Please do not distribute. Registered attendees for Museums Advocacy Day 2025 can access the full program.

As of February 20, 2025. Subject to change.

Need a brief view? The Schedule at a Glance is available.

Pre-Event On Demand Webinars

Attendees may access all Museums Advocacy Day On-Demand Webinars in the Event Center with the password that was emailed to you.

Recordings available in the Event Center:

• What to Expect at Museums Advocacy Day – held on February 7, 2025 at 2 p.m. ET
• Strategic Storytelling: Communicating Your Museum’s Impact
• Advocacy Deep Dive: How To Be An Effective Museum Advocate
• What’s at Stake at Home: State Advocacy Efforts
• Mock Congressional / Advocacy Video

Sunday, February 23

Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel – 900 South Orme Street, Arlington VA, 22204

All Day – On Your Own: Museum Visits – Washington, DC and beyond

2 – 5 p.m. – Check In and Materials Pick Up – Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel)
From the lobby, follow signs for Museums Advocacy Day to pick up your badge and materials at our check-in table. AAM and Advocacy Associates staff will be on hand to answer questions, including about your Tuesday meetings schedule.

5 – 6:30 p.m. – Welcome & Networking Reception – Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel; Galaxy Ballroom)Join your fellow advocates for networking and light refreshments to officially kick off Museums Advocacy Day 2025!

Monday, February 24

Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel – 900 South Orme Street, Arlington VA, 22204

7:30 – 8:30 a.m. – Check In and Networking Breakfast
If you didn’t have a chance to check in with us yesterday, stop by to pick up your badge and materials. Then grab some light nourishment and caffeine and meet some of your fellow advocates.

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. – Welcome to Museums Advocacy Day 2025!

• Marilyn Jackson, President & CEO
• Barry Szczesny, Director of Government Relations & Public Policy, American Alliance of Museums, Museums Advocacy Day Emcee

Our opening session provides a big-picture overview of the current Congressional landscape and what’s at stake for museums. You’ll also receive important information about the flow of today’s program and tips on how to maximize your Museums Advocacy Day experience.

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. – Advocacy & Policy Essentials: Understanding the Congressional Process

• Sarah Abernathy, Executive Director, Committee for Education Funding

Before we discuss the details you need to know for tomorrow’s meetings, this session sets the stage with a brief overview of what the Congressional spending process looks like and how our advocacy work fits in. You will:

• Receive an update on the Congressional budget and appropriations processes, as well as valuable insights and important context on the legislative landscape on Capitol Hill
• Gain understanding of issues critical to smart and effective advocacy

9:45 – 10:30 a.m. – Advocacy & Policy Essentials: Key Issues & Asks

• Barry Szczesny, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, American Alliance of Museums
• Andy Finch, Director of Policy, Association of Art Museum Directors

This session is essential and required for every advocate participating in Tuesday, Feb. 25 Congressional meetings. You will:

• Hear about the key asks you’ll be making in Congressional visits
• Learn how to frame the issues and how to be prepared to respond to questions Congressional offices may have

10:30 – 11 a.m. – Networking Break

11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Advocacy & Policy Essentials: Making the Case with Data

• Susie Wilkening, Principal, Wilkening Consulting
• Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President of Strategic Foresight & Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums, American Alliance of Museums

What makes the stories we share with decision makers even more impactful? Backing them up with data! This session reviews highlights of available data and key talking points, including from Museums as Economic Engines and Museums and Public Opinion.

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Networking Lunch (Location – State Room Assignments, there will be directions to your room on-site.)

This is a dedicated time for you to begin to connect with fellow advocates from your state and region over lunch, while more formal Congressional visit planning can be reserved for the “Preparation and Practice” session later in the afternoon. View this discussion guide that may help guide your lunch experience.

1 – 1:45 p.m. – Advocacy in Action

• Brandy Dillingham, Director of Advocacy, American Alliance of Museums

This session will get you excited and prepared to put everything you just learned into action! You will:

• Hear expert advice on being an effective advocate for museums, including telling your museum’s story and communicating its community impact
• Get tips to prepare you to be successful in visiting Congressional offices and helping you navigate Capitol Hill – including what to expect, how to approach the day, and how to follow up

1:45 – 2 p.m. – Putting It All Together: Top Takeaways

Museums Advocacy Day partner organizations recap key lessons from the day with their top advocacy tips & takeaways.

