2009 Annual Meeting Making History a 21st Century Enterprise
Indianapolis, IN, August 26-29

The days of museums as “cabinets of curiosity” are gone. To succeed in our increasingly fast-paced, technology-saturated society, we must embrace new models of operation. Remembering from 2007 that relevance equals the bottom line and from 2008 the power of transformation, we envision becoming centers for ideas and inspiration–cultural entrepreneurs. In partnership with the Association of Indiana Museums, the 2009 AASLH Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, will explore the place of entrepreneurship within the field–marrying fresh concepts with our mission as stewards of the past.

The city of Indianapolis will provide the setting for AASLH and AIM members to gather and discuss how we may help our institutions leverage their greatest strengths. We are overwhelmingly recognized as the keepers of historical truth and authenticity. This is a powerful position, with great opportunity and responsibility. What are the most promising new ideas, best practices, and models to connect our audiences with our intellectual capital?

As entrepreneurs, our product is not tangible, but rather experiential through high quality visitor services. To compete in the global economy, our product must be developed, delivered, and marketed with a level of passion and knowledge that makes it meaningful and valuable to visitors, donors, and stakeholders. Cultural entrepreneurship does not end with the fiscal bottom line. It inspires meaningful interaction among visitors, multiple constituencies, and staff; it connects personal history to the larger history of our nation and our world; and it promotes positive social change.

Indianapolis offers inspiring examples of the history organization as entrepreneur, thanks to a partnership of diverse institutions helping to build Indianapolis into a vibrant center for heritage, culture, and the arts. The hosts for the 2009 Annual Meeting include The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Conner Prairie, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Medical History Museum, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art including Oldfields-Lilly House and Gardens, President Benjamin Harrison Home, and the Association of Indiana Museums. The partnership of these organizations with the leadership of the city have encouraged and helped drive the entrepreneurial spirit and led to the creation of projects such as the Cultural Trail, an urban bike and pedestrian path that connects many cultural institutions and historic neighborhoods. Other examples include new and fresh approaches to visitor engagement and the visitor experience as well as collaborations that incorporate history into the themes of exhibits and programs and foster creative and diverse uses of facilities and resources. A recent magazine article summed it up by saying “Indianapolis is a forward looking city that refuses to sit on its laurels. But it also knows when it is on to a good thing and carefully preserves its history and traditions.”