The Western Museums Association warmly invites you to our 2026 Annual Meeting in
Salt Lake City, Utah on September 23-26. Produced in partnership with the Utah Museums Association.
With the theme of ASPIRE, WMA 2026 invites museum professionals to imagine boldly, reaching beyond inherited boundaries to shape futures not yet written. To ASPIRE is not simply to dream; it is to take intentional steps toward transformation. In museums, this means embracing innovation, confronting historical silences, and cultivating practices that reflect the diverse realities of the publics we serve. Whether expanding community engagement, rethinking stewardship, or exploring new interpretive strategies, the act of aspiring requires us to hold space for possibility.
ASPIRE to shape the future.
This year we gather in Salt Lake City, a place shaped by layered histories, evolving communities, and ongoing efforts to reckon with land, identity, and belonging. Against this backdrop, ASPIRE invites us to forge stronger partnerships, uplift underrepresented voices, and build frameworks that honor both local stories and global perspectives.
ASPIRE with us in Salt Lake City as we envision what museums can become when we commit to growth, empathy, and accountability!
Download the WMA 2026 Preliminary Program
INDEX
Benefits of Attending WMA 2026 • Rates • Important Deadlines
WMA 2026 Events • WMA 2026 City Guide & Hotel
Add Event & Tour Tickets • Ways to Save • Cancellation & Refund Policy
Benefits of Attending WMA 2026
Attending WMA's Annual Meeting will further your professional development, skills, and discourse by providing a constructive environment with access to various perspectives, learning opportunities, and events. This year, WMA's six session tracks, exciting programs, and informal discussions will provide a fruitful environment for various perspectives to be shared and multifaceted learning opportunities for all cultural institution professionals, regardless of specialty. Participating in areas outside your area of expertise will promote integration of ideas from multiple disciplines, foster the acquisition of knowledge, and provide insight on how to apply that knowledge – all of which advances our collective understanding of the field and our work.
At WMA 2026, you will be one of hundreds of museum professionals from across the West – and beyond – who will return home inspired by new perspectives and overflowing with fresh ideas.
If you're looking to demonstrate the value of WMA's Annual Meeting to your department or boss, please view our Justification Toolkit, filled with information and resources to support your case.
Registration Rates
Online registration for WMA 2026 is NOW OPEN.
Full Meeting
WMA and UMA Member Early Bird Rate ..... $410 (through July 31)
WMA and UMA Member Regular Rate ..... $465 (begins August 1)
Non-Member Regular Rate (Includes WMA membership) ..... $530
Student Rate ..... $265
Single Day
General Rate ..... $240
Please contact wma@westmuse.org for Presenter Rate information.
Important Deadlines
WMA 2026 Events
Over the course of WMA's 2026 Annual Meeting, attendees will attend a fantastic lineup of engaging and informative sessions at the headquarters hotel, and will traverse downtown SLC for a variety of networking events!
On Wednesday, Pre-Conference Tours will transpire at cultural sites around Salt Lake City including the NHMU Living Room Lookout, Spiral Jetty, Topaz Museum, and Wuda Ogwa Restoration site. Attendees also have the option to participate in CSI: Registrars, hosted by the Registrars Committee Western Region (RCWR). Attendees will find early connections at WMA’s 2026 Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall at the Annual Meeting Headquarters, Hilton Salt Lake City Center, followed by the first Evening Event at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art - right down the street. Three additional Evening Events will invite attendees to experience the Museum of Utah, Natural History Museum of Utah, and conclude the Annual Meeting together the 2026 Headquarters Hotel with an exciting mix of activities and educational offerings to connect with fellow attendees.
You'll find detailed descriptions, dates, and times on our Annual Meeting Agenda page, and in the 2026 Preliminary Program.
All add-on events are reserved for Annual Meeting attendees, and do require pre-registration.
WMA 2026 City Guide & Headquarters Hotel
The WMA 2026 host city is Salt Lake City – the capital of Utah and a popular city for outdoor activities on the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains. For information on what awaits for you in SLC, please visit our City Information page (coming soon!).
Located in the middle of the action, the Hilton Salt Lake City Center is this year’s Annual Meeting headquarters hotel. The hotel is right in the downtown Salt Lake area with easy access to some of the best restaurants and attractions in SLC. The Hilton SLC Center is the perfect place for attendees to ASPIRE to greater heights with learning sessions and networking opportunities. To make reservations online, please visit our dedicated room block reservation page. For additional information on how to prepare and what to bring with you to the 2026 Annual Meeting, please visit our Attendee Guide.
WMA Kids Zone
To increase accessibility for museum professionals with families, WMA has a child friendly atmosphere. In the Exhibit Hall, there will be an Activity Table with coloring books, building blocks, and puzzles to give children of all ages an opportunity to play. If an attendee is traveling with an additional caregiver, the caregiver will be given a “family badge” at no charge to access meeting spaces.
Add Event & Tour Tickets
Online registration for WMA 2026 is NOW OPEN.
Manage my WMA 2026 Registration
To Add Additional Tickets to your Registration:
Visit our registration site and log in using the email you registered with. This will allow you to view your registration, add additional tickets, and pay any outstanding balances.
For questions about adding tickets to an existing registration, please contact Jason B. Jones, WMA's Executive Director, at wma@westmuse.org or 707-433-4701.
To remove events from your existing registration:
- If you would like remove events, please contact WMA staff by phone 707-433-4701 or by email wma@westmuse.org.
Ways to Save!
Volunteer during the Annual Meeting in exchange for attendance. Volunteers must work for time periods equal to a minimum of four hours; this can be broken up into two–2 hour shifts or one–4 hour shift (preferable). In exchange for work, volunteers will be permitted to attend an equal amount of hours of non-ticketed Annual Meeting events. Please contact wma@westmuse.org if you are interested.
WMA Cancellation & Refund Policy
Cancellations made in writing on or before August 28, 2026, will be refunded, minus a $100.00 processing fee. Cancellations after August 28, 2026, will not be refunded. No-shows will not be refunded. Please contact WMA for further information or if you have any questions.
