Tour Improvements, Education, Ship Maintenance, Preservation, and Refurbishment

Greetings to all of our crew and supporters!

As always, we have had a fun couple of weeks focused on achieving our goals for 2015.  The board & crew have been focused on tour improvements, education, ship maintenance, preservation, and refurbishment.

On the tour improvement front the crew began work on an arrival video for the wardroom.  Kert from Digital Park is once again putting together a phenomenal piece to introduce our guests to the ship.  He has been instrumental in providing the engaging videos that many of you have seen including the documentary available in the store.

The tour team has been working on solutions for mobile signage, improved guest flow, and enhancing the existing tour.  The great Linda Ayers is always busy on new signage and future exhibit planning.  If you haven’t had a chance to see this month’s special exhibit in honor of Black History Month, we encourage you do so.

The Iowa Veterans Association exhibit work continues with painting occurring in the space this past week and the cabinet plan coming together.  The ship operations team is hard at work bringing this area to fruition for the summer rush.  This will also result in a tour expansion on second deck, which we are excited about.  IT will play a critical role in the IVA with a kiosk setup to view information on previous crew members.  Speaking of IT, this week David Canfield's previous cohorts at Google visited to perform street view on the IOWA.  We look forward to see the new addition online in the near future!

Picture by Ross Tipps

The operations team (with help from security) began work on the aft quarterdeck deck replacement project.  Led by Stan the Wood Man, the tedious tasks of scraping, chipping, and preparation began this past week.  This will be a great area to see complete, especially considering our focus on fun activities for kids (such as shooting basketballs in the authentic hoop).

Stan and Derek once again came together to pick up another item for population on the tour route.  They located a dental chair in Sylmar and rushed up to pick it up.  It is in good shape and is from the 1980’s era.  I am excited to see the acquisition of items such as this including the candy machine this past January.

Let’s not forget about our great paint team that has been trimming out the 02 level and painting the top of vents.  If you haven’t had a chance to go up to the 02 level yet, you must do so.  The decks that Stan worked on and the dark gray trim paint enhance the area tremendously.  Look out for the custom stencils that are going up daily.

Battleship IOWA Gray Radio Gang (Jim Jerzycke, Michael Vulpillat, Art Veiga, and John Pajusich) deserve special recognition for reactivating a transmitter onboard the ship.  They received some press on this activity over the past week as they continue to bring the IOWA back alive.  Bravo Zulu team!

On the fundraising front, we were awarded a grant by Insperity this past week and are focused on the collateral material that will go along with our campaigns in the future.  PowerPoints have been assembled with a focus on the target areas for this year which include safety, accessibility, and education.   Fundraising will be essential in accomplish our objectives and the continued support we receive is tremendously helpful.

One of our crew members and loyal supporters include Captain Carl Clausen.  We welcomed him back aboard with his family on February 14th to honor his service by attaching a plaque on the bridge.  For those of you not familiar with Carl, he was critical in the early development of our American Spirit focus.  He served in the US Navy and following retirement was a management consultant.  I personally credit Carl with putting us on track in our thinking late in 2012 and I will forever be appreciative for his support.  I ask that the crew keeps Carl in their prayers in the coming months as he continues to deal with health issues.

Public events are busier than ever.  I credit the events team led by Jamie Perez and Todd Caleca for working around the clock to produce the numerous community programs.  Earlier this month, we hosted Music Under the Guns and Movie Under the Guns.  We were blessed to have Lt. Col. Robert Friend, USAF (ret.) in attendance for the showing of Tuskegee Airmen.

Coming up this week, will be the President’s Day & Birthday Celebration on Monday, February 16th.  Kicking off with a ceremony and cake cutting, we will have a day full of events including a workout, dancing, the Sailor’s Bar, and other events.  On Wednesday, February 18th, we will honor Yvette Chapell-Ingram with the Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Leadership & Service Award.  Please join us for our events this coming week.

We were able to arrange a special luncheon for the HMS Victory on the Queen Victoria in April for our loyal crew and supporters.  Please watch your email box for the special invite, as these tickets will go fast.

Later this year we will be hosting a ceremony to honor the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII.  In conjunction with Spirit of 45, we will have numerous activities and events to commemorate the greatest generation.

This coming week, a contingent of Pacific Battleship Center crew will be headed to the annual California Association of Museums conference.  Thank you to Barry Herlihy and Associated Foundations for sponsoring some of the cost.  This will be a valuable activity to help increase our exposure and knowledge in the museum field.

Over the past couple of months we have been working on assembling a Victory STEAM Field Trip book.  The first drafts prepared by the very capable Tobias Geye of Vessel Design Group have arrived.  We are looking forward to the introduction of this education program in April.  Thank you to Harbor Community Benefit Fund for contributing to the development and implementation of this program.

We continue to work with LAUSD to introduce an engaging program for our local youth.  This program is coming together and we look forward to hosting kids from LAUSD on board the IOWA over the next year.


On the sales front, December and January attendance was better than the same months of the previous year.   This can be attributed to our focus on engaging activities for kids and the excellent stories our tour guides tell our guests on board.  We have also fine-tuned our marketing and advertising to target visitors in the region with the highest interest levels.  A reminder that our entire crew and supporter base are our best sales people.  Please consider handing out our posters, BOGO cards, and encouraging visitors to give us 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor.  This is a tremendous help!

Poster available in the Tour Office

Our sales team has been hard at work in booking special events, Camp Battleship overnight, and group sales.  We have seen increases over the past month in all areas of sales, especially Camp Battleship and Special Events.  We will be hosting approximately 500 kids during the month of February.  Dates are booking fast, so make sure to tell your friends and family to spread the word.
Next week, I will be joining the Port of Los Angeles in presenting the LA Waterfront and the new Passport program to the LA Tourism & Convention Board.  The passport collateral is complete and we plan to introduce the program in March.  We will be offering this program for sale at the ticket booth and we expect a change in signage to occur at the building to focus on the sales of the Passport.  The relationships that we have built with our community partners regarding this program are unprecedented and we owe a special thanks to the Friends of the LA Maritime Museum, Hearken Creative, Barry Herlihy, and the Port of Los Angeles for assembling this program.

The Port of Los Angeles will be presenting a policy on the future of Waterfront redevelopment this week.  This policy has received numerous hours of community input and it is a step in the right direction for the future of the LA Waterfront.  A health vibrant waterfront is one of the most important components for the future of the Battleship IOWA.  We can’t go at it alone and we appreciate the community support, the Port of Los Angeles, and Councilman Joe Buscaino for continuing to push the future of our waterfront.

In closing… Be safe, have fun, take care of each other, and see you on deck!

Tour Sales, New Orleans, Swearing In, and Billboards

What an adventurous few weeks!  We continue to develop and strengthen our community and national presence.

AAA Los Angeles Guide
Map

On the tour sales and marketing front, Craig Post attended a national summit for a large membership club.  This is a huge step and undertaking that has been made possible due to numerous steps but began by Hal Grotke.  Thank you Hal for beginning the process to connect us with them two years ago.  We plan to strengthen our tie with by creating special packages in the future.

I attended by the NTA conference in New Orleans and spoke to numerous tour operators.  They are all excited to bring people to us and we expect to see a bump in traffic from these groups over the next 9 to 12 months.  It was interesting to learn what the foreign markets are interested in and we look forward to fulfilling them.  This week we have someone visiting all of the major Asian tour operators to hopefully secure there business.

While in New Orleans, we combined it with a museum scouting mission.  Thank you in large part from a ticket grant by Delta, registration waiver from NTA, Tourismcares helping coordinate, and our partner museums hosting us.  We visited the WWII Museum, USS Alabama, and USS Kidd - all on top of a busy schedule of meetings.  We ran into our good friend from the USS Bowfin and discussed ways to make all of our ships more successful.

Visiting other museums gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment.  I commend our crew for the huge progress they have made in a short period if time.  It is absolutely incredible.  We must remember that we have been open in LA for 2.5 years at this point.  WOW!  We spoke with the WWII Museum and realized very quickly they are also an entrepreneurial organization.  The dedication of their team made it possible to make them one of the top museums in the world.  We can do it also!

A touch screen at the WWII Museum.

Some of the significant highlights at the WWII Museum include the arrival experience, the follow a service member cards, the Road to Berlin, and the Tang Experience.  We spent 5 hours at this museum and easily could have spent longer.  The information was well planned and executed with a focus on telling a human story.  This is a perfect example of an organization that stays focused on an end goal and keeping the quality high.  We are striving to do the same.  Keep up the great work!

While touring the USS Alabama, you quickly get a glimpse into IOWA past.  The bunks were all chains and canvas.  They pulled many of them out and there are wide open spaces throughout 2nd deck.  We also quickly realized how unique the Battleship IOWA is and how we can utilize the natural assets in telling the story.  Imagine for a moment on what we can do with the compartmentalization of the ship and how we can tell the story!

