Call for Sessions, Workshops, & Poster Proposals

The Oregon Museums Association (OMA) invites you to submit a proposal for activities at the 2024 Annual Conference in Coos Bay this September! We’re looking for proposals for sessions, pre-conference workshops, and poster presentations. All session ideas will be considered and all are encouraged to apply.

Conference Theme: Ebb & Flow
When submitting a proposal for a session, workshop, or poster, we encourage you to consider the theme for this year’s conference. The theme “Ebb & Flow” acknowledges the conference’s coastal location in Coos Bay while providing a metaphor to reflect on the work of Oregon’s museums today.

It can feel like the sands are shifting as museums face challenges and opportunities like changing visitorship patterns, evolving technologies, revised funding strategies, and peoples’ desire for community. The 2024 conference will explore contemporary issues facing museums, so that together we can take the helm to identify solutions and successfully steer our work forward.

Deadline: Thursday, June 6, 2024, 11:59pm

What We’re Looking For

• Projects, partnerships, programs and ideas from across the state.
• Representation of the diversity of museum work across disciplines and museum sizes.
• Energized presenters from a variety of backgrounds, including partners from outside the museum field.
• Presentations that include interactive components (like facilitated conversations, activities or other ways of involving participants).
• Sessions and activities that address the theme “Ebb & Flow.”
• A variety of session topics, including but not limited to: community engagement, DEAI (diversity, equity, accessibility, & inclusion), collaboration, exhibit development, interpretation, collections stewardship, capital projects, fundraising, museum management, leadership, cultural tourism, facilities, safety, and technology.

Program Details
Workshops

• Half-day (3 hours) or full-day (5 hours) option
• Workshops take place on Sunday 9/8.
• Workshops should have clear learning outcomes and the workshop leader should have teaching experience.
• Registration of at least 6 people by August 15 is required for workshops to take place.
• The lead of the selected workshop will receive an honorarium after teaching the workshop.

Sessions

• 75 minutes
• Sessions take place Monday 9/9 and Tuesday 9/10.
• Possible sessions formats:
• Presentations - 1 to 4 presenters; with or without an accompanying slide show.
• Roundtables - small group discussion.
• Demonstrations -  1 to 4 presenters demonstrate an activity or tool.
• Participatory - attendees are encouraged to be part of the session.
• Other - creative, innovative or other ideas for session formats are welcome.
• Presenters are limited to no more than 4 per session.
• All selected session presenters will be able to register for the conference with the early bird member rate of $150.
• Registration is highly encouraged. Conference registration is not required if the presenter is ONLY present for their session and does not attend any other conference content.

Posters

• Posters will be displayed in the conference lobby Monday 9/9 and Tuesday 9/10. Presenters will present their posters casually during conference breaks.
• Posters are intended to provide a format for presenting student work, promote participation in a museum-related or adjacent study, or invite participation and feedback for a project not yet fully formed.
• Poster presenters must supply the printed poster, which should be approximately 24” x 36”. OMA will provide a way to display the poster (either hanging on the wall or on an easel).
• Poster presenters do not receive a reduced conference registration rate.

Scholarships
OMA provides limited scholarships to enable participation in the annual conference. Presenters are welcome to apply for a scholarship. The scholarship application opens on June 28, 2024 with a deadline of July 17, 2024.

How to Submit a Proposal
To submit a proposal, fill out and submit the online Proposal Form by 11:59pm on Thursday, June 6. The form includes:

• Moderator or session lead name, affiliation and contact information.
• Presenter names and affiliations.
• Select the geographic regions that are represented by the moderator and/or presenters.
• Session title.
• Session type: poster presentation, session, workshop (3 hrs), or workshop (5 hrs)
  
• Description of session. If selected, the Description will be adapted for use in the conference program.
• What will the session be about?
• How will it be structured (presentation with Q&A, roundtables, small group activities, etc)?
• How is the session related to the conference theme “Ebb & Flow?”
• Briefly describe why the presenter(s) provide an important voice on the subject.
• Will there be audience participation? If so, please describe.
• ANSWER REQUIRED FOR WORKSHOPS ONLY: What are the learning outcomes of the workshop? What will participants come away with?
  
• What equipment or other support is needed for the session or workshop (projector/screen, mics, etc.)?

Questions or need technical assistance? Have an idea and want some feedback? Email connect@oregonmuseums.org. We’re here to support you in writing a strong proposal and submitting it successfully.