Last week, we were in Minneapolis for one of our favorite annual gatherings: Museum Computer Network.
The theme for this year’s MCN conference was “The Invisible Architectures of Connected Museums: Making Meaning with People, Collections, and Information” and we were excited to dive in!
Amazing things happen when you bring together people from all over the globe who are so passionate about their work and dedicated to driving progress in the cultural sector. Although it’s a big part of the conversation, it’s not just about digital. It’s about much more.
#IgniteMCN
The energy of MCN kicks into full-gear with Ignite. There were lightning fast talks about accessibility, storytelling, DAMs and all things in between. All eight MCN Ignite talks are up on YouTube for your enjoyment.
Talks & Topics
For the official program, here is a sampling of some of the interesting topics covered:
- Opportunities For Impact: Rethinking how we might design human-centered environments
- The Agile Museum: 21st-Century Leadership
- APIs: Crossing the Boundaries of Distance, Hardware, and Technology
- About That Definition of Insanity: Museum Business Models and New Revenue Streams in the Digital Economy
- Getting $*IT Done: implementing Your Digital Strategy
- Irreverent Storytelling: Ups & Downs of Unorthodoxy in Social Media
One of our favorite slides (and there were lots of them) included a famous Peter Drucker quote: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
…which was emphasized as being crucial for leading cultural institutions into the future. It’s all about people. This mantra applies to all types of organizations; corporations, startups, and, yes, museums!
There were also numerous talks and presentations about iBeacon and indoor positioning, as it’s a hot topic of interest for most museums looking to get the most out of a mobile offering.
Minneapolis
During our time in Minneapolis, we were able to make it over to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Walker Art Museum, and Weisman Art Museum - wow! Mia hosted a spectacular evening reception and we marveled at their expansive collection.
In conclusion
We came to MCN to learn, share, connect, and leave energized and inspired - we received more than we could have ever asked for and look forward to next year’s conference in New Orleans!