TAM 2021 Announcement + Infographic

Thank you to those who participated in the TAM 2021 Sentiment Survey! 

In April 2021, TAM will host its 46th Annual Meeting - Roots and Reckoning: Museums Respond and Redefine - IN PERSON in San Antonio, Texas. The majority of respondents requested an in-person experience, so we will deliver on that request with safety measures in place. Additionally, we will offer hybrid streaming and on-demand options for those not able to attend in person, but who are looking forward to the benefits of the great presentations the conference will host. In a time when virtual conferences abound, TAM will provide an accessible and worthwhile experience for both in-person and virtual attendees. 

To inform conference planning, TAM surveyed the sentiments of members and used the feedback to shape the event experience. The following priorities derived from the survey (see infographics) in which a majority of respondents said they would participate in either an in-person or virtual experience. Nearly 74% of those without travel budgets noted they would support their own travel depending on the quality of the program. Many noted that proper health and safety precautions would inform their decision to attend, so we are prioritizing that in our planning. Those who do not plan to attend in person desire other ways to engage in the conference, so we will prioritize key presentations to virtually stream and keep attendee registrations at a reasonable price point. To meet TAM's access and equity goals, we are convening a scholarship subcommittee to provide as many free or low-cost options to those who have been recently furloughed, ensuring some seats in the premium ticket level are reserved for those recipients.  

We are creating a unique experience at multiple cultural venues across the city to accommodate lowered occupancy levels, all in an effort to lower risk and protect the safety and health of our attendees. In-person sessions with capacity limits will be spread across the campuses of local host venues, including the Witte Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art, Southwest School of Art, San Antonio Botanical Garden, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, and beyond. We are tripling the number of keynotes offered and streaming their talks to various satellite locations across the city. Important conversations around the impact of the pandemic and civil unrest on museum collections, exhibitions, and communications will also be streamed to audiences that may not be able to make the trip to San Antonio.  

While the future of the pandemic is still uncertain, we are collaborating with venues that have reopened and are working hard to ensure they are taking every precaution to keep all their visitors and event attendees safe. We will continue to monitor local and state health and safety guidelines as we plan this event, but are hopeful we can provide a forum for our statewide museum community to meet after nearly a year of distancing. In the coming weeks, we will release our preliminary schedule of sessions, speakers, and locations. Sponsor registration will open in December and attendee registration will open in January 2021. We can’t wait to see you in San Antonio!