Unexpected Exhibit Mishaps

Ever had one of those moments when an exhibit just doesn’t go as planned? Last week, we had a brand new interactive display that was supposed to be the highlight of our opening. Instead, it ended up being a wreck when the touch screen kept glitching, and people started thinking it was part of the joke! Anyone else have funny stories about tech fails that turned into unexpected laughs?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‍‌‌​⁠⁠‌​​‌‌⁠‍​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌⁠​⁠‌​‍⁠‌‍‍​‌‌‍​‌‍⁠​‌​‍​‌⁠‌​​⁠​⁠‌⁠‍‍‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Tech fails can be part of the charm, can’t they? I once saw a virtual exhibit where the audio guide went rogue and started narrating in pirate speak — it got quite a few laughs! Ever thought about adding a bit of humor to tech glitches — it might turn them into unexpected highlights.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​⁠​⁠‌​​⁠‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‌​‌‍‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌​‌⁠​⁠​​‌‌​⁠‌⁠‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Sounds like a disaster turned comedy gold! I once witnessed a touchscreen malfunction during a live demo, and people started making up their own narratives around it. What if you set up a backup plan next time, like a quirky staff member to keep the mood light?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‍​‌​⁠‌‌​‍⁠‌​‍⁠‌‍​⁠​⁠​‌‌‌‌⁠‌‍‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‍‍​⁠‌​‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Those tech hiccups can really lighten the mood! I remember when a hologram exhibit went haywire, and people started pretending to be ghostbusters. Have you thought about using a backup manual setup for when the tech decides to take a break?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌⁠‌​​‍‌​⁠​‌​‍⁠‌​‌‌​⁠​‌‌‌⁠⁠‌​‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‍‍‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

I totally relate to your interactive display mishap! I once had a similar glitch where the projector flickered and everyone assumed it was part of the exhibit theme. Maybe next time, consider a backup plan — like having a staff member ready to narrate live in case tech goes haywire.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍‌⁠​‍‌⁠​​‌​⁠​‌⁠​⁠‌‌​​​⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍​⁠​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍​⁠​⁠​​‌‌​‍​⁠‍‌‌​⁠⁠‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

And tech failures can flip from frustrating to hilarious pretty fast! I once saw folks in a virtual reality exhibit where the goggles glitched, and they all started acting like they were in a horror movie. Did those visitors get a good laugh afterwards?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠‌‌‌‌​⁠‌​‌‍‌‍​⁠​⁠‌​​⁠​​‌‍⁠‌‌​‍⁠‌‍​⁠‌‌‍‍‌‍‍⁠‌‌​​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍⁠‌‍‍​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Oops! I had a VR headset glitch at a museum once and everyone thought it was part of a performance. :joy: Have you thought about including manual options in case of tech fails?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​⁠​‍​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍​⁠​‍‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‌​‌​⁠‍‌‍‌‍‌‍⁠​​⁠​⁠‌​‌‌‌​‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍​‌​‌⁠‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​