By Lorie Millward

The Western Museums Association (WMA) 2014 Annual Meeting Poster Session is the second edition of, in what we hope, will be an ongoing program opportunity for years to come. I love me some poster session, and here’s why:

10. Posters are a great way to introduce a project or case study that may not be ready for a for a full-fledged conference session.

9. If you’re looking for feedback about an aspect of your work, the mighty poster is an ideal way to kick-start that conversation.

8. Posters allow students with an eye to museum work the opportunity to share the great things they are learning and working on.

7. The session happens during a food break so there is a guarantee of snacks and a decent chance of coffee appearing.

6. Emerging museum professional that present posters have the chance to meet and talk with other museum people and make important connections.

5. Posters are full of nice pictures and graphs. Who doesn’t love a good graph?

4. It is an excellent time to meet new colleagues and practice the networking tips that Wendy Meluch gave you in her Networking 101 pre-conference session (FREE on Sunday, October 5 immediately before the FREE Opening Reception).

3. Presenting a poster is good for your CV/resume/scrapbook.

2. Having discussions with cool people about new ideas and interesting work is a pretty great way to spend some time.

And the number one, numero uno reason I love the poster session is…

1. It’s like going to a museum! The room is literally filled with cool graphics, informative text, new or challenging ideas, and amazing people who have dedicated their time to making museums essential community places and spaces.

A lot of work goes into boiling down an important project to the most essential parts and then fitting it all onto a 3x4 piece of poster board. The Program Committee has selected a group of posters that should provide for an engaging and thought-provoking session at the Las Vegas 2014 Annual Meeting in October.

We are happy to announce the 2014 Annual Meeting Poster Session presentations:

Breaking the Mold: Exploring Exhibit Genres Allison Inkley, Collections Technician, Museum of Peoples and Cultures, Brigham Young University

Collection Mapping: Organize Your Collection for a New Facility Michael Fiegenschuh, Student, University of Washington and Architect, Mithun

Common Core Standards: Many Paths to Museum Educational Competency Alexa Beaman, Museum Studies Graduate Student, University of San Francisco

Creating Successful Social, Online Communities Lauren Valone, Program Coordinator, Western Museums Association and Web Content Manager, MD Conference Express and Libby Vieira da Cunha, Online Community Consultant, Joan Mitchell Foundation

Establishing a Base: Documenting the Collections and Archives at the Neon Museum Maggie Zakri, Docent/Archivist, Neon Museum

Exploring Collections Advocacy in Natural History Museum Exhibits Katharine Baldwin-Corriveau, Student, John F. Kennedy University

Inviting the Unexpected: Making Space for Community Expression Lisa Soccio, Gallery Director, Marks Art Center at College of the Desert and Krystal Glasman, Gallery Assistant, Marks Art Center at College of the Desert

Measure for Measure and All’s Well That Ends Well: The Journey of Reuniting Objects and Stories Jessica Simpson, Student, Brigham Young University

Museums’ Training Programs for Seasonal Educators in Alberta, Canada Shannon Kraichy, Masters Candidate, University of British Columbia

The Museum Financial Donation and Its Ethical Spectrum Jessica Horowitz, Student, John F. Kennedy University

The “Watch Us Move” Exhibit: CHM’s First Foray into the Meta-Museum Movement Michelle Nash, Assistant Collections Manager, Coos Historical & Maritime Museum

The Unmanaged Collection: Solving Big Problems with Little Resources Melinda McCrary, Executive Director, Richmond Museum of History and Patricia McCloy, Student, John F. Kennedy University

Whatever you do, don’t skip the 2014 Poster Session (did I mention the coffee?) to be held the morning of Tuesday, October 7.

See you there!

Lorie Millward is the Curator of Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point Institute in Lehi, Utah. She was on the 2013 and 2014 WMA Program Committee, as well as on the 2014 WMA Poster Review Committee.