The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Annual Meeting is an annual conference dedicated to fostering excellence in museums by providing our region’s museum professionals with high-quality professional development, networking opportunities, and special events.
Access Annual Meeting registration now. Early Bird registration rates are available now through September 1, 2024.
Refund Policy: If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting for any reason after registering, please send an email to info@midatlanicmuseums.org requesting a refund less a $20 administrative fee. Refund requests will be granted through September 30, 2024 however no refunds will be processed after that date.
Hotel rooms are now available for the 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Book your room at a discounted rate online here or by calling call 1-877-999-3223 and refer to: MAAM 2024 Annual Meeting. The discounted room rate will be avaiable until Monday, September 16, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST.
The Mid-Atlantic region is home to more museums and museum studies programs than any other part of the country. Showcase your firm, service, company, or non-profit organization to over 250 museum professionals by supporting the 2024 MAAM Annual Meeting.
Sponsoring MAAM gives your organization or firm visibility to a wide audience, and also helps Mid-Atlantic museum professionals make informed decisions for their institutions. Opportunities range from à la carte items, in-kind donations, and inclusive packages. Online and onsite recognition ensures that sponsors are celebrated for their contributions.
Important Dates
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) encourages members to submit nominations for the following categories of awards to recognize organizations and individuals throughout the Mid-Atlantic region for their leadership, career achievements, creativity, and best practices.
THE KATHERINE COFFEY AWARD: The Katherine Coffey Award is given each year by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums to an individual in the Mid-Atlantic region to recognize distinguished achievement in the museum field. The Coffey Award ceremony is held annually at the MAAM Annual Meeting and is one of the pinnacle events of the conference.
THE MAKING AN IMPACT AWARD: This award honors museums and institutions as a whole for developing either a program, exhibition, or special project that displays responsiveness and resourcefulness and have resulted in creative change for their organizations and a positive impact on their communities.
THE EMERGING MUSEUM PROFESSIONAL AWARD: An award celebrating outstanding emerging professionals who have worked or volunteered in the museum industry for fewer than 7 years.
Required Materials for Nomination:
Please send any questions to info@midatlanticmuseums.org. The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2024.
AWARDS SELECTION AND ANNOUNCEMENT PROCESS
The MAAM Awards Committee will review all nominations following the close of the Call for Nominations. Nominating parties will be notified of the committee’s decision by the end of August. Recipients will be announced publicly in September and recognized during the 2024 Annual Meeting at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, October 8-10, 2024.
Review the complete 2024 Call for Awards prior to your submission. Submit your application online.
Each year at the Annual Meeting, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) awards between six to ten fellowships for individuals to attend the conference. Our goal is to limit financial barriers to fellowship applicants so they can focus on professional development and networking.
MAAM offers 2 fellowships:
1) Bruce Craig Fellowship for Emerging Museum Professionals and
2) Fellowship for Diversity and Inclusion.
Please use this form to apply for fellowships.
Bruce Craig Fellowship: This fellowship is geared toward emerging museum professionals (fewer than seven years of experience in the field) and graduate students currently enrolled in a graduate school program concerning museum studies or a related field of study. Applicants must not have previously attended a MAAM Annual Meeting as a Fellowship recipient.
Fellowship for Diversity: This fellowship welcomes applicants who are members of diverse communities, including applicants of diverse gender identities, LGBTQIA+ applicants, applicants of color, and other applicants representing underrepresented groups. Applicants must not have previously attended a MAAM Annual Meeting as a Fellowship recipient.
To qualify, applicants must be a museum professional, current graduate student, or new to the museum industry. Applicants must be either residing in a state within the MAAM region, attending school in the MAAM region, or currently working within the MAAM region. MAAM’s jurisdiction includes: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C.
Applicants will be evaluated and selected by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Fellowship Committee. Applicants will be notified via email if they have received a fellowship by end of September.
Selected fellows receive:
At this time, MAAM is unable to cover travel expenses or accommodations.
Please submit your application by Friday, August 9.
