Learn…Share…Grow—all online!

AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010

May 24 & 25, 2010
In collaboration with AAM's Standing Professional Committees (SPCs) and

LearningTimes

REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED THROUGH THE WHOLE CONFERENCE!

To register,contact LearningTimes directly at help@learningtimes.net 

Join us LIVE and have continued access to the recorded virtual conference!

Connect and network online with museum colleagues from around the world!
 

DESCRIPTION

For the first time, AAM unveils a virtual conference to deliver outstanding educational content live from the 2010 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, May 24-25, 2010.

• Understand how to sharpen your organizational vision
• Demonstrate the public value of your institution
• Learn more about your ever-changing visitors and the tools and strategies to best reach them
• Glean insight on how best to protect and grow your assets
  

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MODERATOR and PRODUCER
All sessions will be moderated by Jonathan Finkelstein, Founder and Executive Producer, LearningTimes. Jonathan Finkelstein and LearningTimes work closely with AAM, museums, educational institutions, libraries and other organizations to grow and maintain online learning communities and to foster human interaction, professional development and learning online. LearningTimes helped bring AAM Professional Development in to the online world in early 2008, and has produced all of AAM’s webinars and web conferences since that time.

REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED THROUGH THE WHOLE CONFERENCE! To register, contact LearningTimes directly at help@learningtimes.net   Registration is offered on a group basis. One registration fee entitles you to 10 access keys. 

AAM member registration: $199.
Non-member registration: $299. 

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED, BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTER THROUGH LEARNINGTIMES DIRECTLY.  EMAIL:  HELP@LEARNINGTIMES.NET

SCHEDULE
Monday, May 24
(All times Pacific Daylight Saving Time)

7:45-9:00 a.m.           
Opening Plenary: How to Demonstrate the PublicValue of Museums
Gain insight on how museums can conduct and use public value research to demonstrate their importance to stakeholders, funders and policy makers, building their capacity to better serve the public.

Chair: Marsha Semmel, Deputy Director for Museums, Institute of Museum & Library Services, Washington DC

Presenters:Carol Diebel, Museum Director, University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, AK; Jane Legget, Associate Director (Cultural Heritage), New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, Aukland University of Technology, New Zealand; Carlos Manjarrez, Associate Deputy Director for Research and Statistics, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington DC;Carol Scott, Consultant, London, UK

9:15-10:30 a.m.  
Innovative Technology: Breaking down Barriers Between the Physical and Virtual Museum Experience
Learn how multi-institutional collaborations and emerging technologies such as on-site interactive experiences, social media and website adaptation for mobile devices can help keep visitors connected.

Chair: Jack Ludden, Manager of the Web Group & Media Production, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, CA

Presenters:AllegraBurnette, Creative Director, Digital Media, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY;Rich Cherry, Director, Balboa Park Online Collaborative, San Diego, CA;Paul Sparrow, Deputy Director & Vice President, Broadcasting and Programs, Newseum, Washington DC

10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Domestic Couriering 101: Best Practices for Navigating Across Town and Beyond
Understand proper and accepted domestic courier guidelines that ensure safety for objects in transit, focusing on domestic ground and air transportation.

Chair: Darlene Bialowski, Principal, Darlene Bialowski Art Services, LLC, Spofford, NH

Presenters: Cherie Summers, Chief Registrar, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, CA; Eric Smith, President, Artemis, Dallas, TX; Devon Pyle-Vowles, Collections Manager, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL


12:15-1:30 p.m.
The Next Generation of Visitors: Creating Experiences for Millennials
Learn about recent research on the Millennial Generation—those born roughly between 1980-2000—and discover new strategies for translating this research into successful museum experiences.

Chair: Jessica Sickler, Senior Research Associate, Institute for Learning Innovation, Bronx, NY

Presenters: Sylvia Matiko, Principal, A Different View, Nashville, TX; Ellen Rosenthal, President & CEO, Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN; Linda Wilson, Director, Audience Research and Evaluation, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL


1:45-3:00 p.m.
Optimize Volunteer Interpreters to Personalize Visitor Experience
Research finds that visitors want a personalized experience, butmany museums still train volunteer groups to conduct primarily guided—no choice—tours. Explore different approaches to using volunteers, various ways guides can help personalize visitors’ experience, and obstacles and implications that emerge when using volunteers in this way.

Chair: Marianna Adams, President, Audience Focus Inc., Annapolis, MD

Presenter: Judith Koke, Deputy Director, Education and Public Programming, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada


3:00-3:30 p.m.
Virtual Happy Hour
Join the AAM and LearningTimes conference team for an informal wrap-up session for Day 1. Connect with colleagues from around the globe, share ideas, ask or answer questions online, and simply wind down after an action-packed first day.



Tuesday, May 25
(All times Pacific Daylight Saving Time)

7:45-9:00 a.m.
Long Range Thinking and Planning: Not Just for Large Museums
Learn the essentials of long range thinking processes specifically targeted to small museums.

Chair: Lindsey Baker, Executive Director, Laurel Historical Society, MD

Presenters: Mary Alexander, Director, Museum Advancement Program, Maryland Historical Trust, Crownsville, MD; Michael Sanborn, Director, Banning Residence Museum, Wilmington, CA


9:15-10:30 a.m.
75 Winning Ideas in 75 Minutes
Take away innovative development and membership ideas for successful implementation at any museum with an emphasis on breaking open revenue log-jams.

Chair: Charles Katzenmeyer, Vice President for External Affairs, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL

Presenters: Carl Hamm, Senior Vice President Development & Marketing, Fort Worth Museum of Science and Natural History, TX; Anne Haskel, Dallas, TX; Amy Ritter Cowen, Executive Vice President, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL


10:45 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Beyond Words: Editing as Exhibition Development
Explore how a range of museum professionals, including labelwriters, curators, exhibition developers and designers can deliberately and imaginatively edit their work, resulting in user-friendly, cogent exhibitions.

