Outgoing AAM President & CEO Laura Lott addresses #AAM2023
Two weeks ago, we convened with more than 3,000 colleagues, partners, and museum professionals at #AAM2023, this year’s American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference in Denver. The annual gathering was teeming with lively debates on an array of critical issues pertinent to museums, art, and culture - spanning areas like membership growth, development strategies, education, digital engagement, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
The conference was inaugurated with Laura Lott’s last meeting address as President & CEO of AAM, in which she delivered an empowering message centered on the theme of this year's event, Social and Community Impact. Her address was followed by a powerful reading by Colorado's Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre and a captivating performance by the dance group, ArtistiCO.
A number of sessions and workshops focused on diversity equity in the sector, like “Race and Community: Creating a Road Map for Inclusive Exhibitions and Programs,” and “Museums and Our Commitments to Indigenous Communities: Strategic Thinking,” encouraging dialogues and exploring strategies for creating structural change and effectively fostering inclusion and diversity. New innovations and trends in the technology sector were also hot topics of discussion, with sessions focusing on generative AI, NFTs & the Metaverse, as well as deep and engaging explorations of how museums can flourish in the digital age.
Here we’ve identified a few key takeaways from #AAM2023 that will help equip museums and cultural organizations to meet rapidly shifting demands and confront emerging challenges of the digital era. Let’s dive in!
1. New Technologies
Image courtesy of AAM
The intersection of art, culture, and technology took center stage at AAM this year, with recent trends like artificial intelligence and blockchain technology taking center stage.
Participants had the chance to learn about how these advancements can help increase access to museum collections, encourage community engagement, and even generate additional revenue for museums. A new feature of the annual meeting, "The Emerging Technology Demo," focused on topics such as NFTs, Metaverse, and Web 3.0. It was an exciting prospect that showed just how far museums have come in embracing emerging tech trends.
The recent explosion of generative artificial intelligence software and AI-generated media also generated a lot of buzz at the conference – stirring excitement, teasing unprecedented potential, and prompting debates about the role of machines in artistic creation. In “Demystifying NFTs and New Models for Digital Revenue and Engagement” Presenter Chris Cloud, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, discussed the challenges and opportunities new technologies like generative AI present for museums. With these sophisticated technologies entering the mainstream and evolving at an unprecedented rate, questions surrounding artistic authenticity, cultural value, and human creative expression are more urgent than ever before.
In a recent feature for VentureBeat, Generative AI: Imagining a Future of AI-Dominated Creativity, Cuseum CEO & Founder Brendan Ciecko shared his thoughts and predictions surrounding many of these critical questions, including: What ramifications will the emergence of generative AI have for the production, consumption, and value of art? Will we be able to differentiate between human-made and machine-generated art? And, what impact will this technology have on the very notion of human creative expression itself?
A recent study from Museum Booster revealed that nearly 80% of museums view emerging technologies as critical success factors, so as cultural institutions seek new ways to engage their audiences and cater content relevance, they are increasingly adopting cutting-edge digital tools. ChatGPT has emerged as a key player in this domain. Its capacity to process complex data and generate highly precise results is already disrupting numerous industries, prompting an essential inquiry: can it reshape museums and cultural organizations as well? As part of Cuseum’s mission to help cultural organizations leverage the power of new technologies, we wondered how museums might harness ChatGPT's capabilities. Check out our recent blog on 9 ways museums can use this powerful tool to optimize operations while enabling acquisition growth and increased revenues!
2. The Post-Pandemic Era
Susie Wilkening shares an update on the the 2023 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers (Image courtesy of AAM)
Only the second in-person conference since 2019, this year’s meeting reflected a transformed industry. Despite the radical strides forward museums have made recently, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain front and center for the sector. Staffing shortages, constrained budgets, and inflation are just a few of the challenges museums and cultural organizations continue to face. According to data shared by AAM and Wilkening Consulting from the forthcoming 2023 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, 70% of museums’ attendance isn’t yet back to pre Covid numbers.
As representatives from all corners of the arts & culture sphere gathered to discuss the future of museums, one shared challenge that emerged was confronting the challenges of a digital-first future. AAM’s 2023 TrendsWatch report, titled “Building the Post-pandemic World” highlighted these concerns, with discussions focused on the post-pandemic workforce and “the digital ®evolution.”
Despite challenges, the museum sector has cause for optimism about the future, as amidst the challenges and turbulence of these past few years, museums everywhere have persevered and used their creative insight to propel themselves into a digital future, innovating new frameworks for reaching and engaging visitors. One thought-provoking session, “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes: Fresh Ideas in Audience Engagement” included Timothy Hallman, Director of Communications & Business Development at the Asian Art Museum and Nicole Krom, Membership and Outreach Manager at Longwood Gardens, both of whom laid out innovative and exciting ways to approach engaging visitors and members in the digital era.
AAM has also been working to share successes within the industry. Their series, Reopenings: What Museums Learned Leading Through Crisis, harnesses multimedia and real-world case studies to extract lasting lessons from this challenging period and help us prepare and innovate for our hybrid future. In the first installment of this series, REBOOT, Cuseum founder & CEO Brendan Ciecko does a deep-dive into how organizations turned these unprecedented circumstances around in order to innovate on old strategies and promote community engagement through emerging technologies. Head to AAM to read the full report and learn how museums adapted and innovated in the face of crisis – and emerged transformed.
