Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums Conference

Saturday, March 27th - Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Optional Field trips, Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The Washington Court Hotel and
one day at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Sponsored by:

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Conference Overview

Mutual Concerns is a unique international meeting specifically focused on the needs of the air and space museum community. The conference features general sessions, panel discussions, and presentations, with topics covering air and space history, conservation, exhibit design, fundraising, and marketing. The meeting looks to serve both large and small museums, and sessions offer everything from in-depth historical information to practical, hands-on ideas. The conference is also an opportunity for participants to network with colleagues from around the world. This year the meeting returns to Washington DC. Over 100 museum and museum related organizations are expected to participate.

The meeting hosts a small Marketplace with exhibitors who offer special services or experience to air and space museums. The Marketplace venue and set-up allows participants to have ample time to get to know Marketplace exhibitors and their services.

This year the optional field trips, usually offered Tuesday afternoon, will be on the morning of Wednesday, March 31, and will offer some great opportunities to get insider tours of some of the newest exhibits in area museums.

2010 Conference

The 2010 conference is set for Saturday, March 27 – Tuesday, March 30, with a selection of optional field trips on Wednesday, March 31. In addition to the program's traditional plenary and concurrent sessions, highlights of this year's seminar include:

• An evening reception at the National Air and Space Museum with special presentations in the new exhibit Moving Beyond Earth.
• A day of sessions at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
• Keynote speaker Graham Mottram, Director of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, talks about a century of naval aviation.
• Lunchtime talk with the Secretary of the Smithsonian, G. Wayne Clough
• One-on-one clinics for developing education programs at your museum
• Optional field trip selection of Mount Vernon, National Museum of the United States Navy or the Newseum.

2010 Program Committee

2010 Seminar Agenda
Agenda information now available!

Registration Information

REGISTRATION FEES
To assist your museum during these tough economic times, we've kept our registration fees close to our Washington DC fees and are offering extended early discounts registration. Please take advantage of these.

Mutual Concerns Seminar Registration Fee:
$360 per person if registered by Monday, February 22, 2010
$385 per person starting Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Multiple registrants from the same organization receive discounts. Full registration details on Registration Link/Form.
If you are paying by check, you need to use mail-in Registration Form (requires free Adobe Reader).
Registration closes Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Fee Includes:

• All sessions from Sunday - Tuesday
• Receptions on Saturday and Sunday
• Breakfasts and refreshments Sunday, Monday & Tuesday
• Lunch on Monday at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
• Round trip bus transportation from the Washington Court Hotel to the Udvar-Hazy Center for Monday sessions

Optional Fieldtrips, Wednesday, March 31 - Space limited for some options.

• $55 - George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
  Roundtrip transportation and admission included.
• $18 - National Museum of the United States Navy, 8:30 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
• $18 - Newseum, 9:00 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

See the agenda for full details on these fieldtrips.

Marketplace/Vendor Opportunities

Mutual Concerns hosts a small exhibitor forum called the "Marketplace," featuring vendors that offer services and products of interest to museum professionals. Every year, we welcome back some familiar sponsors with updated information and seek new exhibitors to add to our forum, so each year our attendees are able to get the latest information on areas that interest them. We integrate the Marketplace throughout our conference and events so our attendees and exhibitors have ample time to meet and talk in a relaxed atmosphere.

Vendor Marketplace Information

Washington, DC as a Destination

The 2010 Mutual Concerns Conference returns to Washington DC. Once again, the meeting is just in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, so bring your walking shoes and camera -- if you're lucky you may hit peak cherry blossom time. You may also want to take advantage of seeing some of the other monuments and inspiring memorials, or venture off the National Mall to enjoy the city’s hospitality and see what is happening in DC neighborhoods.

The room rate at the Washington Court Hotel has been negotiated well below the government per diem rate for Washington DC and with the hotel located close to the National Mall and a number of areas of interests as well as Union Station and Metrorail, we hope you come to enjoy the town as well as the conference.

Conference Hotel

The Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill
525 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001-1527
(800) 321-3010 or 202-628-2100
www.washingtoncourthotel.com

The Washington Court Hotel is located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Northwest DC. It's a short stroll to Chinatown and Capitol Hill and about a 20 minute walk to the National Air and Space Museum.

The room rate has been negotiated well below government per diem to $159 single/$169 double guestroom. This rate is being offered to conference participants from March 27 – March 31. Additional dates before or after the conference are available at these rates subject to availability.

To book your room at this special conference rate, you must make your reservation by phone. Please call (800) 321-3010 or 202-628-2100 and request the group rate for Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museum Conference.

Make your reservation before February 26, 2010 to take advantage of the conference rate. Space is limited. You can cancel a reservation up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled arrival date. Room rates are subject to availability after February 26.

If you are interested in sharing a room, please email mutualconcerns@si.edu. We will forward contact information of other interested participants for you to investigate possible room sharing.

Past Agendas
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
Group Photos: 2008 | 2009