ALHFAM -

ALHFAM Annual Meeting & Conference 2013 - Last Day for Early Bird Discount

On June 14-18, 2013, Hale Farm & Village, an outdoor living history site and a premier collection and museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society, will host the 2013 ALHFAM Annual Meeting and Conference. Nestled in the picturesque Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hale Farm & Village depicts mid-19th century rural life in Northeastern Ohio through dozens of historic structures, farm animals, heritage gardens and artisan demonstrations. The University of Akron will provide meeting, dinning and lodging facilities for the conference and is located within 50 minutes of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and 20 minutes of the Akron-Canton Regional Airport.

Guided by the theme; Bringing It All to the Table: Feed Your Body, Feed Your Mind, museum professionals everywhere are encouraged to gather with colleagues around a common table. Here conference attendees will acquaint themselves with old friends and new associates, while enjoying good company, good food, and rousing conversation. And what better place to gather than the time-honored table that is familiar to everyone and is oftentimes described as a positive and productive setting for stimulating discourse, high spirits, instruction, respite and shared aims. Appropriately the table serves as a special place that is witness to life's most important things.

The 2013 conference will address issues and concerns currently facing living history and agricultural museums. Presentations, sessions, papers and workshops will focus on individual, institutional and communal achievements that serve up innovative programming initiatives or organizational efforts that are creative, essential and relevant in today’s marketplace. How do museums cultivate and nurture civic engagement for greater involvement and investment in their organizations? What can we glean from new demographic shifts, technological applications and curriculum schemes? What are the current and best practices of living history interpretation and museum methodology that effect organizational richness? What are the processes for dishing-up success? How do we deliver the goods to our audiences and reap the rewards of a good yield in the face of new challenges and opportunities?

2013 Annual Meeting & Conference Updates

2013 Conference Booklet -- Online Now!

Online Registration

Early Bird Discount Ends May 15th.

Sequester Forces Schedule Change

Lawnfield, the home of James A. Garfield and a National Park Service site will not be open on Sundays in the forseeable future and cannot be visited by the ALHFAM conference. A substitute site visit to the Historic Kirtland Temple, dedicated in 1836 by Joseph Smith, Jr., will complete the picture of the Mormon sojourn in Kirtland, OH. The temple prominently built at the crest of a hill is owned by the Kansas City (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) branch of the Mormon Church. Historic Kirtland, the village below it is operated by the Salt Lake City group. We will continue from there for the rest of the day at Lake FarmPark.

Rolling Stones Exhibit Opens
A new exhibit opening May 24 celebrates 50 years of the Rolling Stones. If you signed up for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Tour, you will be seeing this brand new exhibit as part of your day in Cleveland.

Not To Late To Register For The Annual Meeting
Even though the late registration fee is in effect on May 16th, it's not too late to join the crowd in Akron, OH for the Annual Meeting. Great sessions, great site experiences and wonderful camaraderie will make this the highlight of your summer.

Coming to Akron- Bring soap!

While the dormitory will provide bedding, blanket and towels and each double or single room has its own washroom facilities, the university does not provide SOAP in the rooms. Each attendee will receive a small bottle of liquid Irish Spring but it would not hurt to bring your own soap to this meeting. Who would have thought?

Professional Development Workshops & Outings Galore
Sixteen opportunities to learn and visit the local area will be available on Friday, June 14. This will be a great way to start your 2013 Annual Meeting experience. Diverse programs at Lake Farmpark, tours of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, visits to the Kent State Fashion Museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are on the schedule. There will also be various committee sponsored workshops at Hale Farm and classes at the University.

Diverse Keynote Speakers Tell Different Stories
Opening keynote speaker Pat Conway runs one of the most successful craft breweries in the United States and believes in giving back to the community. He supports sustainability and the local food movement. Tom Vince will share the story of the Western Reserve and what makes it special. Richard Roosenberg, founder and executive director of Tillers International will share stories of his successes and challenges since Tillers began in 1980.

Eight Tracks are Back!

Due to the very positive response to the 2013 Annual Meeting Call for Papers the Program Committee has scheduled two session days with 8 simultaneous tracks. More presentations will take place at Hale Farm and the site visit to Lake FarmPark. Presenters will be notified soon of their time slots. Exciting visits to explore the Western Reserve and several hands-on workshops will be held on Friday June 14 before the official opening that evening with the traditional "Salted, Smoked & Pickled" reception.

Fly Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) to ALHFAM 2013

The Akron-Canton Airport is the most convenient way to fly to the 2013 Annual Meeting. Airtran, Southwest, USAir, Delta, and United all fly into that airport which is only about 15 miles from downtown Akron and the university. Flights arrive from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Milwaukee, Boston, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington DC.

2013 Registration Fees Set

Following a complete review of the schedule and budget presented by program chair, Elmer Schulz, the board accepted the recommendation of the 2013 committee and set the early registration fee at $450.00. The late fee will be $500.00. The day rate will be $150.00. Membership is required to attend and that will be an additional $30.00 for the annual basic membership. Lodging in Spicer Hall on the University of Akron campus will be $35.00 per night for a double room and $45.00 for a singe room. All rooms include and ensuite bath facility. Programs will be sent in February 2013. The conference dates are June 14-18.

2013 Meeting Overview

To get a idea of what is in being planned for the 2013 Annual Meeting & Conference you can view the presentation given at the Annual Business Meeting this past June in Texas. The slide presentation outlines the accomodations, locations and the preliminary schedule for the meeting. View the Presentation now. (This is a large pdf file, so it may take a some time to download)

2013 Keynote Speaker will be Patrick Conway, Jr.

Pat is the co-owner of the Great Lakes Brewery. The 25 year old brewery's mission is to be "the premier craft brewery in the Great Lakes region. The brewery produces 100,000 barrels annually and distributes to 13 states and Washington, DC. Patrick has been involved with Hale Farm & Village for 5 years in a project called "the pint size garden". The garden which covers 1/2 acre grows produce for the brewery's restaurant in downtown Cleveland. The company is very interested in sustainability and using locally grown foods. It was recently named one of the Top Workplaces in the area by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Working with his alma mater, the University of Chicago, he has recently recreated a brew from a recipe on a 4,000 year old Sumerian clay tablet. Special clay fermentation vessels (gakkuls) were created and yeast from barley bread were used when customs officials would not allow yeast samples from a Lebanese brewery to be exported. You can read all about this by going to the website www.greatlakesbrewery.com