When Expertise Shapes Innovation

2025-10-29 / Kat Hunt / Planetarium Expertise

Why should you care about who’s on your planetarium team? Expertise makes the difference between a show that simply runs and one that truly connects. Whether you’re an educator, a director, or someone making decisions about programs and resources, understanding the value of expertise can help you build stronger experiences for your audiences and a stronger foundation for your institution.

At Digitalis, we believe every planetarium benefits from shared expertise—and we’re always happy to share what we’ve learned from decades under the dome.

The Value of Expertise in Action

When expertise guides a planetarium team, everything runs with more depth and dimension. Programs are designed with learners in mind, exhibits are not only accurate but also engaging, and technical challenges are often solved before they become bigger problems. Audiences can feel the difference. They may not always know why a show resonates with them, but they’ll remember the moment the night sky felt close, familiar, and awe-inspiring.

Planetarium expertise isn’t limited to one discipline. While astronomy knowledge is essential for content accuracy, a planetarium thrives on a wide range of skills—storytelling, sound design, stage management, theater, and art all play vital roles in creating powerful dome experiences. That’s why cultivating interdisciplinary experience matters so much under a dome.

Digitalis as an Example

At Digitalis, we’ve seen this value firsthand. We don’t just develop products in isolation—we include voices with authentic planetarium experience in the development process. Because we’ve been in the dome ourselves, we know how a new tool or feature will really work when learners walk into the dome. That perspective makes our products practical, adaptable, and designed for real classrooms, science centers, and communities. It’s expertise woven into the design itself.

A great example of this is the Pacific Planetarium, our own community space in Bremerton, Washington. It’s a small planetarium, but it has played a big role in how we think about both education and product development. Running a planetarium of our own means we’re not just theorizing—we’re testing ideas, experimenting with programming, and seeing firsthand how students and families respond.

Growth Does Not End At “Expert”

Of course, expertise doesn’t stop once someone earns the title of “expert.” At Digitalis, we are passionate about planetariums and professional development. You can't just get a degree in planetarium education, so everyone brings a different background and learns on the job. When staff have opportunities to learn new skills, attend conferences, and connect with peers, it boosts their confidence, their job satisfaction, and their sense of belonging to something bigger. It also moves the community forward as a whole when we share best practices and lessons learned.

Planetariums are a niche practice, and much of the skill-building happens through an apprentice-style model. You learn by shadowing, asking questions, and being trusted with increasingly complex responsibilities. Investing in professional development ensures that this cycle of mentorship continues and that each new generation of educators and technicians has a pathway into the field. When organizations consider sustainable ways to encourage personal growth among their staff, we believe they can achieve similar benefits that we have observed in our own business.

One of the ways we put expertise into action is through our Planetarium Leadership Program. This professional-development experience is built around four core pillars—community engagement, innovative program development, operational management, and technological proficiency—and is delivered through one-on-one coaching, practical tools, and collaborative strategy sessions. In other words, we don’t just talk about developing expertise; we help planetarium teams grow it in meaningful, applied ways, equipping them to lead, adapt, and inspire in whatever context they serve.

A Call to Join the Community

Every planetarium benefits from having expertise on its team, and every professional cultivates that experience from being part of a larger community. Whether it’s through regional or international associations, local outreach, or professional development events, we grow stronger when we share what we know and learn from one another. The dome may look different in every community, but the work of bringing the universe to life is something we all share.

The work we do in planetariums is bigger than any single program, dome, or company; it’s a shared effort to immerse people in ways that spark curiosity, broaden understanding, and inspire appreciation for the world around them. If you’re a planetarium professional—or even just someone passionate about science communication—get connected. Join a professional organization, volunteer at local events, share what you’ve learned, and learn from others in return.

That’s how we strengthen our field: by showing up for each other, pooling our experiences, and continuing to grow together. The night sky belongs to all of us, and so does the work of bringing it to life.

To get involved, consider joining us at an upcoming regional conference or professional workshop. Visit our event calendar to learn more.

You can also get started with some virtual communities, such as the few listed below:

Dome Dialogues is an informal Facebook group where planetarians from all over the world share resources, workshop challenges, and communicate ideas with one another.

Live Interactive Planetarium Symposium or LIPS is a non-profit organization that promotes live and interactive planetarium programming. In addition to an annual conference and regional mini workshops, there is also a Facebook group where planetarians can share ideas and resources where live programming is concerned.

In addition to being a curator and developer of educational resources, the National Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) shares a periodic newsletter and hosts webinars, which are a fantastic way to connect with your peers in the field and learn more about perfecting your craft in experiential learning.

Dome Fest West is much more than an annual fulldome film festival. With regular webinar-style programs called Full Dome Forums, this is a great way to connect with others in your professional community, especially where full-dome content development is concerned.