Legacy, the Hassan Allam Holding subsidiary that manages the operations of the GEM, is leveraging its deep roots as a leading regional engineering, construction, investment player, to transform historical sites into economically sustainable and globally appealing destinations. At the helm of this strategic evolution is Merette Elsayed, CEO of Legacy. In a Q&A with EnterpriseAM, Elsayed details how Legacy applies the project management rigor of a construction giant to the delicate stewardship of cultural assets, discussing the economic imperative, the challenges of managing multiple stakeholders, and what the future holds for private sector involvement in Egypt’s prized heritage.

EnterpriseAM: What has surprised you the most since the GEM opening?

Merette: Definitely the demand. We had an expectation for peak numbers inline with what we are seeing now but we thought ‘peak’ would be what we experienced sometimes. So far we’re in ‘peak’ all the time. The numbers that we are seeing now are far higher despite the fact that we are closing the museum earlier for ticketing. I would say demand has been at least double or triple what we expected. What has also really taken us by surprise is the demand from local visitors. We have always wanted to attract the local market and we knew there would be interest but we didn’t expect the local demand to pick up this quickly with things like school trips and visitors from governorates outside of Cairo.

EnterpriseAM: To what do you attribute this unexpected demand?

Merette: I think both the local and foreign media coverage has been very strong, we had an amazing opening event, and we have the collections that everybody in the world wants to see. Egypt’s tourism numbers have been on the rise even before the GEM opened and we are now capturing and propelling all of that momentum. I think it's a domino effect and it’s great.

EnterpriseAM: How is Legacy adapting its operational model in real-time to manage this enthusiasm while maintaining the "world-class" visitor experience?

Merette: We’ve been in a trial opening for quite some time now and the good thing about that is we’ve had time to come up with multiple plans. We never thought that we would have to go to plan C or D, but we did. We’ve obviously had to tweak things but we’ve mostly just been implementing some of the different scenarios that we had envisioned. We’ve had to do things like shift some of the entry points, introduce timed booking slots and so on. We have been very reactive in real time but it's all based on a comprehensive plan that we already had in place. Without that long trial period, this would have been much more complicated.

EnterpriseAM: What has the feedback been from visitors thus far and what mechanisms do you have in place to capture that feedback and to improve the overall visitor experience?

Merette: We have several ways of capturing feedback. There’s obviously social media and Google reviews, which we capture. We have onsite surveys, where people can share their comments, and we get feedback from the tour guides. I’m happy to report that the feedback is predominantly positive. Sometimes on very busy days, there's the comment that it's a bit crowded but I would say by and large, people are very excited and very happy to finally be able to see these collections.

EnterpriseAM: You’ve spoken about "Managing through Influence" and the challenges of managing service quality across various entities (ticketing, security, catering) that may not directly report to Legacy. How do you coordinate amongst these various entities?

Merette: Legacy operates the GEM under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. It's obviously a bit different from other PPP’s that we [Hassan Allam Holding] have been involved in. The infrastructure, water, power and logistics PPPs are different in nature compared to this because at the end of the day, the private sector makes the investment and then the government takes the final product. With Legacy it's very different because we have multiple entities involved in the day to day operation. For example, by law, the government is responsible for ticket sales and security for the artifacts, restoration teams, and curators. Then you have the rest of the operational model, which is us. It has been a learning curve and it took a long time for everybody to understand where their roles start and end, but I think we’re now in harmony.

EnterpriseAM: Legacy made a deliberate choice to invest in local capacity. Can you quantify the employment impact and describe the long-term plan for developing specialized skills in museum operations and visitor service among staff?

Merette: Integrating public and private sector employees, who often come from different corporate cultures, is not the easiest thing to do. Legacy and the GEM Authority, have however jointly conducted mixed training and team building exercises. We’ve used trainers from abroad for everything from hospitality, to visitor services, and visitor experiences. Staffing has been a bit tricky because there is no other institution in Egypt like us. We had to look to multiple industries to assemble the best team possible. Our areas of expertise are so diverse. Everything from learning and education, cultural programming, arts and culture, to music, engineering and marketing. On the ticketing side employees are supervised by the government but trained by our hospitality team. It’s all about letting each party do what they know best. It has been a challenge to make everybody feel like they are under one umbrella when you actually belong to different organizations but I think so far we’ve been successful. Legacy also has partners and subcontractors like, for example, facility management, which is run by Eden, a subsidiary of Hassan Allam Holding. At the end of the day it’s about integrating and quality controlling multiple teams and multiple subcontractors.

EnterpriseAM: You’ve been with Hassan Allam since 2018, before Legacy was created. How does this role compare to other positions that you have held in the organization?