3. New Frameworks for Digital Programming
Part of building a post-pandemic world of art and culture will be navigating the myriad challenges and opportunities of the digital era. Even as crowds have returned physical spaces, the desire for digital engagement has remained – so it’s no surprise that another hot topic of discussion was new approaches to digital programming at museums and cultural institutions.
Many discussions highlighted the need for innovative, multimedia approaches to meeting evolving demands for accessibility and hybrid experiences. One session, ”Learning from Lockdown: How Digital Experiments Became Long-Term Essentials," offered insights into how museum educators have transformed their strategies since 2020 to capitalize more effectively on digital tools and platforms. Despite working with constrained budgets and small teams, these educators manage to offer the enriched online experiences that truly engage visitors. Julie Carmean, Manager of National Teacher Programs at the National Gallery of Art wowed us with her insights on catering to unique digital audiences, while also providing valuable advice on crafting digital programs for specific communities: "Identify genuine needs and unleash your creativity to provide a solution."
The conference sparked lively exchanges and resource sharing, best practices, and real-life examples of how to embrace and execute digital strategies effectively. One standout presentation, "#MuseumOfThePeople: Digital Museum Storytelling for Maximum Social Impact," saw leaders from the Oakland Museum of California illustrating how to devise a digital storytelling strategy that aligns with a museum's mission while amplifying its social impact.
The Barnes Foundation CEO Will Cary shared his wisdom in "Online Education: A Museum-Built Model to Grow Service, Access, and Revenue." Cary enlightened us about the expansive potential and sustainability of virtual content in museums and speculated about the future of digital interaction within the museum sector.
Another thought-provoking session was a deep-dive into virtual programming and revenue generation at cultural organizations. In this session, Brendan Ciecko was joined by a panel of industry experts who explored trends in engagement, strategies to monetize digital initiatives, and the future of virtual programming in the digital age.
Rich Bradway highlighted the exceptional work that the Norman Rockwell Museum is undertaking with virtual educational initiatives. Elizabeth Gessel, Director of Public Programs at the Museum of the African Diaspora, showcased her museum's commendable efforts to boost diversity, accessibility, and revenue through virtual programs. Liz Neely introduced us to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum's recent strides in augmented reality programming and immersive experiences. Lastly, Jack Ludden, a Senior Strategist & Innovation Specialist at the Balboa Park Online Collaborative, offered an exclusive glimpse into the innovative advancements in member journey maps. These visual tools provide a comprehensive view of how a museum interacts with its visitors, highlighting how audience engagement and visitor experiences can effectively be integrated across an organization.
4. The Power of Data
Dan Sullivan shares findings on how museums are collecting and leveraging data
This year's conference featured numerous discussions centering on the crucial role of data in shaping the future of museums. In particular, sessions like “How Museums Can Use Big and Thick Data to Inform Strategy for Impact” contrasted two types of data: “big data” is typically associated with quantitative information collected from large samples over time, while “thick data” focuses on qualitative insights gathered through conversations with diverse users and understanding their behavior and experiences from their perspectives. The session stressed that having access to both big and thick data is essential in order to make sound strategic decisions, allocate resources effectively, as well as develop programs and operations that have meaningful influence within the community.
"The Power of Data-Driven Member Research to Drive Growth and Build Resilience" was another popular session at the conference. Led by Cuseum’s VP of growth and partnerships, Dan Sullivan, and FIVESEED Founder & CEO, Rosie Siemer, this standing-room-only session offered an exclusive glimpse into the preliminary results of an unprecedented, data-driven research study investigating member motivations. The findings of the study revealed a wealth of insights and opportunities to transform the traditional membership model to better serve museums in the digital age. Three panelists shared their experiences with the study, voicing their enthusiasm and commitment to leveraging data-driven insights to foster deeper connections between their members and their museums.
After unveiling the study's initial findings, Dan and Rosie were joined by a panel of study participants and seasoned membership & development professionals. Their shared insights and experiences formed an intriguing narrative of how digital-age data and trends can revolutionize our understanding of member motivations and promote resilience.
Jamila Wicks, Director of Advancement at The Illinois State Museum, detailed her journey from initial concerns about free admission to a fresh revenue model centered on a comprehensive, member-focused approach. Erica Wainwright, Senior Director of Featured Exhibitions & Exhibits Business Development at The Cincinnati Museum Center, revealed how the study stimulated an ingenious reimagining of their programs following an extensive restoration project. Meanwhile, Angela Tharp, Director of Museum Membership at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, elucidated how the study's data-centric approach fostered effective audience segmentation and outreach.
The enlightening discussions shattered conventional notions about member motivations while shedding light on how to strike a balance among diverse motivations, challenges, and values. This new perspective ensures the development of inclusive membership strategies and mutual benefits for both museums and their members.
Join us Thursday, June 1st at 9AM PT/12PM ET for “Decoding Membership: Unveiling Hidden Motivations and Driving Engagement in Arts & Culture Organizations” a free webinar that will explore how data-driven research, marketing, and savvy tech applications can unlock engagement and sculpt inclusive membership strategies.
As the curtains close on #AAM2023, we look back at the collective wisdom and inspiring innovations that flooded the conference. We delved into pressing challenges, discovered emerging technologies, embraced digital transformation, and recognized the power of data in driving growth and resilience. As we gear up to apply these insights to our everyday operations, we're filled with optimism for the potential ahead. Undeniably, the museums and cultural organizations of tomorrow are being shaped today, driven by diversity, data, and digital innovation. So let's continue this exciting journey of exploration and growth - together, we're building a more inclusive and dynamic future for all.
See you next year in Baltimore for #AAM2024!
