The Great Debate MCN 2011

The Great Debate 2011 Debate Topic: There Are too Many Museums. Presenter: Susan Chun, Independent Researcher and Consultant This year's closing plenary session will reprise last year's popular "Great Debate" that brings together the museum community's best and brightest -- as well as some of its most charismatic and endearing personalities -- to cross words over controversial subjects in the museum technology realm. As before, audience members will participate in the cross-examination -- providing questions for extemporaneous responses by the contestants -- and will select winners of the debate by show-of-hands voting at the conclusion of the session. Last year's topics, "Museums that are not run as businesses will ultimately fail," and "Engagement with online-only visitors is as important as engagement with those onsite" produced two hard-fought arguments that many in the museum community are still discussing today. This year's subjects will be chosen to reflect the conference themes and will be revealed on the first day of MCN 2011.