2021 Conference

 

Re/Create, Re/Charge, Re/Imagine
2021 Annual Conference
Virtual
November 15, 17, and 19, 2021

2021 is our opportunity. 2020 was a year of challenge and change, so what happens next? Where do we find ways to become re-inspired in our work, or newly inspired? What programs and connections do we rebuild, and what can we create that suits new needs? How do we rejoin the museum workforce, and what can we do to welcome new colleagues? 

Here is some food for thought as you develop your session ideas:

  1. Education: What has the pandemic changed permanently/for the foreseeable future in terms of school, family, and public programming? What classic or standard offerings are you reimagining? How are you applying a social justice lens to your new or reenvisioned programs? What training are you providing for your volunteers, interns, and frontline staff? 
  2. Workplace Culture & Staff Resourcing: How are you implementing equity and inclusion initiatives in your hiring and onboarding processes? How have teams, departments, and workflows altered to suit the pandemic and recovery? What are the current best practices for reducing bias in the workplace? 
  3. Board and Governance: How have your crisis strategies been working for your organization in the long term? How has your board and leadership team worked together to adapt your strategic planning for continuing uncertainty? 
  4. Marketing and Membership: What does membership look like now? How have visitor and member needs changed in the last 18 months? How has the shift to virtual programming and exhibits impacted member outreach, marketing and grant reporting? 
  5. Collections and Conservation: What happened to your collections during months of closure? What conservation concerns come from empty or near-empty sites? What are the opportunities in your collections now to bring to light in a virtual format or new exhibitions in process? Are you planning traveling exhibits again, and if so, how has that process adapted as well?
  6. Interpretation and Exhibit Design: How are you applying an equity and justice lens to developing exhibits, from content to interpretation to interaction? Whose voices are you including in your design process? 
  7. Technology: What opportunities and limitations have the crisis revealed with regard to technology? How has your organization addressed issues of technological equity and accessibility? Are there aspects of museum technology that can be applied to society at large?
  8. Career and Leadership: How did the pandemic impact your career, and what steps are you taking now? How has the mentorship of peers and colleagues influenced your decision to stay in the museum field (or not)? What does it mean to cede, share, and take leadership in the post-2020 museum profession?
  9. Finance and Development: What trends are you seeing with regard to funding mechanisms? Are government subsidies sustainable? What is happening with corporate and private giving? What creative solutions have you incorporated into your development plans?
  10. Museums and The World: How is your organization responding to field-wide discussions about social and environmental justice? Did the efforts towards encouraging civic engagement in the last election cycle impact your organization? How are you actively participating in civic life in your community now?

Do you have a great idea for a session unrelated to the conference theme? We want to hear those too! NEMA strives to offer sessions on topics including museum governance, leadership and career growth, administration, visitor services, volunteer management, human resources, education, exhibitions, curatorial and conservation, registration, technology, membership, development, and marketing. In content and in format, all sessions should stimulate discussion, raise new ideas, debate solutions, and spark imagination. We strongly encourage you to present your topic with a diverse set of panelists, from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. Join us and share your experience!