What does it mean for museums and their staff to listen; to learn; and to lead? These three elements are inextricably related for museums, museum professionals, and the communities we serve. The act of listening affects a person’s and an institution’s ability to learn; learning in turn makes us stronger leaders in our institutions and in the museum field.

The Western Museums Association celebrates its 80^th Anniversary at the 2015 Annual Meeting on October 24-27 in San Jose, California, and will be guided by the theme Listen • Learn • Lead. During this gathering, museum professionals will ruminate about these foundational elements to community building and how they guide the future of museums.

Registration is now open for WMA 2015!

The Early Bird Registration deadline is July 31, 2015. Discounted Rates are for members only. Not a WMA member? Learn more about membership here.

Need help asking for funding to attend WMA2015? Check out our Justification Toolkit.

Our abilities to Listen, Learn, and Lead can also be applied to the 2015 Annual Meeting. WMA 2015 offers many learning opportunities, including over 40 educational sessions, 3 in-depth Pre-Conference Workshops, the annual Poster Session, and the third installment of WestMusings | 10 Minute Museum Talks.

View the full WMA 2015 Preliminary Program

Throughout the experience, though, be cognizant of how you Listen, Learn, and Lead within your workplace, as well as in your own professional growth. What does it mean to actually listen? Are you truly listening to the communities your museum serves? How has listening influenced the way that you have learned to lead? These three fundamentals generate gradual transformation for both inner and institutional growth. However, this first step—listening—is not a passive activity; it requires active engagement in order to build those connections and create valuable learning and leading opportunities. As museum professionals, we all have powerful examples how we have listened, learned, and lead. To further the field, we need to share those stories so that we can gain knowledge from one another—the 2015 Annual Meeting provides a dynamic venue for these conversations.

Fun is one of WMA’s Core Values, and there will be plenty of opportunities for meaningful and enjoyable connections with peers in San Jose. Three Pre-Conference Tours at the 49ers Museum, Runnymede Sculpture Farm, and Splendid Heritage Collection offer behind-the-scenes explorations of some of Silicon Valley’s most unique cultural locations. Looking to uncover more of San Jose’s cultural gems? Evening Events offer a fantastic way to make deeper connections with your peers while visiting some of San Jose’s most exciting museums. Whether it’s networking with peers in downtown, exploring the Children’s Discovery Museum and History San Jose, going undercover at San Jose Museum of Art and The Tech Museum of Innovation, or entering nerdvana at the Computer History Museum, there is certainly time for inspirational exchanges.

We know that you will enjoy reconnecting with old colleagues and meeting new ones. In San Jose we will Listen with intent, Learn with others, and Lead with understanding. Please join the WMA community in San Jose this October and strengthen your network!

Register today and save!