Next Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 12pm – 1pm PST, you’re invited to join colleagues from across the museum field alongside WMA’s Program Committee (PC) for a virtual brainstorm on WMA’s 2023 Annual Meeting Request for Session Proposals process. Led by WMA’s Executive Director Jason B. Jones, WMA’s PC members will offer guidance as well as tips and tricks for creating a compelling proposal. There will even be breakout groups based on topics of interest.
Register for the Session Proposals Brainstorm using our online Event Registration Form - and we’ll send you a calendar invite with the Zoom link.
Register for the Session Proposal Brainstorm
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 12-1pm PST
We recommend coming to the Session Proposal Brainstorm prepared with your half- or fully-baked ideas for a session; and to get you started, we’re sharing some common questions and information below.
What makes a good session proposal? What topics are best?
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.
WMA’s PC looks for session 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.
Additionally, WMA specifically seeks historically under-represented conference session topics including those on visitor services, docents / volunteers, safety and security, fundraising / marketing, and cyber security.
Need to get inspired? Please, look back at our 2022 Sessions or past programs.
When & how long do sessions run? What are typical session formats? 
Sessions will take place across three days: October 6th, 7th, and 8th and will run for 75-minutes. Your session must consist of a presentation(s) with built-in-time for audience engagement, discussions, and questions.
Aside from these elements, there are a multitude of ways in which a session can be designed, and uniqueness is highly encouraged. There are Standard Sessions, Fishbowl Sessions, Pecha Kucha, Dialogue Sessions, Critiques, Roundtables, Meet-the-Press, etc.
Download our Program/Session Structures document to get inspired by different approaches for sharing your content.
What will I receive if my proposal is accepted?
If your session proposal is accepted, you will receive a discounted “contributor” rate to the Annual Meeting!
Who can submit a session proposal?
Anyone can submit a session proposal! This includes all students, emerging museum professionals (EMPS), small museum professionals, experts in the field, for-profit service providers, consultants, and any other type of museum or cultural institution professional.
If you’re a service provider or consultant, please review our Annual Meeting FAQ for specific information.
Do I need to have all presenters listed in my session proposal? 
With only one round of review, it is necessary for submitted proposals to have all presenters confirmed or notated that you are interested in the PC suggestion of additional speakers to round out the proposal.
WMA limits the number of sessions that an individual can be included in - individuals may only present or moderate in 2 sessions. This is done to ensure that a variety of perspectives are represented, as well as to alleviate scheduling difficulties. Please be aware of this as you agree to be on and/or ask people to join a session.
If you are having trouble determining additional presenters for your proposal, please let us know as we would be happy to help. Just email us at wma@westmuse.org.
Register for the Session Proposal Brainstorm
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 12-1pm PST
We hope you leave our Session Proposal Brainstorm with new ideas, stronger connections with colleagues, and feeling inspired to submit a proposal!
In addtion to Sessions, we are also seeking proposals for a variety of opportunities at our 2023 Annual Meeting including Happy Hours and Activity Stations.
Click here to view our other 2023 RFP opportunities
