Maurizio Vanni's 'Il museo diventa impresa' redefines museum management at Lu.C.C.A.

Maurizio Vanni, director of Lu.C.C.A. – Lucca Center of Contemporary Art since its founding in 2008, has authored 'Il museo diventa impresa' (The Museum Becomes an Enterprise), a book theorizing his unconventional marketing strategies that transformed the museum into a self-sustaining cultural enterprise. Facing economic crisis and local companies' reluctance to sponsor, Vanni introduced 'interactive partnerships' where businesses invest in the museum in exchange for customized marketing strategies that narrate their brand through culture. This approach generated 50% of the museum's funding. Over seven years, Lu.C.C.A. attracted 350,000 visitors and engaged 20,000 young people in educational workshops. The museum also hosted theatrical performances, themed dinners, and living talk shows to boost attendance. Vanni argues that museums must prioritize making visitors enjoy and socialize, while maintaining traditional museological ethics. He plans to implement hyper-profiling technology—using apps or bracelets to collect visitor data—to offer personalized cultural experiences, aiming to reduce reliance on public funding. Vanni's next book will focus on the museum 4.0, applying technology to improve performance and interaction. He advises other museum directors to adopt creative governance and transversal solutions to survive without public funds, emphasizing that Italian museums need better management, not structural change.