Donor cultivation is an ongoing and deeply critical, component of development work. In this session, we will explore the challenges, constraints, and opportunities for building and maintaining these important relationships. After a rapid-fire series of short presentations in which development professionals from a variety of institutions share their own successful strategies for engaging donors, attendees will ask questions, engage in broader conversation, and think deeply about their own work.

Data acts as a "crystal ball" by leveraging predictive analytics, AI, and integrated data sets–such as visitor behavior, market trends, and historical performance–to forecast future outcomes. Learn how museums can collect valuable data and use it to transform raw information into predictive models, actionable insights, and data-driven decisions. From guest sentiment to retail sales, explore different data streams, how they can identify trends, and inform decisions across a wide range of museum operations.

This session will begin with several graduate students sharing their thoughts, fears, and concerns as they enter the museum field in the midst of a myriad of challenges. It will then broaden into a fishbowl session with others joining in the conversation. Leadership from WMA and other organizations will be in attendance to learn how to support, attend to, and address these issues into the future.

How does a museum move from a "cool experiment" with AI to a sustainable workflow? This session explores Utah's intentional steps to integrate Google Gemini across its workforce, providing a macro-to-micro blueprint. From state-level policy and departmental change management to practical collections applications like transcription, learn and ASPIRE to innovate with a unified strategy. This session includes a live prompting lab to translate policy into effective daily practice.

Serving on a museum board is often an aspirational but opaque goal for museum professionals. How are board members recruited and what does service entail? This moderated discussion demystifies board service from both sides, exploring pathways to participation, expectations around governance and fundraising, and the skills institutions need today. Attendees will gain practical insight into pursuing board roles and contributing to mission-driven leadership and public trust.

This highly interactive session builds upon previous sessions at WMA, CAM, AAM, and efforts to launch an Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Museums Association. Through polling and facilitated discussions, participants will engage with others who identify as AANHPI, those who work in AANHPI museums, and allies. Participants will have multiple opportunities to candidly share experiences, frustrations, and hopes from their personal/professional experiences. This session is open to all WMA conference attendees.

At the Natural History Museum of Utah, A Climate of Hope (ACoH) offers a path to rational hope. This exhibit shows how climate change affects Utah's people and places, while also helping visitors envision a healthy, prosperous, low-carbon future. In this session, exhibit developers and learning researchers share stories of ACoH, from prototyping to research-based iteration that continues today. Audience members will participate in activities to collectively imagine new ways of supporting visitor learning towards constructive hope amid climate change.

Physical security walked into a bar… and got carded! Museum security is no joke, but it can be enjoyable. In this session, museum operations and security personnel will work with audience members to troubleshoot challenges in real time. Drop your own public safety quandary in the hat and collaborate with peers to find solutions. 

Museums are often seen as permanent stewards…but what if we reimagined our role as temporary, ethical custodians? This session introduces the "Third Place" model, where museums provide culturally responsive interim care for ancestors when direct Tribal possession is not immediately feasible. Grounded in sovereignty, trust, and accountability, this framework reduces barriers to repatriation and reframes stewardship as transitional, collaborative, and community-driven.

If Saint-Exupéry was right, "a goal without a plan is just a wish," then join us and get excited about planning. Explore practical tools to create and work with your plan. Gain a deeper understanding of why we plan and how plans are practical tools across museum activities – exhibitions, programming, annual goals, "what if" scenarios. Bring your planning challenges and explore tools that can help you be successful now and in the future.