibition the Louvre Abu Dhabi was showing at the time. I graciously accepted the honour and led them into the exhibit. I say honour, because this director co-curated that specific exhibit and here I was being asked by him to deliver a tour of his exhibit to him and his friends. A curator’s pride and joy is their exhibit and the chance to speak about it or deliver a tour of it to collectors and patrons is a part of the thrill of completing the project. For him to have relinquished that by affording me the privilege is a testament to the quality of the tour they had just experienced, which included every single point mentioned in this blog. From the moment I received them to the moment they requested a group picture of all of us at the end of the visit, it was my knowledge, passion, and of course confidence that shone through.