International Audience Engagement Conference

Hosted by the Rijksmuseum in cooperation with the International Audience Engagement Network, Audiences at the Centre – Transforming and sustaining museums through audience engagement - explores how museums can put audiences at the heart of strategy and decision-making and become more relevant, inclusive, trusted and connected.

Why attend?

Audiences are at the heart of museums and audiences are changing. Social, cultural, environmental and technological developments are challenging museums to rethink their strategy and planning how to connect with people and communities.

Audiences at the Centre brings together museum professionals from around the world to explore what audience engagement means today, why it matters more than ever, and how an audience-centred approach can help transform museums. 

Across three conference days, international speakers and participants will share ambitious ideas alongside practical approaches that can be applied within museums and cultural organisations.

What to expect?

The programme combines:

• Inspiring international keynotes;

• Global case studies;

• Interactive panels and conversations;

• Pecha Kucha presentations;

• Practical ideas, tools and approaches;

• Networking and peer learning;

• Audience engagement tours at the Rijksmuseum.

On 19 March, participants can extend their experience with visits to outstanding museums in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam.

For whom?

The conference is for professionals working to strengthen the relationship between museums and their audiences, including:

• Museum leaders and managers and future leaders:

• Education and public programme professionals:

• Visitor experience and customer service professionals:

• Communications and marketing professionals:

• Curators:

• Audience engagement specialists.

Whether you lead an organisation, a department or are an emerging leader in your field, the conference offers new perspectives, international connections and practical approaches to help put audiences at the centre of your work.

What will you take away?

Participants will:

• Learn from international museum leaders about their experiences and visions for audience-centred museums;

• Discover how audience-centred strategy can drive organisational change;

• Gain practical ideas, tools and approaches that can be applied within their own organisations;

• Explore ways to better understand audiences and communities;

• Consider how to create relevant, meaningful and positive audience experiences;

• Develop ways to champion audience engagement and demonstrate its value and impact;

• Build connections with an international community of museum professionals.

Confirmed keynote speakers

Taco Dibbits
General Director, Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Mr Mukherjee
General Director, CSMVS
Mumbai, India

Deirdre Carasso
Executive Director Library Utrecht
Utrecht, The Netherlands

David Cascaro
Director of Audiences, Centre Pompidou
Paris, France

Helen Charman
Director Learning , National Programmes and Young V&A, V&A
London, UK

Sandra Jackson-Dumont
The Getty Presidential Scholar; Cultural Strategist, Curator & Producer; Former Director and CEO
Los Angeles, USA

Donna McColm
Assistant Director, Curatorial and Audience Engagement, National Gallery of Victoria
Melbourne, Australia

Ong Zhen Min
Director, Learning, Public Engagement & Content Publishing, National Gallery Singapore
Singapore, Singapore

Organised by

Rijksmuseum in cooperation with the International Audience Engagement Network

Communication partner

Dutch Museum Association

Content committee

Rijksmuseum: Annemies Broekgaarden, Marijke Smallegange, Koen Snijders, Inge Willemsen

NGV National Gallery Victoria, Melbourne, Australia : Donna McColm, Elisha Buttler, Leigh Cartwright, Michele Stockley

Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Washington, USA: Adam Rozan

National Gallery Washington , USA: Eric Bruce

National Gallery Singapore : Ong Zhen Min

Organization

Event manager: Tessel Hopmans

Assistant: Olga van Meer

Communication: Naveen Gayadien

For more information, please contact IAENCongres2027@rijksmuseum.nl .