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We encourage all TAM members to take an active role in creating a conference that meets their needs by submitting session proposals. Not every session has to present solutions for problems and issues. Sessions should open discussion, raise new ideas and issues, and spark imagination. Session ideas do not necessarily have to relate to the meeting theme. Good ideas and inspiration will last a long time and find many applications. Fill out the proposal form on the back of this sheet and send it to us. We value your contribution.

Submission Guidelines:

Format

Program Committee

Speakers & Chairs

Policies

Chairing a session

Presentation/Q&A

Professional Development Certificate

Session Tracks

Submit your proposal today.

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Home > Continuing Education > Annual Meeting > Call for Proposals

DEVELOPING A PROPOSAL

Breaking Down Barriers – Building Bridges

Texas Association of Museums 2009 Annual Meeting
El Paso, Texas: March 17-20, 2009

Annual Meeting Theme: Breaking Down Barriers – Building Bridges

The Texas museum community includes hundreds of quality museums located all over the state, each with something special to offer. All of them share the goal of providing the best possible services to their communities, their patrons and their visitors. All of them strive to make the most of limited staff, volunteer and financial resources.

Yet there are important differences among these museums. They have different missions, collections, policies and operating standards. Their funding derives from differing sources – public, private, endowments, admission fees. Their target audiences are different. Perhaps most important, they may reflect different cultural paradigms. These differences can be perceived as “barriers.” They may be seen as reasons to avoid communication and cooperation. Indeed, they may serve to foster increased competition.

The 2009 TAM Annual Meeting will explore ways that Texas museums can identify and break down these “barriers” and cooperate with each other to better serve their audiences and their communities. By bridging the social, economic, political and ideological borders that appear to divide them, and forging new partnerships based on the sharing of resources, Texas museums can strengthen their abilities to inspire understanding and thus provide meaningful benefits for all.

Get ready to come to El Paso in March 2009. This unique bicultural high-desert oasis, on the Rio Grande’s pass between the Sierra Madres and the southern Rocky Mountains, lies at the junction of three states (Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua) and two nations (the U.S. and Mexico). Activities and sightseeing opportunities abound throughout the region, the weather should be warm and sunny (360 days of sunshine every year!), and the meeting program will offer something for everyone. See you there!

Submit your proposal today.

Format

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Program Committee

The job of the program committee is to create a balanced Annual Meeting program. There are usually more session proposals submitted than time slots available. There is a possibility that your session idea will be combined with a similar idea or deferred until another year.

All Sessions Need Q& A

Our evaluations consistently indicate that the most effective sessions leave plenty of time for Q & A and other audience interaction. The chair should be firm about time limits and should bring a watch and warning cards. Typically, you should allow 20-30 minutes for questions and discussion.

Speakers & Chairs

The program committee can help you develop your session and find speakers. We are always interested in new voices from a variety of institutions, as well as people from outside the field. Ask friends and colleagues for suggestions. The TAM office can also be asked to help. Try to include people who come to the issues with different goals and points of view. Do ask the important questions: Have you heard him/her speak and was he/she good?

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Chairing a Session

Session chairs are responsible for confirming the speakers, communicating to them the goals, format, and intended content of the session. If possible, bring participants together in advance in person or by a conference call. It is your responsibility to develop a session that is coherent and well-organized. It is important that the session content be consistent with session description printed in the TAM Annual Meeting Program.

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Professional Development Certificate

TAM now offers Professional Development Certificates in the following tracks. Priority will be given to session proposals that address the topic areas in these tracks.

Session Tracks

2008 Session Tracks include:

Administration
Human Resources, Legal Issues, Operations, Budgeting, Governance, By-laws, Mission, Board Development, Ethics

Resource Development
Public Relations, Development, Membership, Grant writing, Marketing

Exhibitions
Curation, Installation, Evaluation, Labels, Gallery Guides, Object Mounting, Furnishing Plans for Historic Houses

Collections Management
Accessioning, De-accessioning, Loans, Inventory, Storage, Conservation, Preservation, Archives

Education/Outreach
Public Programming, Special Events, Standards or Learning, Volunteers, Docent Training, Customer Service, Visitor Studies, Educational Theory

Trustee
Ethics, Governance, Board/Staff Relationships, Legal Issues

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Policies

Please remember our policies on registration to avoid embarrassment later on.
Please make sure that anyone you ask to speak understands these policies.

Presenters from within the museum community, including vendors and consultants who work with museums, are expected to register for the meeting if they participate in any part of the meeting other than their own session. Presenters from fields outside the museum profession, including academics, are welcome guests for the day of their session. TAM does not pay travel and lodging expenses for museum colleagues. TAM generally does not pay honoraria for presenters. If you have non-museum presenters who ask for travel expenses, you must get advance approval from the TAM Director. We do not reimburse expenses for consultants and other people/professionals who do business with our members, on the assumption that the exposure they get at the meeting will generate business.

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Submit your proposal today!

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