The 2024 Conference Theme is Optimism, Outrage, & Outcomes. Museums aspire to educate, inspire, and enlighten. They are places for museum professionals and members of the public to build community and nurture creativity. Museums can also be places to address the issues that face our society today: inequality, polarizing politics, the climate crisis, and a seemingly omnipresent sense of division and outrage. This year’s conference is an opportunity for museums to come together and share how they work together and build creative, optimistic solutions and outcomes to address these challenges. Join us for round tables, panels, workshops, and tours that focus on projects both completed and in-progress as we explore our journey together and leave with a renewed sense of energy and hope. Please note priority will be given to proposed sessions that encourage a hands-on or collaborative experience.
Session Requirements
Review the complete 2024 Call for Proposals prior to your submission. Submit your application online.
Students are invited to submit a poster presentation using the Session Application.
Poster Presentations aim to highlight students’ or groups’ museum-related projects and research from academic programs. This platform offers them the chance to demonstrate professional-level presentations and share trends from their institutions.
Undergraduate and graduate students whose graduation date is within one year of the current year’s meeting are eligible to submit a poster presentation. These presentations can occur during coffee breaks, where presenters engage in individual discussions and use visuals to explain their project, or in a dedicated breakout session, where each presenter gets 5-10 minutes within a 75-minute block to share their work. The format is determined by MAAM based on submission count. Learn more in the Call for Proposals.
MAAM understands the importance of safety and comfort in attending live networking events, and we want to be transparent in our commitment to providing a safe experience for all attendees. We are following current New Castle County and CDC COVID-19 protocols.
Out of respect and kindness towards your fellow attendees, and with the new boosters being a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines, MAAM strongly recommends that attendees be vaccinated and boosted before attending the Annual Meeting.
If you are not feeling well and have any symptoms of COVID-19 please stay home or in your hotel room. Do not attend the Annual Meeting until you have tested negative for COVID-19. Masking during the conference is a matter of personal preference.
For more information on public safety, please visit New Castle County Public Health page. https://www.newcastlede.gov/2011/COVID-19-Resources
Should state or local guidance change, we will notify attendees ASAP. If you have any questions, please contact MAAM at info@midatlanticmuseums.org.
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment free of bias and intimidation at all of our in-person and virtual events. In accordance with federal and state laws and with non-profit best practices, MAAM expressly prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, physicality, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran, or any other protected classification.
Discriminatory or harassing behavior by or towards any staff, volunteer, contractor, member, fellow, presenter, participant, vendor, or other person participating in MAAM programs or activities will not be tolerated.
Reporting
Anyone who experiences or witnesses any violation of MAAM’s Code of Conduct should report the incident to MAAM’s Executive Director or a member of the Board of Directors as soon as possible.
If you witness sexual harassment or assault, respond first to the affected person’s needs and safety. Support that person if they choose to report the incident but respect their decision to report or not report.
MAAM is not an adjudicating body. However, MAAM will receive complaints to support addressing grievances associated with MAAM programs and activities.
Consequences
MAAM is committed to enforcing this code of conduct at all levels of its organization. Unacceptable behavior will result in immediate removal from MAAM message boards, chats, Facebook groups, Discord channels, and the MAAM Virtual Conference and MAAM Membership without refund.
MAAM reserves the right to prohibit participation in future programs and activities as well as the right to rescind association awards, fellowships, and/or and revoking or prohibiting membership.
If you need to cancel your a la carte registration for the Annual Meeting, we will provide a refund of the ticket price, less a $20 processing fee, up to 7 days prior to the start of the Annual Meeting start date. We must receive your refund request in writing, by email, or in a written statement through WildApricot no later than 7 days prior to the start of the Annual Meeting explaining the need for a refund. Those who choose to purchase a MAAM membership to attend the Annual Meeting will not receive a refund for failure to attend the conference.
By registering for and attending this event, you grant the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) and its authorized representative permission to film, photograph, or otherwise record your participation in the event. You further agree that such images, photographs, and recordings may be used by MAAM without your prior approval in any form and for any lawful purpose including, without limitation, promoting MAAM. Such use will not entitle you to any credit or compensation. You release MAAM, its officers, and employees from any liability connected with the use of any image, photograph, or recording taken during the Annual Meeting.