The USS Kidd is absolutely beautiful and well restored.  There crew is passionate and dedicated to the long-term preservation of the KIDD.  The WWII configuration is neat to see and we could even see the bottom of her hull in its unique mooring configuration.

When I returned, I went straight to work in supporting the rapidly developing LA Waterfront initiative.  Councilman Joe Buscaino has grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak and leading the charge in waterfront redevelopment.  Our neighbors have joined the cause and we are seeing some great movement. Special recognition to the Chamber of Commerce, Neighborhood Councils, and the Port of LA for taking on the important effort of creating a world class waterfront.

Assembly-member O'Donnell Swearing In

We welcomed our local elected officials to the ship on Saturday for the swearing in of Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell.  What a great event!  The crew came together to assist and execute the plan flawlessly.  The attendees and staff mentioned to me how it was obvious we knew what we were doing as it was seamless.  This is a testament to a maturing organization and the teamwork necessary to pull off an event such as this.

We continue the planning and fundraising surrounding the "IOWA Story".  The story we intend to tell covers from "Cradle to Today", includes a large human story presence, and will encompass the vast majority of the ship.  Currently we have 33 possible topics to cover within the tour and museum experience.  The first topic will be the IOWA Veterans Association exhibit.  As we grow our museum and experience, it will take focus and dedication to execute appropriately.  A consistent and fun experience is necessary to maintain a strong audience.

Our planning for the annual Gravely award came together last week and we have a recipient selected.  Please join us on February 18th for this important event.  Speaking of events, we have Music Under the Guns, Movie Under the Guns, and a Presidents Day festival coming up.  Give our events team a round of applause for executing this aggressive public events schedule.

Our marketing folks had phone calls with KRLA on our annual Memorial Day festival to begin the planning process.  We also had conversations with a few of our cooperative partners on expanding our advertising and reach in the area.

We welcomed aboard Johnny Wu to assist in executive admin and marketing admin functions.  He has a degree in history and is jazzed to be working on the IOWA.  When you have a chance, please welcome on board.

To close out this week, you will see a few great graphics that Tobias from Vessel Design Group created.  Tobias and Vessel Design Group volunteer much of there efforts and I encourage anyone looking for a graphic design and / or marketing branding experts, to please contact them.  The first one you see is for new billboards that were donated from Outfront Media.  This company continues to support the IOWA and please support them if given a chance.  The second card you see is an early draft of a card we are working on to give veterans.  This was an idea present by Arthur Huhta and it is finally coming together.

Billboard donated by Vessel Design Group.

Veteran VIP card by Vessel Design Group

Until next post, have a fun and safe couple of weeks!

Battleship USS Iowa Not Just a Museum

POSTED 4:12 PM, JANUARY 19, 2015, BY ROGER RILEY

http://whotv.com/2015/01/19/battleship-uss-iowa-not-just-a-museum/

USS Iowa (file photo)

LOS ANGELES, California- It has been over two years since the USS Iowa opened as a museum battleship in Los Angeles.  Iowans and former sailors helped to raise three million dollars to refurbish the ship and move it from northern California to Los Angeles.

Now the ship is becoming an events center for the local community.  On Sunday a first-ever blood drive was held aboard ship, in connection with the Red Cross.  People who gave blood were offered free admission to tour the USS Iowa Museum.  Blood donors were also offered discount tickets to Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings games.

“For us it’s just being a part of the community,and continuing with the USS Iowa’s service to the country,”said Andrew Bossenmeyer, spokesman for the USS Iowa Museum.  “Anytime we can host an event,that provides a service to our local communities,we’re going to do that.”

The USS Iowa will also host “Music Under the Guns” this month, featuring the Long Beach Symphony.  Also there will be an event called “Movies Under the Guns,” showing the Tuskegee Airmen movie.

NTA, LA Waterfront, Candy Machine, Crew Meeting, and Upcoming Posts!

The New Year is off to a solid and exciting start.  The crew is working on our goals for this year as outlined in previous blog posts.  Our two boards are hard at work preparing presentation plans, arranging fundraising meetings, and working towards achieving our goals.

As I write this post, I am on a plane to New Orleans for the National Tour Association conference.  We have numerous meetings with tour operators arranged and will be attending events that include our friends at TourismCares and Visit California.  In addition, we will be visiting the WW2 Museum to view the wonderful work that they have accomplished.  I believe the WW2 and Marine Corps museum has set a high standard to achieve.  We will strive to reach this level in the future and this will take both focus and fundraising to make this a reality.

