Museum Store Association

2010 MSA Conference – Call for Presentations

Educational Programming for the 55th MSA Retail Conference, April 17 – 19, 2010, Austin, TX

Help your MSA colleagues break through today's challenges and achieve personal success by presenting the newest, best and brightest ideas in Communications, Financial Management and Operations.

MSA's multiple day, concurrent session format offers a self-directed, facilitated learning environment with education sessions, discussion groups and interactive workshops designed specifically for non-profit retail personnel and focused on current and emerging issues, best practices and the challenges facing our industry today. All sessions are 60 minutes in length.

Knowledge Standards logo

The MSA Knowledge Standards form the backbone of all Conference educational programming. The Knowledge Standards outline the education and skills cultural commerce professionals need to operate their retail stores and serve their institutions at the highest professional levels.

The primary goals of the Knowledge Standards program are to:

increase the credibility of the individual cultural commerce professional within their institution and the wider community
add value to MSA member institutions through increased revenue and quality visitor experiences

All session content in 2010 must focus specifically on one of the three targeted Knowledge Standards listed below. Proposals addressing other topics will not be considered for the Austin Conference. Review the specific skills associated with each of the Knowledge Standards. (PDF)

Communications icon

Communications is the exchange of information for successful outreach to all audiences.

Financial Management icon

Financial Management is a reliable and comprehensive system of managing financial performance.

Operations icon

Operations include the ongoing management of the store and its related sales outlets.

How Speaking Benefits You

Increased visibility for you, your institution or company.
Personal satisfaction from sharing your hard-earned knowledge and expertise.
Meeting new people and hearing about their challenges and triumphs.
The prestige that comes with being selected as a presenter at the nation’s premier educational event for cultural commerce professionals.

Session Formats

We want to build a program with diverse approaches to fully engage museum store managers. MSA attendees gravitate to thought-provoking discussions and appreciate opportunities to interact with colleagues from around the country. Consider one of these formats for your own content:

Interactive. Involve attendees by using debate, self-assessments and other tactics in which attendee interaction comprises much of the session.
Workshop. Give attendees a chance to get "hands-on" experience to learn more about the topic area.
Tutorial. Know an area where "Course Level 101" is needed? Fill that void with a tutorial.
Roundtable. Facilitate a discussion where attendees share their knowledge and exchange ideas on a specific topic.
Panel With Audience Q & A. Pull together a group of two or more content leaders to share knowledge while dedicating a significant portion of the time to addressing audience questions.
Listen & Learn. Use a traditional format to share information with attendees. Limited opportunity for Q & A exchange.

Submission Guidelines

Individuals may submit only one proposed topic addressing one of the selected Knowledge Standards above.
All proposals must be vendor neutral and must avoid promoting specific products or services.
MSA does not pay honoraria, Conference registration or travel expenses.
Only fully completed, online submissions will be considered. Please complete all sections of the online Call for Presentation form below.

Presentation Selection

Deadline Extended! All presentation proposals must be received on or before June 19, 2009, to be reviewed by the MSA Program Resource Group (PRG), a five-person MSA member volunteer committee. Selection will be determined based on appropriateness and interest of topic, level of content, relevance to the selected Knowledge Standards for the Austin Conference, comprehensiveness of session objectives, and expertise of presenter. MSA reserves the right to make revisions to proposed content prior to acceptance of proposal.

Priority consideration will be given to creative and interactive content presentation techniques that address the selected Knowledge Standards for the Austin Conference. MSA will notify all respondents regarding status when the Conference program has been finalized.

Responsibilities

All presenters are required to submit their final presentation description to MSA within 30 business days following acceptance of the presentation for publication in the Conference promotional brochure and posting on the MSA Web site. The deadline for all handouts is March 1, 2010. All handouts must be in electronic format and will be posted on the MSA Web site. No handouts will be printed or distributed on site.

MSA’s Non-commercial Policy

Presenters may not use a Conference session for commercial sales pitches, self-promotion or criticism of a competitor. Speakers are not permitted to distribute company promotional literature, brochures or sales materials in any form to attendees.

Complete all sections of this form. Only complete online submissions will be considered. DEADLINE EXTENDED! All proposals must be submitted on or before June 19, 2009.

Note: The online Call for Presentations Form must be completed in one sitting – you will not be able to save your work and come back to the form. If you want to collect your thoughts on paper first, download the Call for Presentations Worksheet (Word) and then transfer the information into the appropriate online fields below.

* Indicates a required field.

Principal Contact for the Session
* First Name:	* Last Name:
* Job Title:
* Institution / Company:
* Address:
* City:
* State:	* ZIP Code:
* Business Phone:	* Fax:
Mobile Phone:
* E-mail:

1.	* Suggested Presentation Title

2.	* Knowledge Standards
	(Please indicate which Knowledge Standard your topic addresses. Check only one.)
		Communications
		Financial Management
		Operations
3.	* Learning Objectives / Actionable Outcomes
	List three learning objectives. What specific actionable Knowledge Standard skills or attributes should the audience be able to do or know as a result of the presentation? Refer to Austin Knowledge Standards Skills (PDF) for more details. a. b. c.
4.	Unique & Timely Aspects
	What is unique and / or especially timely about this presentation that will appeal to cultural commerce professionals? (50 words or less - submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
5.	Length of Session
		Single session of 60 minutes
		Double session of 120 minutes
6.	* Presentation Format
		Interactive. Involve attendees by using debate, self-assessments and other tactics in which attendee interaction comprises much of the session.
		Workshop. Give attendees a chance to get "hands-on" experience to learn more about the topic area.
		Tutorial Know an area where "Course Level 101" is needed? Fill that void with a tutorial.
		Roundtable Facilitate a discussion where attendees share their knowledge and exchange ideas on a specific topic.
		Panel With Audience Q & A. Pull together a group of two or more content leaders to share knowledge while dedicating a significant portion of the time to addressing audience questions.
		Listen & Learn. Use a traditional format to share information with attendees. Limited opportunity for Q & A exchange.
		Other (Describe in 50 words or less - submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
7.	* Audience Participation
	Describe three ways you plan to enhance audience involvement and participation: a. b. c.
8.	* Audience's Level of Learning
	(Choose the one that is most appropriate.)
		Level I (assumes the attendee has little or no knowledge of the topical area)
		Level II (assumes the attendee has some knowledge and practical experience within this topical area)
		Level III (attendees who have thorough knowledge and practical experience in the topical area)
8a.	What needs does this session satisfy for a cultural commerce professional? (50 words or less - submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
9.	* Conference Brochure Description
	Provide a description for the Conference brochure. (Please describe in no more than four sentences. Submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
10.	* Expertise
	Describe how you gained your expertise in this area. (50 words or less - submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
11.	* Presentation Experience
	Have you given this presentation — or will you give it in the future — to related organizations or for staff development? Yes No If yes, please tell us where and when and describe the audience.
	a.	Event Name:
		Date Held: Audience:
	b.	Event Name:
		Date Held: Audience:
	c.	Event Name:
		Date Held: Audience:
11d.	If yes, please describe how the MSA presentation will be different. (50 words or less - submissions over this limit will receive an error message and be rejected.)
12.	AV / Internet Needs
	Will you require an Internet connection during your presentation? Yes No
By submitting this proposal you assume responsibility of communicating all Conference and program details to all presenters or panelists, and you agree to abide by all copyright laws in both the presentation and the handouts.