Merette: I've worked on many projects, of many sizes, in many countries but I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. Like any large organization there are many moving parts. So first it’s important to identify and communicate to people what their role is. You have to create a combined ecosystem and say, “this is our goal.” This is what we're trying to do and then you start defining roles and responsibilities.The unique thing about this organization is the amount of pride that everyone takes in making the GEM a success. Everyone from senior management to the cleaning staff is really committed and it's amazing to see that spirit of national pride. This is essentially what we have always done at Hassanal Allam. For the past 90 plus years we’ve taken on national projects. For us at Legacy it's about Egypt and supporting the development plan for tourism.

EnterpriseAM: How many people do you have on your team?

Merette: The Legacy team is relatively small, we're roughly 130 people but with our subcontractors we are just shy of a thousand people in total.

EnterpriseAM: It sounds like you are well on your way to building a center of excellence when it comes to cultural management. Are there other PPP projects that Legacy is considering taking on in the near future?

Merette:Yes, we're already eyeing a few projects but we have to be very selective. We’re looking at where else it would make sense for us to come in. The projects have to be financially sustainable. The GEM is the only museum of its size in the world that is financially sustainable, on its own, without government subsidies or donations. So for us to replicate this model, the government will want the same and for our part, we don't want to take on something where we can't actually add value and make an impact.

EnterpriseAM: Beyond ticketing, how is the revenue mix structured? What role do the retail, corporate events, catering, and hospitality partnerships play in achieving financial sustainability for the GEM?

Merette:The hero is always ticketing. The gift shop is another. Events, educational services, and cultural programming like concerts are also a big part. We also have sponsors, or as we like to call them, partners, like the National Bank of Egypt, Vodafone, AXA, Go bus for mobility, and Fine for our consumables, and we've got quite a few more in the pipeline. We’re always looking for creative ways to add to our story and to our revenue streams like for example the new co-working space that we are developing in collaboration with RiseUp. We loved the idea of having a collaborative co-working space because we are not just about the past. We preserve the past and we innovate for the future. The GEM is a very inspirational space to work and we wanted to make it accessible to a younger generation of Egyptians. Making the GEM a place that people keep coming back to whether through our series of GEM Talks that cover topics from fashion, to art and technology, or through temporary exhibitions and other events is part of our mission. It’s important from both the cultural and revenue perspectives.

EnterpriseAM: The GEM has introduced so many new things beyond the artifacts, amongst them is the advanced technology. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Merette: The entire building is being managed by technology. Inside the galleries, visitors have touchscreens, digital exhibits and digital storytelling. We are the first Egyptian museum to have audio guides and we have VR technology where you can put on a pair of glasses and see how the pyramids were built. So we are using technology for two buckets, operational excellence with things like electronic ticketing and enhanced visitor experiences. The investment in technology on the CAPEX side has been huge and it continues to grow because we want to continue being innovative.

EnterpriseAM: After the initial "Grand Opening" buzz subsides, what is Legacy's strategy for maintaining high international visitor traffic and ensuring the GEM becomes a repeat destination for local and regional audiences?

Merette:On the international side, we're depending heavily on the wider marketing campaigns from the Egyptian government. We will have our own campaigns as well to keep the momentum going. We're also establishing relationships with tour operators both external and internal to influence how much time they allocate to the GEM. For local visitors we want to make sure that there are always new reasons for them to visit.

EnterpriseAM: What do you see as the biggest operational challenge and the biggest opportunity with the GEM going forward?

Merette: Crowd management remains my number one challenge but it’s also an opportunity. We have a treasure of national interest that we didn't anticipate and we need to look at what we can do with that. I think the fact that we were able to capture their attention could be our biggest opportunity going forward.

EnterpriseAM: What are you doing to address the crowd control issue?

Merette: We're doing everything from moving to ticketing online, to designated time slots, to monitoring how many people go in and out of which zones so that we can start looking at how we can control the flow of traffic and make zones easier to access. We’re using technology like counters and sensors to create a sort of a heat map. Working closely with the tour guides is also part of the solution but I think what you need to do first is monitor behavior, get proper data and then you can come up with a plan. I think the data from the first few months is not representative because the profiles of the visitors might change.We need at least six months to one year of data before we can come up with a comprehensive plan.

EnterpriseAM: Would you consider extending your operating hours?

Merette:We have already extended the hours. Twice a week our galleries stay open until 9pm. The complex itself stays open for another hour or so after the galleries close. And of course, there's always private screenings that we offer to people who want to come in either before or after official opening hours. We have a lot of interest in that.

EnterpriseAM: What do you love the most about your job and what's your favorite exhibit in the GEM?

Merette: What I love the most is the impact but of course that comes with a lot of responsibility. As someone who has held many different roles in different industries, I think this is by far the most impactful position I have held. I also love working with people who are so passionate about what they do. They'll kill themselves trying. As for my favorite exhibit I've got to go cliché; it’s Tut. Many of the pieces have been on display before in the Tahrir museum but I have to say the packaging makes a difference. If anybody wants to defend marketing, this is your proof.

Tags: