Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm on October 31, 2023. 
​Complete session proposal guidelines and instructions are available above.

Submit proposals via online form or fillable PDF.
A copy of your proposal will be sent following online submission.
​Fillable PDF forms need to be emailed to: gibson@mnhistoryalliance.org
CONFERENCE DETAILS
The 2024 Annual Meeting & Conference will take place at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth, MN. Conference sessions, as submitted through this process, will be held on Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25. All conference presenters will receive early bird discount rate regardless of registration date. 

CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS
Session proposals are accepted until 11:59 pm on October 31, 2023. Proposals must come from those wishing to present on the subject matter and all panelist participation should be confirmed at the time of submission. 

CONFERENCE AUDIENCE
This event is designed for but not limited to history museum volunteers, paid staff, board members, and history students.  Topics in the conference schedule are expected to address a broad range of work typically found in small to mid-sized local history organizations (navigating a global pandemic, operating a museum, archives, historic site or house, etc.) as well as individuals who perform various roles within an organization.

SESSION FORMATS
  • Activity/Demonstration: These workshops will help attendees deepen their practice through a hands-on activity or demonstration. Workshops will focus on the “how-to” and provide attendees with tangible tools and outcomes to take with them.These sessions generally include a slide presentation with handouts and resources.
  • Lighting Talks: A TED-style talk that presents an idea in a very concise manner. These types of presentations are for a total of 10 minutes with no Q&A period.
  • Panel: A group of three or more people will present case study information around a common topic. A facilitator usually leads the panel. These sessions generally include a slide presentation with handouts and resources.
  • Roundtables: ​These one-hour facilitated roundtable discussions allow attendees to connect with colleagues. They will share challenges, successes, and new ideas while getting inspired to learn more. Facilitators will be knowledgeable in a topic area and prepared to lead and guide roundtable conversations that inspire thoughtful discussions. A facilitator may also ask participants to brainstorm in workgroups, collaborate on a project, or simply share stories.
  • Traditional Presentation: These one-hour sessions include professional development, learning, and conversations. Attendees should leave inspired and challenged to amplify the impact they have on their communities. These sessions generally include a slide presentation with optional handouts and resources.

SESSION IDEAS
Following the 2023 conference, attendees were asked to share some of their most pressing training needs. Here are session ideas as you begin brainstorming.

General
  • Additional hands-on segments with takeaways are always appreciated.
  • Who's Who-SHPO, MHNS, MALHM, etc.
  • I really liked the creating accessible spaces and hair sessions. Challenged thinking and forced us outside of comfort zone.
  • Focused forum for executive directors/collections managers/historic house museum managers/etc.

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Collections & Exhibits
  • Care and storage of our artifacts
  • Repatriation
  • Conservation
  • Emergency/Disaster Planning
  • Wet salvage training
  • How to make effective signs, (fonts, colors, size)
  • How to catalogue your digital files
  • Videoing oral history and using these in the museum
  • Proper handling, processing, preserving artifacts
  • Refresh on proper archival supplies, storage etc
  • Research and archives management
  • Deaccessioning
  • Correctly collecting and preserving and presenting our history


Education & Outreach
  • Community engagement. Getting people in the door. Getting us (staff & board) more engaged beyond our door
  • How to equip volunteers and staff for public speaking
  • Converting outreach contacts into members and donors
  • Accessibility, particularly for Deaf/Deaf Blind/hard of hearing visitors--more specifically, the topic of Universal Accessibility. 
  • Genealogy training
  • How to get ourselves known in community- to all ages
  • Field trip development
  • Training with living history
  • Local big history events put on by historical societies.
  • Building local community partnerships 
  • How to obtain new members


Organizational Leadership & Development
  • Volunteer cultivation and/or management
  • Grant writing and/or grant management
  • DEAI work 
  • Fundraising
  • Building healthy teams
  • It would be nice to have a panel/roundtable discussion on how to deal with a difficult/stagnant board of directors. 
  • Modernization
  • Moving board to a more professional body
  • Time management with limited staff
  • How to keep focused on the mission of history amid all of the process distractions of running a non-profit.
  • Thriving vs. surviving - thinking outside the box to succeed post-pandemic
  • Hiring qualified staff on a budget
  • How to create an internship. 
  • Start talking about renewing the Legacy Amendment. What does a post-Legacy Amendment grant world look like?
  • What are the non-MNHS grant sources? Especially for non-metro organizations.
  • Obstacles in attaining construction grants and administrating. Huge gap between process and the real working world.
  • How to build a better board (or how to get your board to be more active)


Social Media & Marketing
  • Creating relevant content (web and exhibits) for today's audience
  • Engaging with the public through social media and traditional media
  • Social Media how-to. Technical savvy; time commitment to create; budget for staff time and booster ads; delivery schedule...
  • More about local newsletters writing, styles, design etc. for museums


Historic Preservation & Building Maintenance
  • Long term preservation and sustainability of historic structures
  • Hands on demonstration of scalable cleaning/care methods
  • Creative landscaping ideas on a budget
  • Historic building management
  • Exterior restoration project example (completed preferred)
  • Fire extinguisher training