It’s one thing to squeeze a webinar into your schedule at the last minute (especially a free one), but attending an in-person conference takes strategic foresight. Find out what’s coming down the pipeline in 2025, so you can begin to plan.
January 2025
Museum Connections Paris 2025
Date: January 15 – 16, 2025
Location: Paris, France
This trade show is for cultural professionals, offering innovative and practical solutions to address the economic and sustainability challenges of museums, cultural and tourist venues.
February 2025
Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference (SMA 2025)
Dates: February 17 – 19, 2025
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you’ve been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? Find the support you need here.
Museums Advocacy Day 2025
Date: February 24 – 25, 2025
Location: Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C.
This annual AAM event provides essential training and support for you to effectively engage with members of Congress and their staff. You’ll spend the first day in Arlington, VA, attending advocacy and policy sessions, followed by a day on Capitol Hill, meeting with legislators to make the case for museums.
March 2025
Building Museums™ Symposium 2025
Dates: March 5 – 7, 2025
Location: St. Louis, MO
An event presented by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums designed for museum professionals, architects, and planners looking to share ideas, tackle challenges, and explore the art and science of building (plus renovation, preservation, and expansion projects in) museums.
Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) Annual Conference
Dates: March 15 – 18, 2025
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Connect, learn, and grow at the VAM Annual Conference, where museum professionals gather to share insights, explore best practices, and strengthen Virginia’s cultural community. This year’s theme is “Looking Back to the Future.” Come and reflect on the past to build a more resilient and diverse Virginia museum community.
NCPH 2025
Dates: March 26 – 29, 2025
Location: Montréal, QC
The National Council for Public History will hold its annual meeting in Canada for the first time since 2013. Make public history connections and find like-minded organizations and projects further afield. You’re invited to get the word out about your institution and learn about organizations, services, and products to aid in your mission.
North Carolina Museums Council (NCMC) Conference
Dates: March 30 – 31, 2025
Location: Raleigh, NC
Join museum pros from across North Carolina for two days of networking, workshops, and discussions. This year’s theme is “Museums Unwalled: Expanding Horizons,” emphasizing the role of museums as dynamic entities that engage with communities, foster education, and drive cultural change beyond their physical spaces.
April 2025
Texas Association of Museums (TAM) Annual Conference
Dates: April 6 – 9, 2025
Location: Austin, TX
Celebrate 50 years of the Texas Association of Museums at the TAM 2025 Annual Conference. Themed “Bridging the Past & Future, it’s a chance to connect with museum peers, explore fresh strategies, and dive into the latest trends shaping the museum world.
May 2025
2025 Art Curators Conference
Date: May 1 – 2, 2025
Location: New York City, NY
Join the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) for two days of sessions, workshops, the annual Members’ Party, and plenty of networking opportunities. It’s a great chance to connect with peers and engage in discussions shaping the future of art curation.
CAA 2025
Dates: May 5 – 9, 2025
Location: Athens, Greece
The 52nd Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology International Conference is themed “Digital Horizons: Embracing Heritage in an Evolving World. This international conference brings experts together to explore how technology is shaping archaeology — with new digital tools, data analysis, and quantitative methods in archaeological research.
American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo
Dates: May 6 – 9, 2025
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Join the largest gathering of museum professionals at AAM’s Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo: Museums & Trust for inspiring keynotes, dynamic sessions, and an expansive expo floor showcasing the latest in museum innovation and services. Relatedly: MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo will be held in conjunction with this event.
InterActivity 2025
Date: May 14 – 16, 2025
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Hosted by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). This year’s theme, “Uplifting the Community: Reaching New Heights Together,” focuses on how museums can elevate children and families through educational programs, co-created exhibitions, and innovative partnerships. The conference offers a variety of professional development sessions, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities designed to inspire and equip you with adaptable and scalable practices.
AIC Annual Meeting
Date: May 27 – 31, 2025
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Join the American Institute for Conservation for their 53rd Annual Meeting, themed “What’s Your Story? The Power of Collaborations and Connections.” Explore how partnerships enhance the preservation of cultural heritage. Both in-person and online participation options are available.
