The Post-Conference Era with Robert Weisberg of Museum Human

On February 11th, Museum Human and Museums As Progress are combining forces to host a discussion on the future of museum professional gatherings. You are invited.

INT. SUBURBAN HOME - KITCHEN - MORNING

Me: The MAP Community’s proposal got accepted for AAM’s conference in Boston.

Christie: So it’s you and other community members who will be presenting?

Me: Yes. Our session is called “Unsolvable Mysteries: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Small-Scale Research”.

Christie: That’s wonderful. How much is AAM paying you?

Me: Oh, I actually pay them.

Christie: [pauses, looking puzzled] Well, we haven’t been to Boston in years, so this will be fun … Come to think of it, you haven’t left the house in three years, so this will be really good for you.

Me: I’ve become quite happy with my agoraphobia.

Jasper: Stockholm syndrome.

Me: What do you know about Stockholm syndrome?

Jasper: I’m a five-year-old living through the third year of a global pandemic. What do I not know about Stockholm syndrome?

I stood there, imagining me and my fellow community members traveling together to the Boston Convention Center.

And I thought about the face my wife made when I told her that we’d be paying the conference organizer to contribute to their event.

And then I started thinking again about the idea that we might be entering what Robert Weisberg has called the Post-Conference Era.

It seems like more people are questioning the value of traditional conference gatherings — everything from the structure (whether once a year for a few days or spread out over a period of weeks) to the challenges associated with fair compensation for presenters and sustainable production for host organizations.

The questions Rob raised about this topic in his newsletter a few months ago generated quite a bit of discussion and dovetails with our purpose of Gathering this winter in MAP.

So, Rob and I are teaming up to host a discussion on February 11th on The Post Conference Era for museums. This informal discussion will coincide with MAP’s end-of-season showcase on Gathering.

The session is free and open to anyone who would like to attend. You can RSVP and read more here.

As always, reply to this email with your thoughts, leave a comment on the blog, or share your feedback.

Kyle