WMA 2024 Request for Proposals

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The Western Museums Association Annual Meeting is a time honored way to exchange innovative ideas and best practices within the museum field. Join us in Tucson to engage with fellow practitioners, participate in enlightening sessions, and delve into informal educational activities. As museum professionals we are constantly challenged to renew and inspire our visitors but we often neglect opportunities to do this for ourselves. With the theme of BALANCE, WMA 2024 will explore ideas of stability at both an individual and institutional level.

Why BALANCE?
Post-COVID museum professionals find themselves in an increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) landscape. Navigating through varied work – some onsite, some hybrid – and grappling with new models has led to a hybrid malaise, making it challenging to maintain the work/life balance essential for wellbeing. Despite the passion within the sector, structural issues in the field around pay and equity persist. Museums are now recognized for their role in promoting individual and community wellness, as highlighted in a recent White House convening. Concurrently, a nationwide loneliness epidemic makes the importance of connection and community all the more vital. Plus, with 1/3 of museums still struggling to reach their pre-pandemic audience levels, understanding the shifts in audience behavior post-COVID is an imperative.

What Makes BALANCE Different?
WMA’s 2024 Annual Meeting promises to be different from your standard museum conference. Can we succeed in our professional endeavors without recognizing that we too require renewal and moments of descansando? In Tucson, Annual Meeting activities will take place at the Ventana Canyon Resort - a secluded resort nestled in the stunning foothills of Tucson’s Catalina Mountains with incredible amenities. Alongside our usual program filled with learning, sharing, and connecting, we will also be taking advantage of our unique venue to create numerous opportunities for socializing, restoring, and rejuvenating.

If you are selected to contribute content, you will receive a discounted rate to the Annual Meeting, where your insights can help shape a more harmonious future for museum professionals. While proposal content can cover a wide array of topics, the Program Committee is particularly interested in proposals that explore the theme of BALANCE, approaches to wellbeing, and the importance of overall organizational health. Additionally, we are seeking proposals that incorporate a high level of attendee engagement and interactivity. Potential topics include:

•    Balancing work and life
•    Harmonizing organizational health and staff wellbeing
•    Equilibrium between collections access and preservation
•    Juggling the needs of different departments
•    Striking a balance between the board and staff
•    Balancing budgetary ambitions and necessities
•    Managing the needs of different stakeholders
•    Finding harmony between relevance and preservation

We look forward to your innovative proposals that contribute to a conference exploring the vital theme of BALANCE. Together, let's shape a resilient and thriving future for museums!

How can you contribute? We are currently looking for:

Participating in any of these opportunities comes with a discounted “contributor” rate to the Annual Meeting.

Proposers are encouraged to be creative and think beyond the “sage on the stage” style of presenting, which often features one or more people presenting to the audience with limited opportunities for interaction. Interested in a morning run, yoga, or other wellness session? Propose it! Want to do a session outside? Propose it! Do you have a conundrum at work or want feedback on a particular issue? Propose a Roundtable Discussion or Activity Station program! If you need help connecting with people to participate in a session, WMA can help—just ask! Need to get inspired? Take a look back at our 2023 Sessions or past programs.

Share your creative ideas today and let’s imagine a new future for museums, together in Tucson this September!

The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Session & Workshop Proposals

Diverse presentations are a key component to the success of the Annual Meeting and are important in creating a meaningful and content-rich experience for all museum professionals who attended. YOU can help strengthen the WMA Community by submitting a session or workshop proposal for our 2024 Annual Meeting.

The Program Committee looks for proposals that use creative approaches to leverage the in-person nature of the Annual Meeting. Preference will be given to non-traditional session formats with a variety of interactive components, such as those with less emphasis on slides, more opportunities for Q&A, and audience engagement activities. So, experiment with session structure! Download our Program/Session Structures document to get inspired by different approaches for sharing your content. Always remember to highlight tools or takeaways you are planning to provide – attendees love them!

WMA specifically seeks sessions:

  • About DEAI (diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion) and NAGPRA topics;
  • About topics not commonly addressed such as climate change/environmental issues, emergency preparedness, visitor services, docents/volunteers, safety and security, fundraising/marketing, and cyber security;
  • That help museums plan for/interpret the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026;
  • That are no-tech sessions that can take place outdoors on the hotel property. Please note on your proposal whether it could be adapted to fit this unique opportunity.

Sessions will take place across three days: September 26th, 27th, and 28th and are 75 minutes. Workshops will take place on September 25th, and can either be half day (4 hours) or full day (7 hours).

The Online Submission Form makes the submission process easy and fast! While the Session & Workshop Proposal Worksheet will help build your proposal before putting your information into the Online Submission Form. Simply download the Worksheet and begin planning.

