Moment Factory is thrilled by the warm welcome we have experienced as a new member of the ISHA community and look forward to meeting everyone in Daytona!

Since 2001, Moment Factory has been honored to collaborate on creating immersive, interactive multimedia experience platforms that engage fans with past and present stories of some of sport’s leading institutions-from leagues, teams and athletes to major events, venues and sports-tech pioneers and sponsors. Our repertoire includes permanent and pop-up projects that deploy augmented sport experiences and hall-of-fame exhibitions and attractions into venues ranging from arenas and stadia to stand-alone team museums and merchandise spaces to urban public spaces. On the events side, Moment Factory has helped create some of sport history’s newest memories, amplifying games, ceremonies, all-star/skills events and more.

Upcoming and past collaborations include :

The Messi Immersive Experience

Olympic Agora, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

Vancouver Canucks Hall Of Heroes Interactive Exhibits

The International Sports Heritage Association’s (ISHA) conference travel grant application is now available with the deadline for submission coming up on Monday, August 21. Travel grants of up to $1,000 each; and an international travel grant of up to $2,000 will be available. The grants are supported through the ISHA Founder’s Fund.

The ISHA board of directors approved four conference travel grants available to members in good standing. Each is worth up to $1,000. These grants are available for institution members. Members living outside Canada and the United States of America can apply for a travel grant of up to $2,000.

The deadline for the conference registration and travel grants is Monday, August 21, 2023. Decisions are expected to be made in a few days following the deadline. The application is available online on the ISHA website here. Please email completed applications to [email protected] and [email protected].

The annual ISHA Conference will be held September 27-28 at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona, Florida.

The Founder’s Fund raises money to support ISHA grants through initiatives such as the silent auction, t-shirt sales, a raffle and individual or corporate donations.

Questions about the grants and the application process can be directed to Kent Sturman, ISHA Grant’s Chairman at [email protected].

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory recently underwent its first gallery renovation in nearly 15 years. The renovation includes a revamped Bat Vault, where guests can marvel at the more than 3,000 original bat models designed by some of the game’s most legendary players. Access to the Bat Vault is now included with regular museum admission. Our updated museum gallery, includes an overhauled Hold A Piece Of History exhibit where guests can hold game-used bats and there are also updates to the museum’s iconic player sculptures, which now include exciting backdrops for photo opportunities and special player artifacts on display.

The International Sports Heritage Association recently awarded a special project grant in the amount of $2,000 to The Sailing Museum (TSM) and National Sailing Hall of Fame, an institutional member of the organization. The grant was made available from the ISHA Founder’s Fund.

The Sailing Museum opened in May of 2022 and is an educational non-profit organization that is home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) and serves as Newport, Rhode Island’s newest cultural attraction. The museum celebrates the heritage of sailing, the legends of the sport and new sailors alike as well as inspiring sailing innovators. Interactive educational exhibits bring STEAM concepts alive through sailing.

The museum sought grant funding to purchase a necessary piece of equipment to increase awareness for this brand-new museum and home of the NSHOF.

TSM is housed in a historic 1894 stone Armory building constructed for the Rhode Island militia. The museum undertook a three-year restoration of the historic building and is proud to be its next caretaker. However, while the Armory building is a familiar sight to those who live in Newport, its imposing stone facade belies its newest purpose that lies beyond the imposing oak doors. To that end and to continue introducing the museum to the landscape of busy downtown Thames Street, staff soon began looking in earnest for a sailboat to stage in front of the building. One of TSM’s partners, the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI, offered the donation of a millimeter yacht (based on the iconic 12-meter design of the America’s Cup era).

One of the goals of the museum is to promote sports heritage by introducing visitors of all ages, non-sailors, and sailors alike, to the achievements, innovations, and rich stories the legends of sailing represent. While the hall of fame is established, the museum is still in its infancy and it is vital to continue to build the brand and establish the museum as an important part of the Newport community, one that is steeped in sailing history.  This is a simple but meaningful way to achieve that. Now when visitors travel up and down this busy thoroughfare, the colorful sailboat in the front courtyard signals that they’ve reached The Sailing Museum, home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the place to explore the titans of the sport and the legacy they have left.

Because this exhibit is outside, it must be wheeled back inside the museum each evening, both for the safety of the object and the public. Wheels were put on the cradle, allowing employees of all ages and abilities to accomplish this task. However, after only four months of use, the hardboard masonite cradle (that had been in continuous use outside in its previous location) disintegrated, rendering it useless. For that reason, a new dolly system must be secured. The museum plans to purchase two marine dollies from West Marine for this purpose.

As a new institution, they recognize that the first two years is an opportunity to build their brand. While they have followed traditional avenues in advertising on local media channels, they view the boat in the courtyard as a key piece of our site-based marketing plan. It instantly connects sailing to the place for the casual passerby. It reinforces the idea for visitors that they are in a sailing capital, a place where waterways and the sport of sailing are an integral part of its heritage. It encourages exploration beyond the massive wooden doors.

The Sailing Museum has already experienced many visitors commenting on how much they like the exhibit in the courtyard and hope with its updated features it will only serve to help boost and increase visitation for the next high summer season in Newport as they continue to celebrate the heritage of the sport and honor those who have shaped it over time.

The fund-raising activities for ISHA’s Founder’s Fund are being planned for this year’s conference to be held September 27 and 28 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Revenue to support this fund will be raised through a silent auction, a reverse raffle and through the sale of a sports museum themed t-shirt made available to attendees as well as ISHA members.

The ISHA Founders Fund was established by a select group of individuals who cared deeply for the legacy of sport on the world stage to support long-term initiatives in sports heritage. The Founders Fund now supports annual grant initiatives to assist conference attendance and to aid in the implementation of special projects by ISHA member organizations. To meet the long-term obligations of this Fund, a Founders Fund Committee works to raise money through these efforts for the continuation of the grants program. All revenue raised through these avenues directly impacts ISHA’s ability to support worthy projects that promote sports heritage and fund other initiatives important to all our member institutions and the entire sports heritage industry.

The committee is soliciting items for the silent auction from our members. Please consider a donation of an item to help in these efforts. Items that typically do well and are popular with bidders are autographed sports memorabilia; experiences or packages including tickets to sports events, induction ceremonies, museum visits, and vacation packages; logo merchandise; gift cards and much more. It is not too early to be thinking of your donation and getting together your packages to donate.

For more information about the auction, to discuss your idea for an item and to coordinate the delivery and shipment of the item, please contact the chairman of the Founder’s Fund, Kent Sturman at [email protected].

More details concerning the reverse raffle will be available soon and sent to members. In addition, the T-shirts will be made available for purchase with conference registration, at the conference or on the ISHA website. Watch for more details.

ISHA appreciates the support of the Founder’s Fund from our members and others that share the mission of sports heritage preservation and promotion.