The virtual museum of Methana

On July 22, 2017 representatives of the municipality of Methana met in the cultural center of the city and presented the "Concept for the Promotion of Methana" and the idea of ​​the "virtual museum" by P. Nomikou.

After the conference in June 2016, one would have expected that there would be a transparent competition for a methana's development concept among the speakers of the conference.
There are many geologists and local historians who have been dealing with methana for decades and who also have experience from other regions. Their ideas & concepts were neither asked for, nor was there a public tender or even a competition.

Without any transparency, all orders were placed with an unknown marketing company and geologist P. Nomikou.
Anyone else who worked for Methana for many years was ignored. Especially the original initiators for the conference. The idea of ​​the conference did not come from Ms. Nomikou, even if she became the leader of the conference.

"Funny" was the introduction to the meeting with a marketing manager of an advertising company completely unknown to me, who promised the Methanians that their company Methana would bring the third place in tourism to Santorini and Chalkidiki ...

Anyone who knows tourism in Greece, and especially those who know Methana, should have left the meeting immediately. Because that bordered irresponsibly on megalomania! It was extremely embarrassing that anyone could clap!

I thought I was in the wrong movie.

It then continued with the presentation of the virtual museum. One should therefore hike the volcano virtually with data glasses in three-dimensional animations.
Surely an interesting application if you weren't already on Methana and could actually hike there! (Anyone who knows Greece knows how long technical devices are maintained ... The virtual kiosks are still decaying at archaeological sites ...).

Yes - a virtual area in a modern, geological museum would certainly be a good addition to represent virtually what it was like when Methana's volcanoes were active or when the weather or physical restrictions do not allow hiking.

But designing an entire museum ONLY as a "virtual museum" is weak!

Already in 2003 there was a ready concept for a volcanological museum of the group around the Greek geologist Giorgis Vougioukalakis, who then also realized the volcanological museum on Nisyros. The group around the Swiss geologists & cartographers V. Dietrich & Lorenz Hurni also contributed with their maps and data.

In addition, we would have provided rock samples and minerals from all volcanic regions of the world as volcanological guides and mineral collectors. Our experience as a long-time travel guide in active volcanic areas could have been used sustainably for various geotouristic things.

Yes - Ms. Nomikou could have complemented everything with her knowledge of the undersea volcano off the north coast of Methana. But to leave everything opaque and without competition to a quasi "monopoly" was a disregard for everyone who has been working for Methana for decades and who has put a lot of time, money and love into the Methana project.

All of us together should have become a team that would have created a museum and the surrounding infrastructure economically and sustainably.

Has Methana finally lost this chance?

Also in 2020 it is not recognizable that something will happen to the museum.

Every year is a lost year for Methana.

Right now in 2020 you should work on sustainable concepts!

Even if the mayor responsible for the plight of Karajannis has been voted out, the new mayor Pollalis should not passively wait for better times!

I am sure that a restart would be possible!

Marketing always sounds great & modern and you can make everything into something in the advertising language. But you shouldn't lose your grip, because even the best campaign has to achieve results.

Making big promises beforehand is a risk and can backfire!

In 2017 the former Mayor of Troizen-Methana, Mr. Konstantin Karajannis and this lady + her advertising company was told to bring tourists to Methana.

Basically not a bad idea. The seriousness of this lady was quickly destroyed when she promised the Methanians, that her advertising campaign would bring Methana to the third place in Greek tourism after Santorini and Chalkidiki, and that the tourists would each leave € 150 in tips in Methana.

Anyone who has been working in tourism in Greece for more than 20 years and tries to regularly bring guests to Methana, knows that these promises border on megalomania!

You could be happy if Methana got to the success of the neighboring island of Poros! That would be a huge success.

But unfortunately you can promise voters (not only) such insane things in Greece and nobody notices that something is wrong.

Gree site about the virtual museum

The former mayor of Methana about the project

Δημιουργία Ψηφιακού Μουσείου Στο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο Μεθάνων (π/υ 854.732,00€. Εξασφαλίστηκε Η Έγκριση Από Το Υπουργείο Ψηφιακής Πολιτικής, Τηλεπικοινωνιών & Ενημέρωσης)
Προεκλογικό πρόγραμμα Καραγιάννης