Please review the Proposal Guidelines before completing your proposal

Download the WMA Program Rubric to understand what the Program Committee is looking for in proposals and to help you craft a session more likely to be included in the Annual Meeting.

Have a question about submitting a proposal? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download Session & Workshop Proposal Worksheet

Download Proposal Guidelines

Download the WMA Program Rubric

Submit Your Proposal Online

 

The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Poster Session

The perennially popular Poster Session provides a unique opportunity for individuals to present their academic research, progressive ideas, or public programs through illustrated and informative posters. The Poster Session allows presenters and attendees to engage in discourse with one another and network in an informal setting.

To present at WMA's 2024 Poster Session, you must be in attendance, standing next to your poster where you can interact with attendees, answer questions, and discuss your projects/research on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

Have a question about the Poster Session? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Poster Session Proposal Form

 
To propose a Poster, please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Poster Session – Your Last Name" as the subject
 
The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Roundtable Discussion Host

Interested in a specific topic or trend relating to museums? Want to get feedback about a program idea? Whether you are looking to help others gain knowledge in a certain area or are looking for a new perspective to help your work, propose hosting a Roundtable Discussion to connect with colleagues over casual conversation. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning:

  • Career Path
  • Collections Management and Registration
  • Virtual Programs
  • Work Life Balance
  • Volunteer / Docent Programs
  • K-12 Programs
  • Fundraising
  • Workers’ Rights
  • Adult Education / Creative Aging]
  • Sharing Power / Community Collaborations

Roundtables will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

Have a question about the Roundtable Host? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Roundtable Host Proposal Form

 
To propose a Roundtable Discussion, please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Roundtable Discussion – Your Last Name" as the subject
 
The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Happy Hour Discussion Host

WMA's Happy Hours are casual events for attendees to meet and socialize. In Tucson, these will be held onsite at the Annual Meeting hotel with a variety of beverage options. WMA is looking for hosts to stimulate and direct the conversation. As a Happy Hour Discussion Host, you will lead colleagues in a conversation or activity and will receive a discounted registration! Below are some Happy Hour ideas to get your wheels turning. With only a small number of available Happy Hour slots available, inclusion will be based on creativity and compatibility with other programming. What’s a topic, activity, or group of people that could be a theme for a Happy Hour that you host?

  • Emerging Museum Professional Happy Hour
  • LGBTQIA+ Happy Hour
  • BIPOC Museum Professional Happy Hour
  • Drink & Draw Happy Hour
  • Small Museums Happy Hour
  • Collections Happy Hour

Have a question about the Happy Hour Host? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Happy Hour Host Proposal Form

 
To propose a Happy Hour Discussion, please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Happy Hour Discussion Host – Your Last Name" as the subject
 
The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Inspiration Station Host

An Inspiration Station is a showcase of ideas, solutions, and innovations from around the museum field that provides attendees with the chance to talk directly with the folks making them happen. Federal agencies, museum associations, and individuals with great ideas will all be in the mix. Do you want to test out a hands-on activity? This is the place! It's a casual way for attendees to encounter new hands-on ideas and talk to the people implementing them.

Inspiration Stations will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

Have a question about the Inspiration Station? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Inspiration Station Host Proposal Form

 
To propose an Inspiration Station please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Inspiration Station Host – Your Last Name" as the subject
 

 

Museum Film Screening

In Tucson, WMA is looking to screen several short films about museums – with popcorn! Has your museum recently produced a film? Would you like to screen it for attendees and be on hand for a Q&A? Then, propose it for a screening!

Have a question about Film Screenings? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Museum Film Screening Proposal Form

 
To propose a Museum Film Screening please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Museum Film Screening – Your Last Name" as the subject
 

The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

Activity Station Host

Do you have a short educational activity that you run at your museums and want to get feedback from colleagues? Maybe an activity or program sample you want to do, but need some beta testing? Or maybe an interactive or creative activity that you think will benefit museum professionals? Propose a program for our Activity Station. Here are some Activity Station examples:

  • An educational activity that you run at your museum and want to get feedback on
  • A hands-on activity you want to do, but need some beta testing
  • An interactive or creative activity that you think will benefit museum professionals (i.e., journal writing, meditation, label-making, etc.)

Activity Stations will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

Have a question about the Activity Host? Please see our 2024 Annual Meeting FAQ page or email WMA staff.

 

Download the Activity Station Host Proposal Form

 
To propose an Activity Station, please submit a completed form to proposals@westmuse.org with
“Activity Station Host – Your Last Name" as the subject
 
The deadline for all proposals is Friday, March 29, 2024

 

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