About the Conference
Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 8–10, 2023
We’re thrilled to host our first in-person conference since 2019! This year, we’re testing some new models while recalling our past. We hope you join us in Philadelphia for conference sessions, networking, and open spaces for conversation and collaboration.
The conference features two days of sessions and our signature evening event—Ignite! We’re planning on creating the conference program around three tracks: Museum | Computer | Network.
- Museum: Take a closer look at the big picture and explore how technology has impacted the field, your organization, and yourself.
- Computer: From IT to interactives, APIs to audio guides, share the stories behind your work with computers and offer practical advice for your peers across the sector.
- Network: Engage in free-flowing Open Space Discussions to explore the ideas, topics, and questions you bring to the conference—you are the session creator!
If you have any conference questions or ideas, please reach out to us by emailing [email protected].
Conference Program
We’re thrilled to announce that the MCN 2023 program is now live
Community Partners: Support MCN 2023
Could you or your business help support our vibrant muse-tech community? Much of our strength comes from the diverse range of museum and commercial professionals in our community—help us foster even closer ties. Learn more about becoming a Community Partner by emailing [email protected].
Registration
Registration is available at a flat rate of $850. There is no early bird discount. Current members (as of July 27, 2023) can register at a reduced rate—check your inbox for more information.
MCN is a non-profit organization run currently by a volunteer board. We’re working toward a sustainable model and rely on the conference as our primary source of revenue. Registration rates reflect the cost of running this event, sustain essential operations for the year, and ensure the strength of our organization.
By attending this year’s conference, you’ll get the opportunity to meet with influential, action-oriented peers working in museum technology. Through 40+ sessions in three conference tracks, you’ll experience two days—and one night featuring our signature event, Ignite!—filled with networking opportunities, targeted conversations, and insights across our work in the museum sector. During extended lunch breaks, we invite you to explore nearby restaurants, food trucks, food halls, and more with your fellow conference attendees. Together, we’ll explore ideas and methodologies to bring back to our organizations and working practices.
Student registration is available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis by contacting [email protected].
For questions about registration, email [email protected].
Conference Location
We’d like to thank the Penn Museum for hosting MCN 2023. This is our first year partnering with a museum as a venue. When considering locations, we were aware of the Penn Museum’s history. We noted the museum’s ongoing work with Indigenous groups and descendant communities around repatriation, ethical stewardship, and restorative practices–and decided that we were comfortable hosting MCN there. We appreciate the questions we’ve received about this decision.
We encourage continued dialogue as we work on creating opportunities to support museums as an inclusive space for all. We welcome your questions and feedback by e-mail via [email protected]—and in person at the conference.
BIPOC Speakers Fund
We are once again organizing a BIPOC speakers fund to increase the engagement of BIPOC people in our conference. Providing a platform for a diverse range of speakers will make for a better conference for everyone.
With registration, you have the option to donate toward this special fund that will be equally distributed among self-identified, self-nominated BIPOC conference speakers. We aim to provide a minimum of $200 per applicant, as a small support toward covering costs of attending the conference. We welcome your contribution in any amount toward this goal—if we surpass it, the speakers will receive even more support. Whatever your contribution, thank you.
A few MCN Board members will be the sole administrators of the fund. All BIPOC speakers are encouraged to apply. You need to be an accepted speaker of MCN 2023, but you will not be asked for verification nor announced publicly. Applications are now open.
Please apply to the BIPOC Speakers Fund by November 10, 2023.
Hotels and Local Recommendations
We’re not offering a hotel block to conference attendees this year, but there are numerous hotels available near the Penn Museum and within distance by foot or public transportation. Also, only coffee breaks will be provided. We invite attendees to explore nearby restaurants, food trucks, food halls, and more during an extended lunch break. We recommend using the MCN Slack to coordinate with your colleagues, and a more detailed city guide is coming soon!
Homewood Suites University City
26-minute walk to the Penn Museum
$$$
Sheraton University City Philadelphia Hotel
16-minute walk to the Penn Museum
$$$
The Inn at Penn
17-minute walk to the Penn Museum
$$$$
Need a spot to catch-up with our museum crew? On the hunt for a caffeine boost? Check out this list of locally curated restaurants, coffee shops, and more close to the conference venue.
MCN Slack
Think of Slack as the conference hallways. It is the glue of your MCN experience to connect in between sessions throughout the conference and afterward when you return home.
After you register, you’ll receive a welcome email from MCN Sched, in that email you’ll find a link to create your MCN Slack user profile which will be automatically added to the conference channels. If you register with an email address that is already a user on MCN Slack (welcome back!) you should be automatically added to the conference channels.
Call for Proposals
The call for proposals is now closed.
Volunteer for the Conference
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for MCN 2023! Applications are now closed.
Community Partners
We’re grateful for our community partners whose generous support ensures we can gather in Philadelphia to explore all things muse tech.
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
We also thank Cuseum, Kera Collective, and Pratt Institute for their contributions to the conference.
We gratefully acknowledge our Allied Partners, members of MCN’s business community who have made significant past contributions to support MCN.
Finally, we thank our supportive network of volunteers, who offer their time to help make the organization and conference a success, including our proposal reviewers, community supporters, and onsite volunteers.
