The call for proposals for MCN 2026 will open soon.
We invite proposals highlighting innovation, emerging work, and critical themes in museum technology. Proposals are being accepted for:
Read on to learn more about session types and requirements, as well as the proposal review process. All presenters are expected to abide by the presenters’ guidelines. For questions about the call for proposals process, please email [email protected].
Conference Theme
Trust & Longevity
Trust & Longevity examines how museums and cultural organizations design products, systems, and processes meant to endure amid constant change, at a time when confidence in information sources, expert knowledge, and public institutions is fractured. As technologies evolve, expectations shift, and timelines compress, organizations must make thoughtful, innovative, and ethical choices that sustain trust over time.
In an era shaped by AI-generated content, algorithmic amplification, skepticism of science, competing narratives about history and truth, and rapidly changing digital ecosystems, trust and longevity are inseparable. This theme explores how institutions move beyond short-term solutions toward long-term stewardship: building systems, experiences, and policies that safeguard historical and cultural knowledge, preserve evidence and context, present diverse perspectives, and create spaces for inquiry and conversation, among other methods. Sessions may examine how trust is built and sustained through governance, teams, infrastructure, the selection and management of digital platforms, collections care, and operational decision-making that enable institutions to adapt, collaborate, and thrive over time.
We are accepting proposals for the following session types:
- 45-minute sessions
- 15-minute case studies
- Ignite talks (five-minute, fast-paced presentations)
15-minute Sessions
15-minute sessions are best suited for case studies, curated lighting talks, quick AMAs, and more. Program co-chairs reserve the right to group 15-minute sessions based on shared topics, format, and/or panelists. We recommend no more than three presenters in a 15-minute session.
45-Minute Sessions
45-minute sessions can accommodate panels, professional forums, hands-on demonstrations, and other longer-form topics.
Submission requirements
Proposals for 15- and 45-minute sessions must include the following information:
- Abstract: Describe the topic your session will address, the overall structure, and the types of activities you will use to engage attendees.
- Target Audience: Identify your session’s intended audience(s).
- Learning Objectives: Tell us what attendees will take away by participating in your session.
- Equity and Inclusion: Share how your session promotes a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and voices in museum technology.
- Co-Presenters: Provide the name, affiliation, and contact information of all co-presenters included in your session.
Ignite Talks
Ignite has kicked off each MCN conference since 2012. These five-minute presentations are energizing and inventive, thought-provoking and fast-paced—and we mean fast. Presenters run through 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds!
Watch the MCN 2025 Ignite Presentations
This year’s Ignite reception will be held on the evening of Wednesday, October 21. All speakers must participate in preparation calls through the summer and a rehearsal before the reception.
Submission Requirements
Your Ignite proposal must include your title and description. For the description, keep it short and sweet. You have 500 characters or fewer to pitch us your talk.
Reviewing Proposals
Every proposal will be reviewed by the program co-chairs and a committee of volunteer proposal reviewers who bring a variety of expertise to the process.
Together, they’ll evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
- Session purpose: proposed topic and learning outcomes
- Relevance: relation to MCN’s mission, contemporary conversations in the museum sector, and more
- Diversity, inclusion, and access: the extent to which the session makes space for underrepresented voices in the GLAM sector
- Potential impact: the session’s contribution(s) to the conference and sector overall
- Facilitation: presenters’ ability to lead the session and promote discussion at the conference
- Format: a clear strategy for an engaging and informative presentation.