A large part of our goals coming true is the successful redevelopment of the LA Waterfront.  The past couple of weeks have had a flurry of activity throughout the community.  Our friend, Councilman Joe Buscaino has shown his leadership in the redevelopment with the announcement of the Rancho San Pedro redevelopment feasibility study and his desire to see a vibrant waterfront.  I give kudos to Gene Seroka and the Port of Los Angeles for taking the initiative to present a plan of infrastructure funding to the community.  These are both enormous steps in the right direction.

A successful and vibrant waterfront will require numerous partnerships and relationships to make it a reality.  We value our relationships with our local community and business partners.  On or about March 1st we will be releasing the LA Waterfront Passport program, which provides discounts and admission to our local attractions for one low price.  The community is excited about this innovative package and we are proud to participate in this program.

As we begin the steps towards creating a world class museum, we will be focusing on numerous facets of organization development.  Part of the process is board development and fundraising.  I have to commend Barry Herlihy, Stan Sato, and the rest of our crew and loyal supporter for the recent strong showing on the deck repair campaign.  We have exceeded our goal and continue to reach for the $20,000 number to restore the aft quarterdeck and hopefully a few additional areas requiring repair.  Way to go team!

1980's Candy Machine.  Photo by Derek Cross

Last weekend the crew once again showed its strong team work.  Josh Stutz, Derek Cross, and Stan Sato came together to locate, purchase, pick-up, and install a 1980's era candy machine on the 2nd deck forward of the galley.  This machine is a very close match to the original machine and it is an awesome addition to the collection.  Thank you guys for going above and beyond in the acquisition of this important item.

On Tuesday, January 13th, we had our quarterly crew meeting in the Ward Room.  The management team discussed the 2015 goals and objectives and highlighted the 2014 accomplishments.  We are excited about the direction we are going and are already in the early stages of raising the funds necessary to accomplish this years goals.  For those that have already contributed, thank you!  If you are interested in participating in one of our future fundraising programs, please let us know at development@labattleship.com.

Slides from January 13, 2015 Crew Meeting

In August of 2015, we will welcome home three different decades of USS Iowa veterans and their families.  We are always excited to welcome them home and we will strive to give them a fun and fulfilling experience.

We started working with HNSA (Historic Naval Ships Association) management to plan the annual HNSA conference in San Pedro this year.  We are very excited to host our sister ships crew and have them experience our local community and passion of the IOWA crew.  We will most likely host 3 days of intense focused sessions on important topics for the future of the industry and close out the conference with a banquet.  We are proud to be the host of this years event and look forward to showing off the Battleship IOWA Museum and the LA Waterfront.

In closing, I want to thank the entire crew for everything they do.  These are men and women of an extraordinary desire to tell the IOWA story and be involved in something great and exciting.  Please thanks these folks when you have a chance for the selfless acts to preserve our history.

Please check back soon, as I will be posting some pictures and stories of the WWII Museum, USS Alabama, USS Kidd, and the NTA Conference over the next week.

New Year, 2015 Goals, 2015 Public Events, and a Great Close to 2014!

The New Year begins and so does a fresh slate of mission driven goals.  We are excited about what the future holds for is as a unique platform for education, tourism, and activities.  In fact, our 2015 core goals are primarily focused on these three items.

Every December, the leadership team gathers to discuss what our primary objectives for the following year will be.  The objectives generally fall within the predefined role of our overall 5 year capital improvement goals as approved by the Board of Directors.  We also review our previous year crew feedback, actual critical needs, and our customer reviews to determine the best possible next steps.

New Years Eve at the Battleship IOWA.  The final close to 2014!

This coming year will have a focus on fundraising and implementation of:

• Public & Youth Education programs to engage our visitors, community, and students in an authentic hands on experience at the IOWA.
• Tour & Museum improvements that are interactive and enjoyable for guests of all ages.  A few specific projects are the IOWA Veterans Association exhibit, 2nd deck expansion, Wardroom movie, aviation and missile exhibit.
• Ship Maintenance, Preservation, and Refurbishment that include aft quarterdeck wood replacement, possible waterline work, and electrical infrastructure.
   

As you can see, we have an exciting 2015 ahead of us.  We will need everyone's assistance in pulling off these goals, so please consider how you may be able to contribute.

Where's Vicky???

We had a great holiday season at the IOWA!  Our attendance was stabilized, our Events team pulled off a couple of great programs, our OPS team completed Camp Battleship, our Tour team accommodating the increase in kids and guests, and our Security team provided a safe experience.  There are many unsung heroes behind the scenes that include ticketing, accounting, administration, volunteer services, donors, and many others that deserve recognition.  Please thank these folks for there service when you see them.

