The Latest Annual Cultural Conference

Who Should Attend?

The conference is open to everyone, but the audience is particularly suited to cultural institutions, cultural organizations, and those in the cultural supply chain, from curators and collection managers to marketers, designers, developers, and beyond. The conference is also a great place to meet people who have similar challenges and interests as you and can be a good starting point for building networks and collaborations. If you’re new to the sector, the conference is a great way to learn more about the people, issues, and technologies shaping the cultural world today.

What’s Covered?

Every conference has its own flavor, with its own mix of topics, speakers, and themes. You can get a sense of what’s covered in the sections below. But the best way to get a sense of what the Cultural Conference is all about is to attend. This year’s event will feature talks about the art of cultural organizing, sustainability in the sector, how technology can help solve organizational challenges, how new technologies like VR/AR can transform engagement with cultural collections and exhibitions, and more.

Agenda

This is a broad overview of the topics and themes explored at the conference. The order of the talks may change, and additional topics may be explored.

Welcome - The conference opens with an introduction to the day and the cultural sector, along with an exploration of the conference themes.

The Art of Cultural Organizing - Cultural organizations have to manage complex operations, large and diverse collections, complex partnerships, and more. How can they think and act like “organizers” in order to make the cultural sector more effective, collaborative, and accessible?

Sustainability in the Cultural Sector - The cultural sector is one of the largest economic sectors in the world. But cultural organizations face many challenges: funding, people, partnerships, and data. This talk explores the issues and how technology can help solve these challenges.

The State of Cultural Technology - Cultural organizations are increasingly investing in new technologies to transform their operations, engagement, and visitor experiences. This session explores the latest innovations, trends, and challenges in the sector.

Cultural Transformation Through Immersive Experiences - Virtual and Augmented Reality are transforming the way people engage with culture and are transforming the cultural sector. This talk explores how VR/AR can be used to transform exhibitions and collections engagement.

Talks: The Art of Cultural Organizing

Organizing an exhibition or other event is much more than just putting things on display. At the same time, the art world is often managed by people who have never been trained as organizers. How can cultural institutions improve the way they plan, execute, and evaluate their events? What should they be thinking about? What tools and techniques can they use? This talk explores these topics.

Talks: Sustainability in the cultural sector

The cultural sector is vast. It includes art museums, libraries, archives, professional societies, and many other organizations that focus on the creation, discovery, preservation, and interpretation of culture. It also includes the many businesses that support and serve this sector, including technology providers. There is much work to be done, but the sector has many challenges, including limited funding and collaboration. This talk explores the issues facing the sector, and how technology can help solve them.

Demo: Tracking Objects and People with Bluetooth Beacons

Beacons are small transmitters that send Bluetooth signals. This talk explores the potential of beacons in the cultural sector, including the tracking of objects and people. This can be used to improve visitor experiences, including indoor navigation and providing digital content and experiences.

Demo: 3D Printed Objects from Scanned Models

This talk explores how to create 3D models from 2D objects, how 3D printing works, and how technology and new materials are pushing the boundaries of what can be 3D printed. You’ll get a look at how a cultural organization used 3D printing to create an iconic artifact from its collection.

Talk: Data for Equity and Accessibility

Cultural organizations increasingly recognize that the data they collect has value beyond their own work. This talk explores how data can be used for equity and accessibility. Keeping track of collections, visitors, and other data can help cultural institutions improve their operations and make their activities more accessible to all.

Talk: Reimagining Exhibitions Through Virtual and Augmented Reality

VR and AR technologies are transforming the way people engage with culture and augment exhibitions. This talk explores how VR and AR have the potential to transform public engagement with cultural collections and exhibitions, enabling visitors to explore exhibitions in new ways and experience more with less.

Conclusion

This year’s event will feature talks about the art of cultural organizing, sustainability in the sector, how technology can help solve organizational challenges, how new technologies like VR/AR can transform engagement with cultural collections and exhibitions, and more. The best way to learn more about the cultural sector is to network with others interested in the topic and explore the latest innovations and trends in the cultural world. The conference is a great place to start.