Submit your session proposals for OMA 2017!

It's once again time to send in your innovative and thought-provoking session ideas for the 2017 OMA Annual Conference ! This year’s meeting will be held April 2-3 in Ohio's beautiful Glass City - Toledo!

Each year, it seems the world moves a little bit faster, the "hot new trend" gets old a little bit quicker, and we are forced to adapt with record speed - or risk getting left in the lurch.

The one thing constant is change. With our world growing more complex every day, change within museums isn’t just inevitable, it’s necessary to remain critical, meaningful and relevant to our communities.

Across Ohio, museums are using this idea to transform their institutions – paving the way with innovative programming and ideas, audience engagement, sustainability, collections care and more - to enhance and support their mission and better serve their community.

With the wealth of innovation happening in Ohio museums comes the opportunity for us to share knowledge- what’s worked, what didn’t, and what we learned from it all.

This year’s theme is Transforming Museums: Secrets to Success and we need your help! OMA is currently accepting session proposals for innovative and engaging sessions that will create an interactive experience for our conference attendees.

Click here to download a Session Proposal Form

So, what makes a great OMA session?

• Our attendees love programs with high take-away values—something that equips them with knowledge and skills they will be able to immediately put into practice.

• Sessions that engage the attendees in open discussion, and provide an opportunity for museum professionals to discover how others solve problems, develop programs, produce exhibits and deliver what the public wants while staying true to a mission are always big hits.

• Because OMA is a state-wide conference, the audience comes from a wide variety of institutions that vary in size and discipline, so sessions that can engage this unique group are highly sought after.

• To help foster the growth of our emerging museum leaders, we are encouraging proposals with speakers that include students partnering with current museum professionals. Student speakers offer a unique perspective that is invaluable and invigorating for our attendees!

Submit your session proposal now for the 2017 annual conference of the Ohio Museums Association as we share the secrets to success in Ohio museums. Sessions on a variety of topics would be welcome; however, for 2017, we're seeking session proposals that will help foster dynamic conversations around:

• Laying the foundation for change – How to navigate the world of tax credits, local levies, grants and more.

• In the midst of change – How do you pitch change to your stakeholders? How do you create buy-in and address the needs of your community when implementing necessary change?

• In the wake of change- after a big transformation, either internally or externally, what comes next? How do you keep the momentum going?

• Transformation within- Committing to change isn’t always easy (or comfortable). How does your institution navigate change? How can we best support colleagues at all levels during times of tough transformation?

• Secrets to success – How and why programs/policies/exhibits, etc. became successful, and how these programs can work for other museums.

• Un-success stories – Lessons learned, and how to bounce back from a less-than-successful venture.

A variety of formats are encouraged from hands-on sessions, round table discussions, panel Q and As, and workshops (to name a few).

Session proposals are being accepted until October 17, 2016. For complete Session Proposal information and up-to-date conference details, visit the OMA 2017 Conference Page . Please feel free to contact the OMA office at 614.297.2375 or [email protected] with any questions.

OMA 2017 - Transforming Museums: Secrets to Success! We look forward to seeing you in Toledo!