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• 2025 MMA Conference - Greater Lansing

  • Start
    October 13, 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    October 15, 2025
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    East Lansing, Michigan
  • Registered
    13 registrants

  Register

  

  2025 MMA Conference Registration is open!

  Click here for detailed conference information

  
  

  Registration includes all regular conference activities including all speakers and sessions, both evening receptions, the MMA business meeting luncheon, the Museum Café, breaks, vendors, trivia, the wrap-up happy hour, access to the conference app, and all drop-in activities on Monday and Wednesday. 

  Workshops are available at various times on Monday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 15. Registration is separate from regular conference registration and is available at the links below. 

  Monday, October 13

  9-12         Demystifying Your Governing Board $15.00

  9-12         Personal or Organizational Digital Engagement Strategy $15.00 

  1-4           Exhibit Design Boot Camp $15.00

  Wednesday, October 15

  1-4             Metadata Grooming for Museum Collections $50.00

  Whether you want to learn more about Greater Lansing, our local hosts or delve deeper into museum practice, we have you covered.

  • Click here for information about registering multiple people from the same member museum

  • Members need to be logged in to receive the discounted member rates.

  
  

  2024 MMA Annual Conference attendees at the Gilmore Car Museum.

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• Demystifying Your Governing Board - 2025 MMA Conference Workshop

  • When
    October 13, 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Location TBD
  • Spaces left
    60

  Register

  

  Demystifying Your Governing Board

  Monday, October 13

  9am-12pm

  Every nonprofit organization is required to have a governing board. But what exactly are they supposed to do? And once you are clear on their roles and responsibilities, how can you make sure the right people are at the table to get that work accomplished? When functioning well, your board can be your organization’s greatest asset. This workshop will explore the purpose, structure, and composition of a strong nonprofit board. We will also discuss the importance of intentional onboarding and training of board members.
  

  Presenter

  This workshop is hosted by Cindy Hales, Ed.D, Capitol Region Community Foundation. Cindy is the Vice President of Community Investment with the Capital Region Community Foundation. She manages the grantmaking team and works closely with the region’s nonprofit community, particularly on issues related to building capacity. Cindy has thirty-plus years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has served as an executive director and as a senior fundraiser in higher education and healthcare. Cindy is passionate about sharing her experience with others. Cindy holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s in public administration from Central Michigan University. 

  Registration 

  All registrants $15

  Registration is open through September 22. 

  If the minimum number of registrants needed to run this workshop is not met by certain pre-determined deadlines, this workshop may be cancelled. Anyone registered for the workshop in the event of a cancellation will be notified and refunded.

  Conference Registration is NOT required for this workshop

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Guest Ticket - 2025 MMA Conference - Greater Lansing

  • Start
    October 13, 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    October 15, 2025
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    East Lansing, Michigan
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  2025 MMA Conference Guest Registration is open!

  Click here for detailed conference information

  
  

                                     Does not include most conference activities

  
  

  Family, friends and colleagues are welcome to participate in workshops and drop in activities as space allows, in the MMA Business Meeting Luncheon, and in evening events. All workshops require a separate registration and are linked below.

  Monday, October 13

  8-8:45     Conference Kick-off Coffee at Heritage Hall $50.00

  9-12         Demystifying Your Governing Board $15.00

  9-12         Personal or Organizational Digital Engagement Strategy $15.00 

  1-4           Exhibit Design Boot Camp $15.00

  6-8           Opening Reception at Impression 5 Science Center $75.00

  Tuesday, October 14

  12-1:30     MMA Annual Business Meeting Luncheon $50.00
  5-7             MSU Museum Pop-Up Space Reception $75.00

  Wednesday, October 15

  1-4             Metadata Grooming for Museum Collections $50.00

  
  

  Online Guest Registration is open through September 22. 

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• Personal or Organizational Digital Engagement Strategy - 2025 MMA Conference Workshop

  • When
    October 13, 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Location TBD
  • Spaces left
    30

  Register

  

  Personal or Organizational Digital Engagement Strategy

  Monday, October 13

  9am-12pm

  In this half day workshop, we will explore version 4 of Jim Richard's and Jasper Visser's Digital Engagement Framework (DEF) and discuss how it can apply as a personal as well as organizational digital engagement strategy. We'll begin with discussing mission, vision and values, then the DEF, then discuss action steps and governance. Participants will learn about how they can create a digital engagement strategy for themselves and/or for their organizations that specifies how they and/or their organization targets digital communication. 

  Presenter

  This workshop is hosted by Max Evjen. Max Evjen works as Digital Humanities Coordinator in the Digital Humanities program and teaches in the Arts, Cultural Management & Museum Studies program at Michigan State University

  Registration 

  All registrants $15

  Registration is open through September 22. 

  If the minimum number of registrants needed to run this workshop is not met by certain pre-determined deadlines, this workshop may be cancelled. Anyone registered for the workshop in the event of a cancellation will be notified and refunded.

  Conference Registration is NOT required for this workshop

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Exhibit Design Boot Camp - 2025 MMA Conference Workshop

  • When
    October 13, 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Location TBD
  • Spaces left
    20

  Register

  

  Exhibit Design Boot Camp 

  Wednesday, October 15
  

  1pm-4pm

  Exhibit Designer at Mackinac State Historic Parks Keeney Swearer will guide participants through the Exhibit Design process. All elements of the exhibit design process will be covered including:

  • Concept design & basic flow floor plans.
  • Exhibit design including interactive and artifact integration.
  • Graphic design and integration into 3D exhibit design.
  • Designing and specifying museum grade object cases, graphic panels, and other exhibit elements.

  Participants will leave the workshop with a basic understanding of the Exhibit Design process and the tools required to begin designing exhibits at their institutions

  Presenter

  This workshop is hosted by Keeney Swearer. Keeney Swearer is the Exhibit Designer at Mackinac State Historic Parks, a position he has held since 2014. As Exhibit Designer Keeney is responsible for the development, design, execution, and maintenance of all exhibits at Mackinac State Historic Parks sites.

  Registration 

  All registrants $15

  Registration is open through September 22. 

  If the minimum number of registrants needed to run this workshop is not met by certain pre-determined deadlines, this workshop may be cancelled. Anyone registered for the workshop in the event of a cancellation will be notified and refunded.

  Conference Registration is NOT required for this workshop

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Metadata Refinement for Museum Collections - 2025 MMA Conference Workshop

  • When
    October 15, 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Location TBD
  • Spaces left
    20

  Register

  
  

  Metadata Refinement for Museum Collections

  Wednesday, October 15

  1pm-4pm

  This workshop provides an overview of metadata refinement concepts delivered through a series of hands-on exercises using common office apps including Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Participants will work with samples of actual collection data and work together to learn best practices for refining descriptive, technical, and administrative metadata to improve discoverability, consistency and scholarship of their collection.

  Presenter

  This workshop is facilitated by Matthew Patulski of Poplar Media, LLC. Matthew Patulski is a Digital Practitioner providing professional services to museums, archives, and other public collections. He has worked with a number local, regional, and national cultural heritage organizations. 

  Registration 

  All registrants $50

  Registration is open through September 22. 

  If the minimum number of registrants needed to run this workshop is not met by certain pre-determined deadlines, this workshop may be cancelled. Anyone registered for the workshop in the event of a cancellation will be notified and refunded.
  

  Conference Registration is NOT required for this workshop

  
  

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