Registration Fee (bring your own lunch): $35 NEMA members / $45 non-members
All staff from member museums are eligible for the member rate.
Not sure if your museum is a member? Just call NEMA, 781-641-0013, to find out.
Increasing local visitation and participation in your historical society, museum or historic site begins with being an active part of the community. Active, vital sites know how to partner with schools, city or town agencies, local businesses, chambers of commerce and tourism organizations. In this workshop participants will develop a comprehensive outreach plan to identify potential community partnerships that will lead to new programs and new uses for your site.
10:00 am Welcome & Introductions
10:15 am Working With Tourism Agencies
Julie Cook, North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Peabody, MA
Our guest speaker will talk about ways in which the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau works with small museums and historic sites.
11:00 am Crazy Kids & Wild Animals
Bethany Groff, North Shore Regional Site Manager, Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Historic New England, Newbury, MA
Sometimes the best partnerships are unexpected and seem unconnected to your site. Ms. Groff will discuss how an innovative in-school camp and a partnership with the MSPCA have transformed the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm.
11:30 am Growing Local Small Business Partnerships
Elaine Clements, Executive Director, Andover Historical Society, MA
Even a small non-profit can have a big effect. Ms. Clements will talk about how the Andover Historical Society began to partner with the town’s downtown business organization and the results of the partnership. She will also discuss the Society’s newest partnership venture – the Andover Farmers’ Market.
12:00 pm Lunch with time to tour the Middlesex Canal Museum
1:00 pm Breakout Sessions
Participants will work in small groups to develop a list of potential partners in their communities and will brainstorm potential collaborative programs.
2:00 pm Group Discussion
The group will reconvene to share and discuss ideas generated during the breakout sessions.