SPNHC 2025
Date: May 27 – 31, 2025
Location: Lawrence, Kansas, USA
The 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) will be themed “Sustainable Futures: Challenges and Opportunities for Modern Collections” and will explore best practices and innovations in natural history collections care. Virtual attendance options will be available through Zoom.
June 2025
National Museum Publishing Seminar (NMPS) 2025
Dates: June 29 – 18, 2025
Location: Baltimore, MD
The only program of its kind in the world: a conference by and for museum publishing professionals, widely defined: freelancers, firms, and institutional staff; newcomers and veterans; from small galleries to comprehensive national organizations; from children’s, science, art, nature, history, or any other flavor of museum.
July 2025
Digital Humanities Conference 2025
Dates: July 14 – 18, 2025
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Explore the intersection of technology and join scholars, researchers, and practitioners for a week of presentations, workshops, and discussions on digital tools and methods transforming humanities research.
Association of Midwest Museums (AMM) Conference 2025
Dates: Virtual: July 23 | In-person: July 30 – August 2, 2025
Location: The Quad Cities (Illinois and Iowa)
The premiere networking event for museum professionals in the Midwest to gather and discuss current issues, trends, and solutions.
August 2025
ICOM General Conference 2025
Dates: August 23 – 29, 2025
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The 27th International Council of Museums conference theme is “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” with three interconnected sub-themes on the safeguarding of intangible heritage, youth power and the rise of new technologies.
ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2025
Dates: August 24 – 27, 2025
Location: Anaheim, CA
The conference theme, “Making it Count,” encourages proposals that demonstrate the impacts of archival work and expand understanding of what counts in the profession. It’ll be a mix of in-person and virtual sessions, with recorded education sessions available to both in-person and virtual attendees after the conference.
September 2025
Association of Zoos & Aquariums Annual Conference 2025
Dates: September 13 – 18, 2025
Location: Tampa, FL
The AZA Annual Conference is the largest and most comprehensive event for zoo and aquarium professionals in the United States. Discover successes and lessons learned from a diverse community of professionals, experience new technologies and services, and connect with more than 2,000 colleagues.
Eighteenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum
Date: September 15 – 17, 2025
Location: Zaragoza, Spain
Join museum professionals, scholars, and cultural practitioners from around the world at the University of San Jorge in Zaragoza, Spain. This year’s special focus, “Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums: Engines of Innovation and Social Participation,” aims to explore how institutions can drive innovation and foster community engagement. Both in-person and online participation options are available.
October 2025
Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Annual Meeting
Dates: October 19 – 22, 2025
Location: Montgomery, AL
Themed “Future Forward: Reach, Remember, Reclaim,” SEMC2025 will explore how museums can embrace new voices and interpretations to shape the future. Join colleagues to discuss emerging trends, share solutions, and collaborate on advancing the museum field.
MCN 2025
Dates: TBA
Location: TBA
MCN 2024 was October 22 – 24 in Lawrence, KS. We’re keeping an eye out for info about MCN 2025 and will share as soon as it becomes available.
November 2025
National Humanities Conference 2025
Dates: November 12 – 16, 2025
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Bringing together representatives from colleges, universities, state humanities councils, cultural institutions, and other community-based organizations to explore approaches to deepening the public’s engagement with the humanities. The conference is co-hosted by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance.
2025 SEGD Conference Experience San Francisco
Dates: November 13 – 15, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA
A great one for those working in exhibition design, this event brings together a global community of experiential designers to explore how design can create meaningful connections.
IAAPA Expo 2025
Dates: November 17 – 21, 2025
Location: Orlando, FL
IAAPA Expo brings together pros from theme parks, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, and science centers to learn about trends and best practices. You’ll find literally miles of aisles on the trade show floor; networking opportunities with operators, suppliers, investors, and developers; education sessions; and lots more.
Recommended read: The NonProfit Times recently wrote up 10 Ways To Maximize Your Investment In Conferences. Worth a look!
