What AAM means for us

I always feel a responsibility to represent my team at Silver Oaks well. But, walking in to AAM, I felt that weight intensify. My team is incredibly experienced and incredibly talented and have spent collective decades serving museums and visitors centers.

While I sat in on sessions and walked the show floor, I knew I was among people just like the ones with whom I work. Passionate and thoughtful.

It was certainly intimidating.

Thank goodness my fellow attendees were kind. Thank goodness they were enthusiastic. Thank goodness they were willing to share with me and let me share ideas with them.

The American Alliance of Museums holds an annual meeting where museum professionals from all over the globe come together to discuss their industry – new ideas, challenges, trends, etc. It. Is. Awesome.

This year, New Orleans hosted the thousands of us, letting us experience for ourselves the unique culture of the city and the people. It couldn’t have been a better experience.

With a background in marketing and storytelling, I enjoyed sessions like ‘75 Ideas in 60 Minutes,’ where a panel fired off creative ideas for audience engagement, programming, and much more while allowing the room, packed full and then some, to share their own.

Combine even more sessions with the exhibition floor and the special events at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the National WWII Museum into 40 hours of time, and that was how I spent my trip!

Since I began working at Silver Oaks, I have worked diligently to visit museums near and far to learn about how they have utilized our talents and work to elevate the experience for their visitors. But, immersing myself in the world of ‘museum people’ for two straight days was more than invigorating.

It was inspiring.

They’re thoughtful people dedicated to preserving history and making it accessible and digestible for all, and I want to help them. Silver Oaks is a proud AAM member, and I’m a proud museum person.