• Speakers: Representatives from Association of Science Museum Directors, American Association for State and Local History, American Public Gardens Association, Association of African American Museums, Association of Art Museum Directors, Association of Children’s Museums, Association of Science-Technology Centers, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. – America 250

• John Dichtl, President & CEO, American Association for State and Local History

The nation’s 250th anniversary kicks off this April and will culminate on July 4, 2026. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to show how museums bring history to life, spark meaningful conversations, and strengthen civic engagement. This session will discuss using this anniversary to highlight the power of museums in shaping a shared, evidence-based understanding of our complex past.

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Networking Break

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. – Concurrent Public Policy Briefings

Not every policy issue affects every museum, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t vital to our cause. Be prepared to discuss these issues during your Tuesday, Feb. 25 Congressional meetings (as time allows), when following-up when the offices and staff you met with, and in your on-going year-round connecting with elected officials and their offices. Get all the details on an additional issue that may be of particular interest and import to you or your museum. Learn about the latest legislative developments and how to best make your case on these important issues. Choose one: 

Option A: National Endowment for the Humanities & National Endowment for the Arts (Commonwealth Ballroom)

• Alexandra Klein, Communications Manager, National Humanities Alliance
• Tooshar Swain, Director of Public Policy, Americans for the Arts

Option B: Historic Preservation and America 250 Q & A (Cavalier Ballroom)

• Christina Hingle, Director of Governmental and External Affairs, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
• John Garrison Marks, Director, Public History Research Lab, Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives, American Association for State and Local History

Option C: STEM Education Funding & Priorities (Concourse Room)

• Adam Fagan, Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Engagement
• Sarah Milberg, Vice President, Government Affairs, Association of Zoos and Aquariums

3:15 – 4:30 p.m. – Putting It All Together: Preparation and Practice (Location – State Room Assignments, there will be directions to your room on-site.)

Now that you have all of the tools and knowledge to be a successful advocate for museums, meet back at your state tables to prepare and practice for your Capitol Hill visits tomorrow. View the Meeting Coordination Instructions to help you during this time, in which you will:

• Compare Congressional meeting schedules and exchange contact information with fellow advocates
• Use the sample meeting outline to plan your Hill visits, including identifying speaking roles
• Practice for your visits with your fellow advocates so that you feel prepared for Tuesday’s visits
• Ask any final questions of AAM staff

Tuesday, February 25

Travel on your own or with fellow advocates to Capitol Hill for your meetings. Remember to leave plenty of time for security screening! See FAQs for travel tips and directions.

9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Meetings on Capitol Hill – U.S. Capitol Complex – For specific locations, refer to your personalized schedule which will be available (prior to the event) in the Advocacy Day App.

Put everything from yesterday’s program into action as you meet with your Congressional representatives and their teams throughout the day. The Alliance is arranging your Capitol Hill visits for you based on information you provided during registration. Your customized meeting schedule (you will be emailed access prior to the event) will be available—via electronic format—through the Congressional Meeting Web Portal (Advocacy Day App) shortly prior to and during Museums Advocacy Day. You will:

• Make key asks on behalf of the museum field
• Communicate the value of museums with data and stories
• Use your voice to share the story of your work in the museum field
• Practice and expand your professional & advocacy skills
• Capture notes to follow up with offices and AAM staff

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Between meetings? Need a place to take a break? Space will be available for advocates between meetings at the Capitol Visitors Center, North Congressional Meeting Room, CVC-Room 268. (Note: this space is not for luggage storage.) To find the room, enter through security for the Capitol Visitors Center, then turn to your left, and to your left again – you see a set of doors with “Visitors Center” above. Enter the doors and go downstairs, then go to your left. You may also ask the visitor information representatives in red shirts inside the Capitol for directions.

5 p.m.* – 7 p.m. – Congressional Reception (Capitol Visitor Center Atrium & Auditorium)

*Allow extra time for security screening! Review items that are prohibited in the Capitol Visitors Center (CVC).

Gather with fellow advocates, members of Congress and their staffs, and partners to celebrate museums and mark the conclusion of Museums Advocacy Day 2025.