A Course for the Business Development Collaborative

In-person experiences are a great way to engage clients, partners, and the general public with your products, share your company story, and build brand loyalty by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at the work you do. In this workshop series, we will explore the different ways that you can effectively, safely, and accessibly engage visitors in your space through tours, hands-on activities, and other activations. Led by Turnstile Tours & Studio, experts in the museum and hospitality fields who have developed and led tours at industrial and cultural sites, this series will include interactive workshops on techniques and best practices in storytelling, public speaking, accessibility, visitor communications, and operational logistics. Participants will work collaboratively to develop strategies for activating their spaces for engagement with visitors based on their available resources, target audiences, and business goals.

Time Commitment

This workshop will be offered twice in the fall–winter of 2026–27. Exact dates and times are still being arranged, but they will be posted soon.

This workshop consists of four weekly sessions—one in-person for a guided factory tour, and three virtual sessions. Participants should plan to attend all of the sessions, which each last 90 minutes.

The session topics are as follows:

• Session 1: Unpacking the Visitor Experience (in person)
• Session 2: Defining and Reaching Your Audience (virtual)
• Session 3: Engaging Your Audience and Telling Your Story (virtual)
• Session 4: Planning Accessible and Inclusive Experiences (virtual)

Who Can Participate?

This course is completely free and open to any businesses located within the Garment District.

Course Outcomes

Participants will …

• Learn techniques and best practices in effective storytelling and visitor engagement to share their brand story in an interactive and accessible way.
• Understand how to develop tours and experiences for specific target audiences that support their business strategy, cultivate customers, and generate income.
• Be able to plan and deliver safe and inclusive experiences in their spaces.

Interested in Participating?

Please fill out this interest form, and we will follow up with you with more information.

About Turnstile

Turnstile is both a consulting practice and tour operator with a mission to advance public knowledge about the meaning of place, foster connections and understanding between people of diverse backgrounds, and inspire and reflect a culture of community participation through educational experiences and resources.

Turnstile Tours, our tour operations practice, researches, develops, and operates public programs and tours in partnership with non-profit organizations and cultural institutions. Since 2012, Turnstile Tours has hosted over 75,000 visitors on tours, providing access and programming for sites including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, and Prospect Park.

Turnstile Studio, our consulting practice, assists organizations in their efforts to more effectively engage the public through interactive and interpretive projects, place-making, exhibitions, tours, and education programs. Turnstile Studio has worked with dozens of nonprofit, cultural, and government organizations on public engagement initiatives, including Open House New York, Made In NYC, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and others.

Cindy VandenBosch

President, Turnstile Tours & Studio

Cindy founded Turnstile Tours & Studio to create interactive and content-rich experiences that foster engagement and interaction within and across communities in partnership with non-profit organizations in the neighborhoods of New York City. Cindy is passionate about offering experiences that are welcoming and accessible to people of all ages and abilities, and she has long been interested in socially-responsible business models. She has more than 20 years of experience in the museum, tourism, and accessibility fields, and has worked extensively with industrial and other businesses on tours and public engagement.

Andrew Gustafson

Vice President, Turnstile Tours & Studio

Andrew oversees tour development and operations at Turnstile, with a particular focus on industrial sites, and he maintains the company’s archive, library, website, and oral history collections. An expert on the waterfront history of New York City, he worked as the project lead developing tours at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal, and he has led training courses on public engagement for the Made In NYC Learning Lab, Humanities New York, and the Singapore Tourism Board.

This program is part of the Garment District Alliance Business Development Collaborative Program