The International Sports Heritage Association will go west for its 48th annual conference this fall and while delegates won’t be traveling by covered wagon in search of gold, they will get to see a covered wagon suspended from a ceiling and plenty of gold—as in San Francisco 49ers gold.
The 49ers Museum presented by Sony is not only home to five Vince Lombardi Super Bowl championship trophies, but also to this year’s ISHA Conference.
“We are thrilled to be the 2018 host institution and we continue to work diligently with the host committee to make this year’s conference ISHA’s best ever,” said 49ers Museum director Jesse Lovejoy. “We are excited for delegates to see our museum and education facilities within Levi’s® Stadium and to experience the Bay Area as whole. With attractions like The Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Alcatraz, Napa Valley and Yosemite National Park, our area has so much to offer beyond the conference and we hope visitors take advantage of their time here.”
The conference dates will be finalized once the NFL releases its schedule in late April, but it is being planned for the last week of September or first week of October (placeholder date pending NFL schedule is Sept. 26-28).
“We have to wait for the 49ers home schedule to finalize the conference dates, but we’re full steam ahead on planning,” Lovejoy pointed out.
Speaking of STEAM, the 49ers Museum presented by Sony is home to a renowned STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) education program that serves more than 60,000 Bay Area students annually. The Denise DeBartolo York Education Center is a centerpiece of the venue and ISHA delegates will learn about the 49ers Museum education programs and how those lessons are implemented.
The entire museum is a 20,000 square foot facility located within Levi’s® Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara. The Museum’s 11 exhibit galleries celebrate the 49ers past, present and future using digital storytelling, state-of-the-art technology, unique art and design elements, and traditional game-used artifacts.
Levi’s® Stadium is an attraction in of itself. The $1.2 billion stadium is the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue and was named the 2015 Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal. The world-class venue has hosted many prominent events, including Super Bowl 50, Copa America Centenario international soccer, Wrestlemania 31 and numerous concerts. In January 2019, Levi’s® Stadium and the San Francisco Bay Area will host the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship.
“We are hoping that ISHA delegates will not only want to learn and grow through the conference’s carefully planned education sessions, but also will be inclined to attend because of our area’s unique history and culture,” Lovejoy said. “We are proud of our museum, stadium, programs and region and we want ISHA members to experience it all.”
Sounds like a golden opportunity to go west.