Looking ahead to 2018, 2019 and 2020 MALHM Conferences

With the 2017 MALHM Annual Meeting and Conference set for next week in Walker, Minnesota, we're already looking ahead to the next sites for our biggest annual event: Marshall (2018), Red Wing (2019) and Austin (2020).

MALHM solicited bids to find the locations and bring on new partners in planning activities to explore the area. "Who better to connect us with local history than the organizations that collect, preserve and tell the history of their own communities?" said Jill Wohnoutka, MALHM Treasurer and Conference Chair.

Each host committee, composed  of local museums and the area Convention and Visitors Bureau, will help plan pre-conference activities, mixers and possibly sessions that occur outside of the conference room setting.

2018 - Marshall, Minnesota
Local history groups sponsors: Lyon County Historical Society. The conference will be held at the beautiful Southwest Minnesota State University campus, which offers a full-service large conference center. We'll have room to grow and possibly offer a vendor hall for the first time. Expect to enjoy some Schwan's ice cream, as the Lyon County History Museum offers an ice cream counter to visitors.

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2019 - Red Wing, Minnesota
Local history groups sponsors: Goodhue County Historical Society and the Pottery Museum of Red Wing. 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Minnesota's oldest county historical society, GCHS, located in the historic river town of Red Wing. The community is also home to Red Wing Pottery, Red Wing Shoes, the American Ski Jumping Museum and more!

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2020 - Austin, Minnesota
Local history group sponsors: Hormel Historic Home, Mower County Historical Society and SPAM Museum. Austin offers a large Holiday Inn and Conference Center and room for the Conference to expand. With the community's connections to SPAM and the Hormel family, expect to see some "SPAMples" on the appetizer menus, along with other local products.

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MALHM's annual conference grew out of a one-day workshop and has grown to two days with 24 sessions, as well as a pre-conference event. This year's conference brings in record attendance of more than 120 people from 70-plus history groups throughout the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin.