TrendsWatch – American Alliance of Museums

TrendsWatch: Download, share, and go deeper

By Elizabeth Merritt

The 2025 edition of TrendsWatch, AAM’s annual forecasting report, is now available as a free PDF download! In this post I’ll tell you how to snag your copy and preview some opportunities to delve more deeply into this year’s topics, …
Introducing TrendsWatch 2025

By Elizabeth Merritt

The new edition of TrendsWatch is available first to AAM members as the January/February 2025 issue of Museum magazine. Become a member today for immediate access to the digital edition, before the report is …
Emergency Response in the Face of Disasters

By Elizabeth Merritt

This is an excerpt from TrendsWatch: Museums as Community Infrastructure. The full report is available as a free PDF download. “There’s nothing like a jolly good disaster to get people to start doing something.” —Prince Charles America’s …
TrendsWatch: this year’s report as a free, accessible PDF with copious links

By Elizabeth Merritt

Heads up! The 2024 edition of CFM’s annual forecasting report is now available as a free PDF download. TrendsWatch: Navigating a Volatile Future explores how museums can adapt to the astounding pace of change in culture, climate, and …
Racing into the Future with TrendsWatch 2024

By Elizabeth Merritt

It’s that time again! Check your mailbox for the 2024 edition of TrendsWatch, AAM’s annual forecasting report. Starting last year, we began publishing TrendsWatch as the Jan/Feb edition of Museum magazine. I am so pleased with this …
Take a Deep Dive into the Future of Museums this November

By Elizabeth Merritt

Have you registered for the Future of Museums Summit? Taking place from 1-5 pm ET November 1 and 2, this virtual conference will explore four themes from the current edition of TrendsWatch: the evolution of digital practice, workplace …
Releasing TrendsWatch into the Wild

By Elizabeth Merritt

Heads up! The 2023 edition of CFM’s annual forecasting report is now available as a free PDF download. TrendsWatch: Building the Post-pandemic World explores how museums can emerge from the past three years better and stronger, using …
Forecasting 2023

By Elizabeth Merritt

In 2023, we, as individuals and organizations, are faced with choices that will determine what the post-pandemic future will look like. Will we try to rebuild a version of 2019, in so far as we are able, or will we use disruption as an …
Introducing the 2022 Edition of TrendsWatch

By Elizabeth Merritt

As a child, I fell in love with museums for the good they did for me: providing a place of wonder, exploration, refuge, and, as I aged into teen-dom, an opportunity for meaningful work as a volunteer. As an adult, I fell in love with …
Navigating a Disrupted Future at #AAM2021

By Elizabeth Merritt

How is a talk different from a written report? How is a digital presentation different from its analog kin? Earlier this week I gave my annual TrendsWatch session at the #AAM2021 virtual conference. As usual, I used the presentation as an …