Our stabilized attendance is enormous progress for us.  As many of you know, we have had the typical second year blues for most for most of 2014.  To see our attendance finally stabilize and now start building on is a sign of relief and forward progress as an institution.  The number of families and children that visited during the holiday season was noticeably higher in comparison to earlier in the year.  Key to our future success will include engaging programs and services for all of our guests to enjoy.

The Security Team hard at work shoveling dirt for the trench.

During the holiday season the everyday work of operating Battleship IOWA continued.  The crew worked on closing out the Camp Battleship program including filling in the trench for the fire line.  Even the security team stepped in and helped shovel the dirt and a nice change of pace for me personally to operate the track loader during the work.  I am proud of the tremendous effort and teamwork that the crew put into bringing Camp Battleship and the heads alive by the end of 2014.

The recent storms tore up many of our tents and awnings.  It also caused a temporary down period with our gunnery video on the side of Turret 1 (it is now up and running again). But the awnings are still missing.  We are hoping to get those fixed sooner then later and could use some funding assistance to repair these.

Our education programs are actively in development with a focus on youth and public education.  Our core youth education programs include Victory STEAM Field Trip Program, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV's), and Camp Battleship Overnight program.  The public education experience will include enhanced exhibits and tour improvements to create a innovative hands on experience.

With the strong youth attendance, we will focus on providing more engaging hands on activities for our guests throughout the future.  As a hint of our direction, we will be combining the natural STEAM activities and history on board to create a hands on experience.  We are excited about the opportunity to serve our community and advance our mission!

The wonderful job the ship's carpenter performed on bringing
back the deck on the Signal Bridge during 2014.  More to come
in 2015 with our deck restoration campaign!

Of course, the regular maintenance will be required to keep the entire operation progressing.  We are focused on raising funds and working on decks, hull and waterline, and preservation / restoration.  A major goal for us in the future is raising the necessary restoration capital over the next couple of years and are looking at numerous opportunities and resources.  Our recent deck fundraising campaign for the aft quarterdeck has raised over $15,000 as of January 5, 2015.  To participate in this campaign, please click here or donate on our website at http://www.pacificbattleship.com.

We have received a lot of assistance in participation by our crew and loyal supporters in marketing the Battleship IOWA museum.  The new posters have arrived with the purpose of our supporting businesses and individuals to show their pride in our veterans and Battleship IOWA museum.  Please feel free to pick up posters to distribute at our ticketing booth or in the tour office.  In addition to the posters, we will continue our BOGO campaign into 2015.  We encourage everyone to grab a handful and handout and/or place at local retailers, restaurants, clubs, buildings, businesses, etc.  Help us spread the word of the importance of the IOWA to the community.

Our first community outreach program of the
year is the Battleship IOWA Blood Drive.

Our 2015 public events calendar has been released at http://www.pacificbattleship.com/page/eventcalendar.  A new addition for 2015 is our popular Movie & Music Under programs in partnership with community performers and sponsors.  This is part of our public outreach program to increase engagement with the community and strengthen our community relationships.  Please consider attending or sponsoring one of these fun events on board the IOWA.  For more information or to sponsor, please email tcaleca@labattleship.com.

In addition to our public programs, we also will once again offer the "Curator Tour" beginning again in February 2015.  This special tour is led by David Way, IOWA's curator and includes lunch, conversation, and areas off of the normal tour route.  It is an exciting behind the scenes opportunity not usually offered to the public.  For more information, visit our website at http://www.pacificbattleship.com.

In closing, I would like to personally thank our entire crew and supporters for a wild ride since the award of the ship in 2011.  Each and everyone of you have played an important role in the history of our beloved battleship.  Your pride, perseverance, dedication, and contributions are tremendous and has shown what it means to be a proud patriot.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do!

Stan Sato's 2014 Annual Carpenter Review is Now Available

Stan Sato's 2014 Annual Carpenter Review is Now Available February - deck refinishing 03 starboard Before/After Click Here to Download

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to our proud crew, supporters, and donors.  As we reflect on the previous year, we are thankful for the dedication and perseverance of the many people that have brought the dream of the Battleship IOWA alive.  We remember the sacrifices of our troops that continue to provide us the freedom we enjoy daily and our veterans that continue to deal with a lifetime of memories from their service.  With the assistance of our partners, we will continue to focus the future of the LA Waterfront and the long-term viability of our great museum.  In closing, please keep our friends & families that are dealing with life challenges in your thoughts during this holiday season.