Chair: John Russick, Senior Curator, Chicago History Museum, IL

Presenters: Judy Rand, Director, Rand and Associates, Seattle, WA; David Russick, Chief Designer, Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN; Selma Thomas, President, Watertown Productions Inc, Washington, DC


1:45-3:00 p.m.
Steal this Session! Taking and Using the Best from Contemporary Culture
Experts share experiences, trends and recommendations on how to become more relevant to today’s visitors by “stealing” the best from contemporary culture, incorporating others’ successful practices into your programming, fundraising and marketing. Topics will include: destination programming, approaching companies for unconventional fundraising opportunities and using iPhone apps to introduce exhibitions to users around the world.

Chair: Steve Rogenstein, Director, Base Design, New York, NY

Presenters: Claudia Bestor, Director, Public Programs & Education, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Bettina Korek, Founder, ForYourArt, Los Angeles, CA; Rachel Teagle, Executive Director, The New Children’s Museum, San Diego, CA


3:00-3:30 p.m.
Virtual Happy Hour
Join the AAM and LearningTimes conference team for an informal wrap-up session for Day 2. Connect with colleagues from around the globe, share ideas, ask or answer questions online, and simply wind down after an action-packed second day.



WHAT IS A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE?
Attend from Anywhere
Unlike the AAM Annual Meeting itself, the AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010 has no physical venue. Taking place completely over the Web and webcast live from Los Angeles, the online conference is wherever you are. Over 95% of participants in other LearningTimes-produced online conferences report that the virtual experience is at least as meaningful and valuable as attending an offline conference.

Engaging Speakers
The AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010 will feature dynamic speakers— all of whom are respected practitioners in the field. During the conference, the presenters not only share insights from their own practice, but facilitate a lively dialogue with a community of participants.

Professional Networking
Online conferences produced by LearningTimes are known worldwide not only for the richness of their content and the quality of their programs, but also for their warm and very human sensibility. The LearningTimes team strives to create a culture of sharing and produces the conference with an array of tools and events that foster relationship-building with peers and the growth of professional networks. Participants cite the connections they made with others in attendance online as among the most valuable elements of the online conference experience.

Live Interactive Sessions
The AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010 will be two jam-packed days of access to top speakers, great content and exceptional networking opportunities. Participants will hear and interact with session leaders and other attendees. Each session will last about one hour, and will feature live web-based audio, visuals, and real-life demonstrations of best practices at work.

Full Session Recordings
The AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010 sessions are recorded and posted immediately to the conference community site so that participants unable to attend live or who wish to watch again can experience the sessions when it is most convenient. In addition to the real-time dialogue, some participants may choose to post ideas and questions for the speakers before or after the event in threaded discussion areas, to be addressed live and in the recorded sessions. Access to the session recordings is available for approximately six months after the conference. No matter what time zone you are in, you can still enjoy the full virtual conference experience.

Anytime Discussions and Networking
The AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010 online conference community will act as the hub for the event. Access to fellow participants and great content begin before the conference commences with member introduction areas and topic-based discussion areas. Once the conference is underway, the site takes on a buzz and the frenzied pace of the best offline conferences. Participants meet new contacts and old friends on their way into each online conference session, and engage in the kind of conversations that characterize the best face-to-face gatherings. The conference community goes beyond the event itself, continuing to act as repository for all the great contact generated during the virtual conference, and a hub for ongoing access to the human network brought together for the conference. Tap into it at any time.



TIPS FOR GROUP PARTICIPATION
To make the most of your group experience before, during and after the AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010, you will want to ensure that all technical elements are in place, appoint a facilitator, and consider how to engage participants after the conference.

The Technical Elements
Consider the space you'll use for your group's participation in the online conference. You will need to make sure that whatever space used has Internet access (hardwired is preferred to wireless), a computer with speakers, a projector and more powerful external speakers depending on the size of the room and how many people will be attending. You want to make sure that a large group of people don't have to huddle around one small computer monitor and will be able to hear easily no matter where they are sitting in the room. Prior to the conference you will receive information on testing your computer to ensure that your group can participate in the live online sessions. Please test the computer set up in the room that you will be using for the conference. You may want to consult with those in your organization that help with IT and facilities management. Depending on the size of your group you may need to start this process early, so don't leave it until the last minute.

During the Conference
Since you may have many people attending the conference, not everyone will be able to directly participate in the chat discussion. Therefore, you will want to have a facilitator for the conference. Facilitators should feel comfortable with participating in online events and be good at keeping the in-house group focused on the ideas being presented. A facilitator would be the main person to speak for the group using text chat. A facilitator also may help others in the group become comfortable with the different ways to communicate during the live sessions so that individuals can experience a live online learning experience more first hand. These are some ways that a facilitator enriches the learning experience of an online conference for an in-house group of attendees.

Post Conference and Keeping the Learning Going
Every session will be recorded. The community and those recorded sessions will be accessible for on year after the conclusion of the conference. During the conference there is often so much going on that people need to review the recordings, handouts and ongoing discussions a few more times once the flurry of activity has subsided. As a registered group you have a great opportunity to keep the professional development going by bringing those who participated as a group together periodically to watch the recordings. You can create a series of "brown bag lunches" - viewing recorded sessions as a group and discussing how your team can use the information presented. It is a great way to reconnect with the ideas presented, reconnect to each other and get even more from this great conference.


FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about the AAM Annual Meeting Virtual Conference 2010, contact AAM Meetings and Professional Education at meetings@aam-us.org or help@learningtimes.net.

For more information about LearningTimes, visit www.learningtimes.net.