2017 MALHM Conference: mixers and mingling

MALHM Curator Affinity Group speaker on copyright issues, speaking at the 2016 conference.

The MALHM Conference offers more sessions than ever this year, with 24 sessions over two days. We worked hard to find speakers and topics that the local history community requested. (See our Program Guide for details.)

We also listened to survey feedback and comments that attendees wanted more time for networking. Sure, people learn in a classroom setting, but attendees also get as much help from chatting with their peers at our mixer events, connecting over lunch, or trading ideas after the sessions are done for the day.

So this year, you'll see more time allotted for lunch, as well as our traditional evening events, like this one held last year at the Kandiyohi County History Museum.

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We'll have an informal mixer to open the conference at Chase on the Lake's cozy fireside bar, beginning at 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 26. As an incentive to arrive on time, we'll provide free beverages and appetizers the first half hour followed by a cash bar.  Please come even if - or maybe especially if - you don't know anyone. This is a great time to put names with faces, relax and get to know others in the local history community.

On Wednesday after the conference ends for the day, the Cass County Historical Society in downtown Walker will provide special open hours for MALHM, from 4:15 to 6 p.m. Chat with colleagues while checking out the exhibits and learning about the Leech Lake area.

Explore Walker and have dinner on your own, or join a group heading to Benson's Eating and Drinking Emporium. We've reserved a party room for dinner, followed by an evening mixer at 7:30. The evening will include informal networking time, as well as - drum roll, please - our first Minnesota History Trivia Challenge!

We're offering donated prizes as well as bragging rights for the title of "Minnesota's Greatest History Buff." Please contact us if you have a prize to contribute to the cause.

Thank you to Minnesota Digital Library for its sponsorship of this event! (Hint: for those who want to study up, expect some trivia questions based on some of the historic photos that are displayed on MDL's site.)

Register this week!
Our official registration deadline is today (April 10), so that we can provide a ballpark number for the caterer this week. We're on track to have our biggest attendance ever, so don't miss out! Register today! See our Annual Conference page for more information. If you are registering by mail, please email Coordinator Marci Matson to let her know "the check's in the mail" so that we can provide a correct count.

Image credit: John Robinson poster (1898) featuring Louis Cyr, strongest man on earth.