Register online

Join OMA for the annual fall conference September 23-25, at the Best Western Lawton Hotel and Convention Center, Lawton. The theme for the conference is Oklahoma Museums:  On the Move – Join the Ride. There will be a keynote speaker, 15 educational sessions, a pre-conference tour and workshop, one networking luncheon, one awards banquet, two evening events and several exhibitors. OMA would like to thank John Hernandez and his staff at the Museum of the Great Plains for greatly assisting with the conference planning as well as the OMA conference committee chaired by Susan Baley.

A few session topics will include grant writing, conducting historical research, social networking marketing, growth of tribal cultural heritage centers in Oklahoma, disaster preparedness and many more. Also, the popular small museums track will continue.  This is only a small sample of the exciting events scheduled at this year's conference. This professional development opportunity only comes once a year!

The keynote speaker will be Ann Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Humanities Council, discussing how museums and humanities councils share the mission to promote an understanding of the human experience and how that mission makes our efforts meaningful.

Scheduled tours and evening events will include a tour of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center and Medicine Park, Fort Sill National Landmark and Museum followed by dinenr at the Patriots Club and a Polyneasian dinner at the Museum of the Great Plains. Participants are encouraged to visit the Mattie Beal Home, Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center and Leslie Powell Gallery while in Lawton.

OMA understands these are potentially difficult times for museum and cultural institution budgets. Many are hard-pressed to find both the time and the funds to continue with professional development, and have to be able to express value, to supervisors and to one’s self. Fortunately this is easy with the OMA Conference. It is value-laden: 

• Staff and volunteers have first-hand access to the most recent information and trends in the museum profession through keynote and educational sessions.
• Networking events allow attendees to have conversation with others where they can share problems and solutions and easily continue those conversations over the conference.
• For reasonable registration and travel costs, compared to national conferences, attendees receive an equal standard of program content and presentation.
• Because of its size, the OMA Conference allows attendees the opportunity to visit with all of their colleagues and to interact with individuals from many organizations. This is an amazing opportunity to share ideas across disciplines in an intimate environment.
• Staff and volunteers come back from the conference excited and invigorated with new ideas and solutions for old problems.

New happenings at the 2009 OMA conference includes a clearinghouse list where museums can post anything from used furniture and exhibit cases to deaccessioned items for other museums to consider.  Also new for the silent auction is the OMA board member Going Green for Art.  This is a project of OMA intern, Michelle Moseley.  Creative OMA Board Members will produce a variety of art from eco-friendly materials which participants can bid on to take home!  Other new happenings include scholarships for conference speakers and OMA members who have lost their job since September.  Of course, OMA will continue to offer a limited number of general conference scholarships to OMA members. One last new item will be district caucuses, where participants from the same district can gather to discuss items of common interest and concern.

OMA is asking again for items for the annual auction to benefit OMA programming.  If you are interested in donating an item, please contact the OMA office at 405.424.7757 or bring your donation to the conference.  Your contribution is appreciated!

You can register for the conference online or take time to peruse the conference program with printable registration form available for download.  Regular registration ends September 9.

Conference Hotel, Sessions and Exhibit Hall Location
Best Western Lawton Hotel & Convention Center
1125 East Gore Boulevard ● Lawton, OK 73501
When calling, notify them you are with the Oklahoma Museums Association Convention.  Group discount rates through August 25, 2009. Room rate is $79.00 + tax, 1-2 person, each additional is $5 each person.  The rate includes full American breakfast. To make a reservation, please call 1.800.359.0020.

OMA encourages participants to view the 2009 conference exhibitors
Certified Folder Display Service, Inc. • www.certifiedfolder.com
Crain Displays & Exhibits • www.craindisplays.com
Elliott + Associates Architects • www.e-a-a.com
Exhibit Concepts, Inc. • www.exhibitconcepts.com/museum
Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, PC (FSB) • www.fsb-ae.com
ITIN Museum Services
Museum Arts • www.museumarts.net
MuseumWorks Audio Tours • www.museumworksaudiotours.com
The Donning Company Publishers • www.donning.com
University of Oklahoma College of Liberal Studies, Museum Studies Program • www.cls.ou.edu
University of Oklahoma Press • www.oupress.com
Western Center for the Conservation of Fine Arts • www.wccfa.com

Thank you to the 20009 conference supporters
Oklahoma Arts Council, Lawton – Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce/Convention & Visitors Bureau, Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens, Oklahoma Historical Society Museums and Sites Division, Oklahoma History Center, 1220 Exhibits, American Indian Cultural Center & Museum, Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, Best Western Lawton Hotel & Convention Center, Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, ConocoPhillips Company, Creek Council House Museum, Elliott + Associates Architects, Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, PC (FSB), Girls Gone Wine, Greater Southwest Historical Museum, Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, Loretta Y. Jackson-African American Historical Society, Marina Metevelis, Native American Cultural & Educational Authority, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum, Sapulpa Historical Society, Seminole Nation Museum, Standley Systems, University of Oklahoma College of Liberal Studies, Museum Studies Program, Karen Whitecotton-Phillips and Will Rogers Memorial Museums

Hold the Date!  The American Association for State and Local History and the Oklahoma Museums Association will hold a joint meeting in Oklahoma City in September 22-25, 2010.

OMA looks forward to seeing you in Lawton!