“Start Your Engines: Preparing for the Road Ahead”; Pre-conference tours of local Civil War sites, Historic Riverview, Downing Museum at the Baker Arboretum & South Union Shaker Village - VIP Behind the Scenes tours at the National Corvette Museum - Boat tours of Lost River Cave - Sessions at the Kentucky Library & Museum and The Historic RailPark & Train Museum - Post-conference workshop on Advanced Social Media. Each annual meeting KMHA gives three important awards that recognize quality work in the museum/local history field. •Rookie of the Year: For those who are warming up their pitching arm for the game ahead. This award goes to an emerging professional or volunteer who has recently entered the field of history/arts/museum in Kentucky and who provides an energetic vision for the years to come. •Pinnacle Award: For those who have strapped on their packs, trudged through the valleys of fundraising and climbed to the heights of project completions. This award goes to a long time professional or volunteer who exemplifies commitment and dedication to their profession in Kentucky. •Firefighter Award: For those who have fought burn-out, doused flames with no disaster preparedness training; lifted heavy loads and returned to serve another day.

The International Conference of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, provides a network of support for tribal cultural institutions and programs. It is a unique event that brings together a wide variety of people who share the common goal of cultural preservation. Topics that are of interest to tribal archives, libraries and museums with an emphasis on case studies of successful programs and hands-on activities receive priority. For information about past conferences and workshops, visit the “About Us” section of the www.atalm.org website.

In 2012, members of ALHFAM are encouraged to travel to Farmers Branch, Texas, and the Farmers Branch Historical Park for the organization’s annual meeting. The site of north Texas’ first land grant colony is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is located within 20 minutes of DFW airport and Love Field. Average temps in June range from the 70s to the 90s. The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex has a wide variety of cultural and historic sites in addition to many entertainment venues. Farmers Branch, first established in 1842, is one of the oldest communities in north Texas and the Farmers Branch Historical Park celebrates that history with a range of historic structures ranging from the 1840s to the 1940s. The theme of the 2012 conference is Maintaining Relevance in a Digital Age. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to learn how the historical community maintains its sense of relevance in an ever changing world filled with tweets, tubes and online friends you’ve never met in person. Come to Farmers Branch to learn how your colleagues use new methods of communication to get a potentially complex message out to a public trained to learn in 30 second soundbytes or 140 words or less; while staying true to their mission and core function

For AAAM 2012 conference-goers in Baltimore, the theme of Commemorating Struggles: Claiming Freedom should be approached through session programming around several related considerations: Is there a specific perspective that African American museums should take? What approaches might African American professionals in mainstream institutions employ to push this story from the margins into a broader view? How might African American museumgoers have their expectations as consumers of museum programming resonate with the museum community? What types of educational instruction and programs are necessary in presenting African American history and culture? What types of research and investigation are needed to document obstacles, challenges, struggles, and successes encountered by African Americans? How might museums professionals work effectively to ensure that African American history is included and accurately reflected within the discourse of American history.

ANCA’s Summits are held each summer at a nature center at various locations throughout the U.S. Summits are structured to bring nature and environmental learning center administrators together for information-sharing, mentoring, training, and professional networking. ANCA prides itself on offering a facilitated discussion format during the Summit, recognizing the tremendous value gained by sharing peer knowledge and experience of others in the field. Summits focus on small group discussion, shared problem-solving, and specialized training. You will share stories, learn new things, laugh, have fun, be challenged, and become part of a network of nature center leaders gathered in the best possible atmosphere.

The premier event for zoo and aquarium professionals, AZA's Annual Conference brings together leaders in our community for 6-full days. Attendees are guaranteed to be challenged with vibrant speakers from inside and outside the community, expert-led educational programming, face-to-face meetings with colleagues, more than 130 service providers in the Exhibit Hall, exciting networking and social events, including the Icebreaker and Zoo Day! For information about sponsorship, exhibiting, or program advertising, please contact AZA's Marketing Manager.

The AASLH Annual Meeting is a one-of-a-kind networking and learning opportunity for history professionals, historical sites, historical societies, history museums, military museums, libraries, presidential sites, students, suppliers, and more. This is your chance to share your passion, ideas, and knowledge with over 800 of your peers in the field of state and local history.

The 2012 Directors Forum, October 28-30, in New York City. Since 2005, the Art Museum Partnership has provided the leaders of nonprofit art museums with educational opportunities that facilitate the sharing of ideas, information, resources, and collections. Members save $100 on Directors Forum registration fees.

Join CAM in 2013 to network with colleagues, explore new ideas, and discover resources at the Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, CA to be held February 20-22, 2013. Located in the verdant surroundings of the Southern California valley, Fess Parker’s Doubletree by Hilton Resort Santa Barbara is the ideal getaway in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s sandy beaches are just a few steps away from the resort. The Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara Zoo, and Sea Center are nearby. Meanwhile, other Santa Barbara museums, such as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, and others are in the vicinity.