Growth can’t happen without the right resources.

No one knows that better than the team at the Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) in Detroit. 

A dynamic hub for STEM education that’s dedicated to making science accessible to all, Mi-Sci ignites curiosity and fosters a love for science in children and families. The center offers hands-on exhibits, interactive demonstrations and community outreach programs. 

But with a growing audience and ambitious goals, they faced a significant challenge: how to streamline operations, deepen engagement and expand their membership base without compromising the visitor experience.

Mi-Sci needed a unified solution that could handle ticketing, memberships and donor engagement. They needed a platform that would help them better understand their visitors and create meaningful connections to encourage repeat visits and long-term support.

They needed Tessitura.

The challenge: Fragmented systems and missed opportunities

As Mi-Sci's Director of Guest Relations Melanie Depcinski explained, “Prior to Tessitura, we were on two systems that didn’t talk to one another. All of our data lived in different spaces. It made it really difficult to access [and] next to impossible to identify patterns and trends.”

This fragmented approach led to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for engagement. Tracking visitor interactions and personalizing outreach were difficult. Members went through a cumbersome process to redeem their benefits.

“[One] of the reasons we chose Tessitura is the connectivity. Not just our CRM and our ticketing, but everything beyond that.”

The solution: A unified system for a multifaceted organization

When it came time to select a new system, the Michigan Science Center team carefully evaluated their options. “[We] went through a really extensive process based on our needs,” Melanie recalled. “We looked at several systems.”

The ability to unify ticketing, fundraising, membership, customer relationship management and other key functions was a major factor in the decision. “[One] of the reasons we chose Tessitura is because of the connectivity,” she said. “Not just our CRM and our ticketing, but everything beyond that.”

Integrations with third-party solutions such as wealth screening and email marketing provided more opportunities to streamline operations. And going live with Tessitura v16 ensured they had access to industry-leading features and a modern user interface. “We came right in on version 16. We don’t know anything different, and we’ve been very happy so far,” Melanie said.

The impact: Connection and engagement

Implementing Tessitura has empowered the Michigan Science Center team to focus on what matters most: delivering inspiring science education to the community. To reach their audiences with messages that resonate, they can now personalize communications and target engagement efforts. 

“Having our members be able to tell us what their communication preferences are and the types of programming and exhibitions they’re interested in has been really fantastic,” Melanie said. She added that, when combined with a complete picture of ticketing and attendance behavior, “it allows us to see how that interest translates into engagement with the organization.”

“Having our members be able to tell us the types of programming and exhibitions they’re interested in has been really fantastic.”

Enhancing the online customer experience

A standout benefit has been Tessitura’s flexibility for managing customers’ online experience. “I really like the configurability of TNEW,” Melanie said of Tessitura’s e-commerce capabilities. “It has really helped us to streamline the way we offer our tickets, our programs and things like that to our guests.”

Visitors appreciate having access to their accounts online. “That’s not something they had with us previously,” Melanie noted.

The customer portal also makes it easier for members to redeem their benefits. “If you’re a member, you log into your account, and it automatically triggers pricing rules so that the discount is reflected in your cart,” she said. “It makes a lot of those things easier. We’re able to automate some of those discounts.”

Those advantages extend beyond member discounts to other offer codes, too. “I’m loving the ability to tailor promo codes and promotions,” Melanie said. “In our previous system, we weren’t able to customize those in a way that allowed us to distribute them and limit them to the audiences that we wanted.” For example, she shared, “We can do things like extend special offers to our partners and say, ‘Yes, we can absolutely give you a code for 250 of your employees to come to this special event,’ and know that we’re giving that to the audience we’re trying to bring in with that promotion.”

“I’m loving the ability to tailor promo codes and promotions. We’re able to automate some of those discounts.”

A system that scales for any organization 

While some smaller teams may worry that Tessitura is too robust for their needs, the Michigan Science Center proves that the system works for organizations of any size.

“Our organization has around 75 employees total, and [only about three or four] of us who are working every day in Tessitura,” Melanie said. “We’re learning as we go, but there are so many fantastic resources. If you’re a small organization and you’re worried that Tessitura is too much: Tessitura is a lot, but because it’s a lot, it can do a lot.” 

Melanie highlights Tessitura’s help system as an invaluable tool. She also appreciates the assistance of Tessitura’s dedicated team, including the availability of 24/7 support. “There’s been a lot of help from the onboarding team, as well as the support folks,” she noted. Recalling a recent interaction with a support team member, Melanie said, “She helped me through a problem, and I told her, ‘I want to give you a digital high-five. This was fantastic!’”

An exciting future ahead

For Michigan Science Center, Tessitura is far more than just a software solution. It has become the key to unlocking new possibilities in engagement, efficiency and growth. With a strong foundation, the Mi-Sci team is now poised to inspire even more minds through the power of science.

“Tessitura is not just a company. It’s not just a nonprofit,” Melanie said. “It’s people like us, and everybody really wants to see everybody [else] be successful. And that’s just been so great.”

“We’re just so excited to see how much farther we can take our organization now that we have this system.”

Through Tessitura’s active community, Mi-Sci has engaged with peer organizations in their region. “In our own community, we’ve seen that Tessitura is a really great choice not just for us, but for better connecting with our peers in the nonprofit landscape in Detroit,” Melanie said. “It makes the whole Tessitura community feel more united.”

And even though Mi-Sci is still early in its Tessitura journey, the excitement for the future is palpable. 

“We’re just so excited to see how much farther we can take our organization now that we have this system,” Melanie said. “[We’re] getting all kinds of ideas about how we can make things better for ourselves, for our guests and for our community.”