Conference Schedule

Time Event Location
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Conference Registration & Check-In Courtyard 4th Floor
12:15 p.m. Board bus for Pre-Conference Trip Courtyard Entrance
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Travel to Springfield, MA  
2:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Tour The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame  
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dinner  
6:30 p.m. Return to Boston  
Time Event Session Description
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Exhibitor Setup  
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Conference Registration & Check-In  
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Welcome Orientation  
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Break  
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Session 1 – The Sports Museum’s Young Leaders Council The Sports Museum’s Young Leaders Council fundraises for our Stand Strong program. Stand Strong is a 12-week Social Emotional Learning program that leverages the power of sports to help pre-teens build strong character by discovering and practicing five core values: Teamwork, Fairness, Courage, Determination, and Responsibility. Around 200 kids experience the program each year. Thanks to the help of the YLC, we can provide Stand Strong free of charge to all afterschool organizations. This session will go over several ideas on how to bring a group of younger professionals to your nonprofit or museum to help you raise vital funds for your museum or programs, how to get members to join, and how to keep them active and engaged.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Session 2 – Major League Memories – Sponsored by Tour-Mate Systems This panel discussion will look closely at Major League Memories, a program created by the ALZ Association which uses the power and passion of baseball fans to bring enrichment and joy to those living with ALZ and memory impairments. A representative from the ALZ Association, Sarah Coffin of the Boston Red Sox, and Lenny DiNardo, former MLB Player, will discuss the program, experiences, and the impact they have seen the program have in the community.
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Luncheon – Sponsored by Advent  
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Session 3 – Reshaping Traditional Views of Sports History Traditionally in hockey, men have dominated the spotlight in the form of players, coaches, and managers. In 1952, Marguerite Norris became the first woman to own and operate a National Hockey League team and then to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1954. Since then, women have transformed the Detroit Red Wings franchise in meaningful and inspirational ways. In conjunction with the groundbreaking release of Interpreting Sports in Museums and Historic Sites (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), and a case study involving the Detroit Red Wings Women’s History month exhibit, this workshop will explore how reshaping traditional views of sports history offers an essential conduit for confronting complexities and shaping balanced understanding of cultural value structures, identity politics, and community belonging. This session will uncover what has worked and what more could be on the horizon for this emerging part of the field – with the aim to equip practitioners in examining and broadening the conversation about sports history as a lens for challenging long-held cultural ideologies and driving a more inclusive understanding of sports and the broad lens of humanity found there within. We will explore the seven key pillars of generating socially responsible and culturally relevant sports content and strategize specific examples (including yours!).
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break  
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Session 4 – Collections Workshop: Encapsulation – Sponsored by Iron Mountain Sport heritage institutions have a wide variety of paper artifacts within their collections including scorecards, trading cards, maps/plans, newspaper clippings, and other documents. Learn how to best store and protect frequently handled paper artifacts through encapsulation. In this hands-on workshop, be prepared to encapsulate your own artifact. Feel free to bring something to encapsulate or we will have items available. All tools and materials will be provided.
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Free Time  
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Cocktail Hour  
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. An Evening of Champions – Sponsored by CambridgeSeven and Cortina Productions  
9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Hospitality  
Time Event Session Description
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Session 5 – What Happens Next? Succession Plan & Knowledge Transfer Staff transitions, whether unexpected or planned, can be stressful for museums, and the current outlook for the workforce pipeline is challenging. Knowledge transfer from both professional staff and volunteers is critical in many areas of operations and collections stewardship. And personnel at sports heritage museums may be hard pressed to make time for thoughtful succession planning amidst many competing priorities. In 2023, the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts and Lyrasis launched the Cultural Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative, funded by a Museum Leadership Grant from the Institute for Museum & Library Services. After gathering input through extensive listening sessions and a national survey, the project partners have developed tools and resources to support better succession planning for cultural organizations. This workshop will introduce several of these tools and walk participants through their use, to provide a jump start on the succession planning process. These include: *Urgent information worksheet – to create an “in case of emergency” knowledge base of procedures, contacts, passwords, etc. *Key job descriptions – to identify critical functions and cross-training needs *Risk identification worksheet – to identify messages that will help in advocacy to the Board and management to make succession planning a priority.
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Session 6 – Enshrinement: A New Take on a Time-Honored Tradition The most signature event for a sports hall of fame is enshrining a hall of famer. This represents the highest achievement an individual can achieve in that sport. Enshrinement includes the actual ceremony by which this individual is formally enshrined in the hall of fame. In addition, these individuals are forever immortalized with a permanent plaque or bust. It is a tradition that spans the creation of halls of fame dating back to the 1930s. In recent years, however, the traditional notion of enshrinement is receiving a critical look within halls of fame. In recent years, there has been a shift as some halls of fame have relocated their induction ceremonies to other parts of the country and world. In this new format, halls of fame can generate greater public awareness, reach a larger audience, maximize sponsorship and revenue potential, and travel to the community of the athletes being honored. With respect to plaques, Enshrinement Galleries are now digital experiences representing the careers of the Hall of Famers in videos, photos, and a database of information. Considerations include space, cost, ease of updating information, and appealing to a younger audience. This session will explore both these issues, the pros and cons, and address what the future might hold.
11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Break  
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Session 7 – Tour The Sports Museum – Sponsored by Mystic Scenic Studios Explore the rich heritage of Boston sports and the influence of sports on the social history and evolution of Boston.
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Travel Time  
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon – Sponsored by Advent  
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Session 8 – Open Forum This is your chance to talk about anything you want. Nothing is off the table! Bring your questions and ideas to this open forum.
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Session 9 – Tour Fenway Park – Sponsored by Pinpoint Since 1912, fans have flocked to Fenway Park to watch the home team play in the heart of Boston. It is referred to as “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” by Major League Baseball and sports enthusiasts. Home to Red Sox legends like Williams, Yaz, Fisk, Rice, and Pedro, take in the magnificent view atop the fabled Green Monster, standing 37 feet 2 inches high, overlooking left field. Take a walk through the hallowed walls and legendary moments of historic Fenway Park.
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Return to the hotel  
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Free Time  
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Cocktails & Convos