Museum Store Association

56th MSA Retail Conference & Expo, Chicago/Rosemont, IL, April 30-May 2, 2011

Registration for the 2011 Conference & Expo in Chicago/Rosemont will begin in the fall.

Search for 2011 exhibitors by product category.


More details about the Chicago/Rosemont schedule are coming soon!

2011 Keynote Speaker Announced: VP and GM of Merchandise and Retail From the Met!

MSA is pleased to announce that Brad Kauffman, VP and GM of Merchandise and Retail at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, will be the closing keynote speaker for the 2011 MSA Retail Conference & Expo. Kauffman, a seasoned retail executive who held a variety of positions at
L.L. Bean before joining the Met in 2008, will share his thoughts about combining commercial drive and museum culture. Kauffman will also share examples of how the merchandising team at the Met has leveraged the museum’s mission to drive cultural commerce. Save the date and join your peers April 30–May 2!

You Asked ... MSA Took Action!

Following the 2010 Conference & Expo in Austin, MSA conducted numerous surveys and evaluations in an effort to find out what attendees want from future conferences. We compiled lots of great ideas and common themes that surfaced from your feedback and have summarized them below.

We are listening to what you have to say and are already taking action in many areas. Some requests simply cannot be accommodated and the rationale behind that decision is also provided. Periodic updates will be made to this information as we work through each request.

We are excited about the changes being made and welcome your continued feedback.

Here’s What You Asked For:	Here’s What We’re Doing About It:
Provide sessions about: How to turn your store into a shopping destination. Building online sales. Building influence and visibility within your institution; the power of collaborating with membership, marketing and administration. How to determine product mix for your store.	2011 Conference sessions include: Create a Magnetic Museum Shopping Destination Internet Marketing on a Budget How to Build Influence and Visibility Within Your Institution International Sourcing Product Development for the Novice

Bring back more networking events.	New for 2011—Sunday Sam Greenberg Scholarship breakfast and a reception in the Expo hall.

Offer more educational opportunities by experience level and more member-lead sessions.	Discussion groups by level of experience debut in Chicago/Rosemont. The 2011 PRG has selected sessions that speak to the fundamentals, advanced challenges as well as topics of general interest. And, speakers are primary experts from within MSA membership.

Bring back museum visits.	MSA will coordinate shuttles to Chicago-area museums areas on Friday, April 29. Watch the website for more information.

Identify vendors offering product development.	MSA will work with vendors to provide better signage in their booths and identification of low minimum offers.

Assign a “buddy” to first-time attendees.	In 2011 we hope to offer a Conference Advisor Program to assist first-time attendees. Watch for updates through your regional chapter and on the MSA website.

Grow attendance. Capitalize on local members.	MSA will continue to work closely with the host chapter to reach local museums and vendors. We have already promoted the Conference and MSA to hundreds of prospects in the Great Lakes area and have extended incentives for taking action.

Address economic trends.	We anticipate offering trend-related communications prior to the 2011 Conference.

What You Asked for That MSA Can’t Accommodate:	Rationale:

Move the keynote event to Saturday.	After review, we determined that a Monday anchor event is required to ensure exhibitors the best possible traffic on the second day of the Expo. The Vice President and General Manager of Merchandise and Retail for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brad Kauffman, will deliver the 2011 address. His comments on bridging for-profit and nonprofit models will be an inspiration to all and well worth waiting for.

Offer half-day workshops.	MSA surveyed members about the level of interest in attending an in-depth workshop on the Friday before the Conference. Interest was insufficient to pursue for 2011.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago/Rosemont—save the date for April 30–May 2, 2011!

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