2020 Conference
- Theme
- Conference Dates
- Registration Fees
- Sponsors
- Scholarships
- NEMA Conference Virtual Platform and App
- NEMA Conference Preview
- Speaker Information
- What ADA accommodations do you offer?
- Why do you charge for your conference?
- Exhibit Hall
- Marketing and Sponsorship Opportunities
- Code of Conduct and NEMA Event Philosophy
- What about Newport?
Questions?
Please submit your questions using our Contact Us form and a NEMA staff member will respond shortly.
Join the conversation on social media with #NEMA2020 and follow @nemanet on Twitter and @nema_conference on Instagram. Share the fun of conference and tell the world why you love museums!
Conference Dates
We will be holding the NEMA Virtual Conference November 16-20, 2020. All sessions and events will take place on Eastern Time.
Titanium Level Sponsor
Collector Systems
Crystalizations Systems, Inc.
Harvard University Extension School, Museum Studies Program
Lucidea
William G. Pomeroy Foundation
Platinum Level Sponsors
42 Design Fab Studio Inc.
Brad Larson / StoryHabitat
DipJar
Full Circle Archive Digitization
Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects
HUB International
Museum Search & Reference
Tufts University, Museum Studies Program
Public History at UMass Amherst
Gold Level Sponsors
Museum Insights
Public History and Archives Tracks, History Department, University of Massachusetts Boston
Tru Vue
Bronze Level Sponsors
Museum Textile Services
Timelooper
Tunnel 7
SmallCorp
Many thanks to our scholarship underwriting partners:
Connecticut Humanities
Connecticut Office of the Arts
MassHumanities
Mass Cultural Council
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Vermont Humanities
Scholarships
NEMA is pleased to offer scholarship and fellowship opportunities to make the annual conference more financially accessible. The deadline for all scholarship programs is October 23, 2020. Only one application is necessary to apply for all scholarships and fellowships. You will be notified of the final award decisions in early November. Click here for complete details.
NEMA Conference Virtual Platform and App
Our conference platform and app, powered by Whova, is loaded with content-rich features designed to help you make the most out of your conference experience!
Once registered you may access the virtual conference and watch from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.
Do I need to download or install any software to be able to attend this event?
No. You do not need to download or install any software to participate in our conference. You only need to have access to the Internet.
Will I be able to network and meet other virtual attendees?
Yes. Some sessions will be offering live chat discussions and there will be a networking room offered throughout the conference for people to meet and discuss ideas and thoughts.
Will presentations be live or pre-recorded?
Both. We are encouraging all presenters whether their presentation is live or pre-recorded to use and monitor the chat and Q&A engagement tools during their session.
Will the Conference be available for playback?
Yes! Attendees will be able to access the recording up to 3 months after the conference concludes. Please note: some sessions will not be recorded for privacy reasons.
Speaker Information
NEMA appreciates its colleagues who participate as panelists and speakers. Presenters from within the museum community, including vendors and consultants who work with museums, are expected to register for the conference if they are attending conference beyond their session. We offer a significant discount on registration for speakers.
Only attending your session? In order to access the online platform, we ask that you still register for the conference. Just select the "attending my session only" option and the registration is free.
Questions? Email meg.winikates@nemanet.org.
NEMA Conference Preview
Need a refresher on the Whova app, or want to test your access to the conference platform? Join NEMA on November 12 at 3 pm for tips and tricks to make the most of your virtual conference experience. RSVP here.
NEMA Conference Preview - Speakers and Facilitators
Conference facilitators and speakers are also invited to attend a special training sessions. These sessions will answer any questions you might have about presenting your upcoming conference session. We will also be going over the conference platform, Whova.
- October 19, 9:30-11 am: View recording here.
- November 2, 9:30-11 am: View recording here.
What ADA accommodations do you offer?
While registering, you will be prompted to indicate any accessibility needs. We will follow up with you prior to the meeting to provide resources or obtain more information.
If you have additional accessibility needs, please contact Meg Winikates at meg.winikates@nemanet.org. NEMA will do its best to accommodate requests made after October 30th, but we cannot guarantee availability of all services.
Marketing and Sponsorship Opportunities
Marketing and sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2020 Virtual Annual Conference. Contact Scarlett Hoey scarlett.hoey@nemanet.org for details.
Why do you charge for your conference?
We recognize that many people in our museum community have experienced financial adversity this year, so our goal is to make the 2020 conference affordable to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our registration rates are based on the following:
- We spoke to dozens of NEMA members over the summer about how we should charge for conference. Many told us that the NEMA conference is their most important source of professional development and that they are willing to pay a fair price for it. Our registration rates reflect the quality of the program (60+ sessions over a full week) and hopefully the value you will get out of it.
- Even a virtual conference takes hundreds of hours for our four-person staff to coordinate and produce so that it results in high standards and value. The NEMA conference accounts for more than 50% of our annual budget, which helps fund our ability to support our year-round mission and advocate for the field. Like many non-profit organizations, NEMA has been impacted financially this year. We are YOUR museum association and need revenues to continue our work on your behalf.
- Our rate structure makes it affordable for everyone to attend the conference. Plus, we are offering scholarships to ensure that the conference is accessible to all.
What about Newport?
We know that many conference attendees (and the NEMA staff) were looking forward to being in Newport this November. We are happy to announce that we will be holding the 2021 conference in Newport, November 17-19.
Exhibit Hall
(If you would like information about being a vendor in the Exhibit Hall please see our information on Marketing Opportunities)