The Western Museums Association (WMA) in partnership with the Museum Association of Arizona cordially invites you to the 2016 Annual Meeting in Phoenix on September 25-28, 2016. With CHANGE as the theme, the Annual Meeting will focus on the shifting museum landscape and how the field can adapt to rise anew. Learn more about the 2016 Annual Meeting. Together as a museum professional community, we will ask: How can museums stay relevant in a rapidly changing technological and social environment? What happens to staff when there is a change in leadership or ideology at a museum? How does change help museums have meaningful conversations about the future of the field? What better place than Phoenix, a rapidly expanding city founded on the idea of renewal, to discuss change?

The Preliminary Program is now available!

Highlights of WMA 2016 Include

Learning Sessions: 43 sessions and 3 workshops are broken out into 8 interdisciplinary tracks in Business, Collections, Community Engagement, Indigenous, Leadership/Careerpath, Technology, Visitor Experience and new this year, Trustee. View the full Session Agenda.

Networking Events: Get ready to uncover some of Phoenix's cultural gems! Evening Events offer a fantastic way to make deeper connections with your peers while visiting some of Phoenix's most exciting museums. This year we have planned memorable evenings at the Desert Botanical Gardens, the Heard Museum, and the Phoenix Art Museum. We are thrilled to be able to share a special experience at each of these fantastic institutions with you.

One-of-a-kind Tours: Want to see a modern architectural masterpiece, two fascinating ancient archaeological sites, or a behind-the-scenes tour of a distictive museum? Three pre-conference tours at Taliesin West - A Frank Lloyd Wright Tour, Pueblo and Mesa Grande Archeology Tour, and a Huhugam Ki Museum Tour offer opportunities to explore and learn about unique organizations.

The Early Bird Registration deadline is July 29, 2016. Discounted rates are for WMA and MAA members only. Not a WMA member? Learn More About WMA Membership.