Homepage2024
AAM ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO
Thriving museums, healthy communities
MAY 16-19, 2024
#AAM2024 • BALTIMORE
Be a part of #AAM2024 in Baltimore!
Thriving museums, healthy communities
#AAM2024 Theme
Museums play an essential role in promoting health and well-being. For the millions of people who visit museums annually, whether to learn or seek solace and inspiration, our institutions uniquely facilitate social connections, physical and emotional health, and empathy. Research and the medical field are reaffirming that our field’s belief in the healing power of our work is more than wishful thinking.
As the museum field continues to prioritize well-being as a fundamental value of museums, recognizing the intrinsic link between personal, community, and institutional well-being is crucial.
Join thousands of museum professionals at the 2024 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo to dive into the individual, organizational, community, and societal well-being strategies and outcomes that can lead to thriving museums and healthy communities.
Come ready to explore, learn, and be transformed.
What Can I Expect at
#AAM2024?
CONNECT WITH YOUR PEERS
Each year, the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo is designed to help attendees feel reinvigorated and more deeply connected to our field. At #AAM2024 you won’t find a shortage of opportunities to expand your network and connect with peers over challenges, successes, new ideas, and inspiration.
SESSION TRACKS FOR ALL
#AAM2024 programming will be divided into four tracks that advance health, well-being, and quality of life for staff, visitors, community, or society: Personal, Organizational, Community, and Society. Each session will offer something for everyone, leaving you inspired and challenged to amplify the impact you can have.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS
Deepen your practice through a full day of hands-on sessions, workshops, and trainings that will help you apply the principles and postures of health and well-being within your own context and community. Sessions will focus on the “how-to” and provide attendees with tangible tools and outcomes you can bring back home.
SESSION TRACKS
The 2024 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo programming will be divided into four dynamic tracks, each aimed at advancing health, well-being, and quality of life for staff, visitors, community members, and society. Join us for an extraordinary experience at #AAM2024, where each track will offer a wealth of knowledge, insights, and opportunities for collaboration, fostering a collective commitment to enhancing health, well-being, and quality of life for all.
Personal
At the core of museum impact are people – from the dedicated individuals who make museums possible to the diverse visitors who walk through museum doors every day. Join us in engaging conversations that delve into the profound importance of mental and emotional health and well-being.
Explore topics such as creative expression, intellectual curiosity and exploration, mental and emotional health and well-being, personal growth and development, physical health and wellness, finding purpose and meaning, self-care and self-understanding, work-life integration, social connectivity, support, and belonging. Discover the significance of self-care, fostering work-life integration, and nurturing social connectivity, support, and a sense of belonging.
Organizational
Museums that prioritize the well-being of their staff not only create positive ripple effects on personal and community well-being but also enhance their operational viability and financial sustainability.
Delve into essential topics within this track, including accessibility in museums, strategies for employee agency and recognition, employee engagement and empowerment, employee financial well-being, effective governance, fostering health and wellness initiatives, the art of leadership and management, shaping organizational culture, and implementing policies and practices that promote organizational financial health and sustainability. We’ll also explore the importance of creating conducive physical and remote work environments, as well as optimizing workload and job design.
Community
Strong and engaged communities rely on the active involvement of individuals who participate in civic activities, volunteer work, and advocate for social change. Discover how individual flourishing is deeply interconnected with livability, connectedness, access, and equity within communities.
Session topics in this track will span civic engagement and participation, cultural and recreational opportunities, economic opportunities, education and lifelong learning, environmental sustainability, health and healthcare programs/services, infrastructure development, safety and security measures, building social connections and support networks, and fostering social equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
Society
Museums play an indispensable role as critical resources during times of public health emergencies, environmental catastrophes, social injustices, and human rights violations. In this track, we will explore the profound impact museums have on society’s health and well-being outcomes.
Uncover the significance of cultural expression and heritage in shaping identity, fostering economic prosperity, driving education and knowledge dissemination, promoting environmental sustainability, nurturing global citizenship through sustainable development, and providing vital health and healthcare programs/services. We’ll also examine the role of museums in building public trust, fostering accountability and transparency, contributing to peace and security, promoting social cohesion and inclusion, championing social justice and equity, and advancing technology access and connectivity.
People & 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 and Baltimore, the city we celebrate during this Annual Meeting, are located.
Please take a moment to consider the many realities of violence, displacement, migration, and colonization as we gather together for the 2023 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.
About the American Alliance
of Museums Annual Meeting &
MuseumExpo
The AAM Annual Meeting first started in 1906 in New York with under 200 museum professionals and has grown to over 5,000 attendees, becoming the largest museum conference in the United States.
The AAM Annual Meeting is the only event of its scope and scale. It brings together museums of all types and sizes—from art and history museums to zoos and botanic gardens—to share ideas and make connections that are transformational. It’s a place where all museum professionals learn from one another, create partnerships, and leave inspired to make an impact on their museums, communities, and the world.
Email: membership [at] aam-us.org
Phone: 202-289-1818
Revisit past Annual Meetings
