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Museums + Heritage Show announces extensive programme of free talks and one-to-one expert advIce

Taking place at Olympia West in London, on 29 + 30 April, the Museums + Heritage Show combines two great days of free-to-attend talks with the sector’s largest trade exhibition of more than 150 suppliers. The event is designed to offer increased support and information for key decision makers in museums, galleries, heritage and cultural attractions.

With more than 40 sessions and 70 expert speakers, the programme is neatly divided into four different streams across each of the two days, helping visitors to make the most of their time at the Show.

On Wednesday, 29 April the programme will be themed as follows: Learning in partnership with Culture 24, sponsored by DJ Willrich; Engaging New Visitors in partnership with The Audience Agency; Understanding your Visitors in partnership with Colin Mulberg Consulting and Exhibition Design + Interpretation, sponsored by PLB. Thursday’s programme will be tackling the following themes: Collections sponsored by Axiell ALM; New Technology in partnership with Mar Dixon, sponsored by Acoustiguide; Funding, Trading + Enterprise in partnership with AIM as well as a continuation of the previous day’s Exhibition Design + Interpretation stream, sponsored by PLB.

The talks will scrutinise the very latest thinking, trends and insights for anyone working in the cultural sector and include the latest update from HLF on where their funding will be invested in future years as well the latest information from ACE on funding and grant giving opportunities. Other must do sessions include a look at the award-winning inclusive visitor experience at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, taking Social Media to the next level with The Audience Agency and the challenge of creating the IWM’s First World War Galleries.

Museums + Heritage Show Event Director, Anna Preedy, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue to deliver the sector’s most comprehensive programme of free-to-attend sessions, specifically designed to provide practical solutions and advice to the issues identified as being most critical to our visitors’ needs and hosted by some of the sector’s most significant players.”

The talks will be complimented by a rolling programme of product demonstrations and masterclasses enabling visitors to tap into the wealth of expertise that Museums + Heritage exhibitors have.

Look out for Reginald’s top picks at the show

Continuing on from its success at the 2014 Show a new, expanded, Ask the Expert area will be making a return to this year’s Show. With advisors from the Natural History Museum, Icon, GEM, AHI, National Funding Scheme, REMIX, Audience Agency, TEG, National Institute of Fundraising and Visit England, attendees will be able to access one-to-one expert advice on a range of specialist subjects including: accessibility; conservation; fundraising; managing volunteers; professional development; retail and trading; social media; sustainability; how to grow visitor numbers; visitor insight and social media.

Entrepreneurialism continues to be a strong theme at the Museums + Heritage Show and this year will be no exception. Recognising the fundamental importance of income generation, across the board, the Show continues to include a dedicated Retail Zone with suppliers to museum and gallery shops. This will include expert advice from income generation stalwarts such as REMIX, The National Funding Scheme and The Institute of Fundraising as well as a range of ways to increase your income while keeping your visitors happy with a talk from retail exemplars London Transport Museum.

The Museums + Heritage Show is open to everyone working in museums, galleries, heritage and cultural attractions and is entirely free to attend. It takes place on 29 + 30 April in Olympia West, London. The Show opening times: Wednesday 29 April 0930 – 1730, Thursday 30 April 0930 – 1700. Register here for FREE ENTRY.

For further information, photography or interviews, contact Sara Bowen or Anna Preedy on 01905 724734 or [email protected].