2025 Recap
THANK YOU!
Thank you for joining us for the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo and making the experience unforgettable. Over 4,000 attendees from around the world came together to demonstrate the profound impact museum professionals can have on our communities and society.
We hope you join us next year for the 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Philadelphia!
Thank you from all of us at AAM,
Marilyn, Megan, Grace, Elizabeth, Natanya, Dean, Cecelia, Joseph, Rachel, Stanneke, Carys, Jena, Colleen, Eileen, Michelle, Susan, Tiffany, Tieyara, Julie, Diya, Danyelle, Brianne, Martha, Brandy, Amy, Vanessa, Barry, Alana, Ariel, Anthony, Carlos, Haydn, Shelon, Grace, Victoria, Kyle, and Ren
Access the AAM 2025 Photo Album ↗
Spot yourself in a photo? Download and share it from our photo album.
Watch the Keynote and General Session ↗
The recording of the opening general session and the keynote are publicly available.
Revisit the Exhibitors from MuseumExpo ↗
Are you looking for a new vendor or partner? Revisit the MuseumExpo floor map to browse all exhibitors.
Catch Highlights with AAM TV ↗
Watch highlights from the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo live with AAM TV. Catch museum spotlights, exclusive interviews, and more. AAM TV is made possible by WebsEdge.
Watch the Fresh Insights Pre-Recorded Sessions↗
You can now watch the pre-recorded Fresh Insights Lounge sessions on demand. Find the recordings in the program by searching for the title “Fresh Insights.”
Download Presenter Slides and Handouts ↗
If presenters provided their slides or handouts, you can find them in the program online. Locate the session you’re looking for and open the description. Please note that slides and handouts have not been provided for all sessions.
Watch Concurrent Session Recordings (coming soon)
A select number of concurrent sessions were recorded at AAM 2025. Those recordings will become available in the coming weeks.
What attendees are saying
“Thank you to the American Alliance of Museums for a great gathering this year, one filled with meaningful connections and much needed hope. I’m so grateful for our resilient and powerful community of cultural stewards-whether it was a conversation, an exchange of a business card or hug, I appreciated being in community this year more than ever before.”
Jennifer Ortiz
Director, Utah Historical Society
“As I settled into AAM 2025, I quickly remembered why I attend conferences like these: the connections I make and the inspiration I get from colleagues from across the world inspire and sustain me for the year(s) ahead.”
Stephanie Gibson
Director, John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art
The American Alliance of Museums’ annual gathering of 4,000+ museum professionals is always valuable, where exchanging best practices, networking, and recognizing the impact of museums in their communities is showcased. I first attended while at the Museum of Belize, & returning in a new capacity made reconnecting even more meaningful. The sessions have been reinvigorating, packed with fresh insights and inspiration. Excited to take these ideas forward.”
Sherilyne Jones
Graduate Teaching Assistant and PhD candidate, University of South Florida
“Leaving LA today after a jam-packed week full of ideas, inspiration and new friends. The American Alliance of Museums conference is massive – the largest museum conference in the world with over 4000 attendees. And this year I arrived with a plan. I packed my schedule, said yes to as much as I could, and had so many brilliant conversations along the way…AAM 2025 was a much-needed opportunity to gather and connect during a turbulent time for the sector.”
Claire Brown
The Art Engager Podcast and Thinking Museum
“Heading back to Texas with a full heart and a full notebook after an amazing time at the AAM Conference in LA. I’m grateful for the lessons learned, the incredible resources shared, and most of all, the new friends and collaborators I met along the way. Here’s to bringing these ideas home and continuing the work that connects, engages, and inspires.”
Kyna Stys
Director of Education and Museum Programs, Admiral Nimitz Foundaiton – National Museum fo the Pacific War
“American Alliance of Museums’ annual conference was special this year. Great celebration of museum culture and exploration around community building and trust of an industry with a challenging history that sometimes struggles to connect. It was also just so nice to catch up with all of my people!”
Sarah van Haastert
Global Director of Strategic Partnerships, AVI-SPL
“Still processing everything from the 2025 American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo — what an incredible week it has been. I am filled with gratitude for the rich conversations, the reunions with colleagues I have not seen in years, and the new friendships formed through shared values and bold ideas. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by museum professionals committed to leading change—not just within their institutions, but across the field. I left inspired, reenergized, and more certain than ever that thoughtful leadership at the intersection of experience, operations, and purpose is what will move our institutions forward.”
Chris Morehead
Director of Experience and Operations, Newfields
Every year, the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo is organized by the dedicated AAM staff, Content Advisory and Local Host Committees, and volunteers. To make this event possible, registration fees cover a portion of the conference costs. The difference is made up by the generous support of our sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers that invest in museums, the field, and you.
Thank you for making the 2024 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo such a meaningful, educational, and inspiring experience.
Don’t forget to save the date for May 6-9, 2025 when we reconvene in Los Angeles for the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo!
Local Host Committee
We are grateful to the Los Angeles Local Host Committee for their help in organizing an unforgettable meeting in their city and highlighting many of the Los Angeles area’s amazing museums.
The committee supported the conference at every turn, even as their own museums faced threats from wildfires. A special thank you to co-chairs, Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, and Leticia Buckley, CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
Thank you to the Los Angeles events and tourism community who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create an incredible experience.
Sponsors
From supporting scholarships and networking events for the field, to powerful keynotes and concurrent sessions, so many facets of the annual meeting are supported by our sponsors. We thank these organizations and individuals that have generously supported the museum community and our 2025 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo.
» Visit all our 2025 Sponsors to show your support!
Content Advisory Committee
The Content Advisory Committee (CAC) is a diverse group of experts from across the field that evaluates content for the Annual Meeting each year. The CAC meticulously reviewed and selected sessions in various topic areas and addressed the current educational needs of our attendees.
» Learn more about the members of the 2024 Content Advisory Committee.
Presenters
Thank you to over 400 presenters from across the museum field and beyond who shared their expertise, experiences, and advice to help everyone continue to play their role in advancing the field.
Volunteers
AAM volunteers contribute to the Annual Meeting’s success in so many ways. From organizing engaging events and meet-ups to helping attendees navigate the meeting smoothly, our volunteers are dedicated, welcoming, and spirited individuals who help to ensure the best possible experience for all attendees.
Attendees
Of course, the Annual Meeting is possible thanks to the thousands of museum professionals who attend. Whether you’ve attended the Annual Meeting for twenty years or this was your first, thank you for being a part of, and supporting, this critical gathering for our field.
Exhibitors
We are thrilled to have welcomed over 250 exhibitors in the MuseumExpo this year, plus an additional 200+ exhibitors who were part of the Museum Store Association show floor. These exhibitors are a critical resource for our field.
Advertisers
Alongside your AAM 2025 experience, our generous advertisers were with you every step of the way. We thank them for their support! You may have spotted them on the Annual Meeting app and in the AAM 2025 Product Preview Guide as part of the May/June issue of Museum magazine.
PEOPLE AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Every community owes its existence to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hopes of better lives, some were forced from their homelands, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Honoring truth is essential to building a just and equitable world. While acknowledgment is important, it is only a beginning.
We acknowledge the Piscataway people, on whose ancestral lands the American Alliance of Museums’ office is located. Los Angeles, the city we celebrate during this Annual Meeting, is the ancestral homeland of the Gabrieliño Tongva people.
Please take a moment to consider the many realities of violence, displacement, migration, and colonization as we gather together for the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. We must hold ourselves accountable for the necessary work to uncover truths in the museum field and beyond. We encourage you to use this native lands map so you can learn what lands you occupy—visit: native-land.ca.
The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence.
