Hotel & Transportation

We’ll be at the OMNI Hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel room block is now available! Reserve your room today.

Justification Toolkit

The California Association of Museums (CAM), one of the largest and most active state museum associations in the nation, is committed to providing networking and professional development programs that help realize a vision of “stronger museums for a stronger California.” For over a decade, the association has invested in field leadership in California by supporting networks of museum professionals interested in strategic foresight, environmental sustainability, the diversification of the museum workforce, and collaborative learning. For many museum professionals, CAM’s annual conference provides significant professional development and networking opportunities to advance their practice and careers. CAM recognizes how important it is to make and maintain connections with other museum professionals throughout your career. We also understand how difficult it can be to ask your employer for support to attend annual conferences. Below you will find tools to help you justify the significance of attending CAM’s annual conference and the benefits it will have for you and your employer.

Benefits of Going to the Conference
Below are a few benefits of attending CAM’s annual conference. We recommend using some of this language in your email to your employer. Pay close attention to the points that would directly benefit your institution.

Networking
Conferences are a great place to network with other museum professionals. You can meet people who work in a similar position as yourself or someone from a completely different department from whom you can bounce ideas. There are so many options on who you can connect with and the possibilities beyond that connection are endless. Networking builds bridges for your institution, leading to collaborations and knowledge-sharing that go beyond the few days of the conference.

Learning
During CAM’s annual conference, there are many different learning opportunities including workshops, roundtables, case studies, creative stations, and panel sessions. Throughout the conference, you will be able to directly engage with presenters and exhibitors, and hear about practices to take home to your institution and that you can use for your professional development.

Get Inspired
Hearing from fellow California museum professionals gives us space for creativity and dialogue. When you attend a CAM annual conference you get the opportunity to learn about what others are doing. Interactions at CAM can open many doors, and offer insights about what you could bring back to or develop at your institution. Attending a CAM conference might just inspire you to determine where you see yourself in the field.

Staying in the loop
The California museum field is constantly evolving. As museum professionals, it’s important to stay up-to-date with what is happening in the many areas of museums. CAM’s annual conference is a great way to learn about updated museum best practices and explore new ideas that are transpiring across the field. The learnings you gain at the conference can be shared with colleagues at your home institution (consider doing a brown bag meeting to share out about the sessions you attended!), ensuring that practices are aligned with the innovations and latest developments in the field.
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Asking for Institutional Support
There are different ways someone could ask for support from their institution. It is primarily a request for time off to attend a conference or assistance in paying for the conference. Either way, we want you to be prepared for your situation. The reason for attending a conference can be deeply personal; when you request their support, you should relay what you hope to gain from the experience. It is key to emphasize that the tools you take away from the experience benefit the organization just as much as it does to you. If you are unsure how to draft an email to your manager, CAM is providing a template for your use.

View and download a Template Justification Letter to Your Manager. 

CAM 2026 Scholarship Opportunities

The California Association of Museums (CAM) is offering two scholarship opportunities to the CAM 2026 Conference: Reframing. With support from the Handumy Jean Tahan Museums Fund and the Getty Foundation* CAM is pleased to offer a total of 55 scholarships between the two funders. While the opportunities are separate, you can apply to one or both opportunities through this application. Both scholarships include a 90% discount on conference registration, a CAM Individual Lead Membership ($100 value), and funds for travel assistance ($100 value). Membership and travel assistance benefits will be remitted after the conference takes place, upon confirmation of attendance.

*Getty’s support is specifically directed to alumni of the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program, and past participants in the program that interned at Getty or anywhere else in Los Angeles County are welcome to apply for the fellowships. Preference will be given to Getty Marrow alumni who completed their internship in the last five years, those who have not previously received scholarship support for a CAM conference, and those who are working in the arts. All scholarship recipients will be responsible for $50 in registration fee. This contribution allows CAM to provide scholarships to more museum professionals.

Applications closed on Sunday, February 8, 2026 for a scholarship. Contact engagement@calmuseums.org with questions.

Become a CAM Conference Volunteer!

CAM is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help make this year’s Annual Conference a success! Volunteers are a vital part of the arts ecosystem and the CAM team depends on volunteers to keep things running smoothly throughout the duration of the conference.

Fill out this form to sign up!

*If you would like to be considered for a volunteer role, please submit your completed interest form by 11:59 PM on Sunday, February 8.

Volunteer FAQs

Registration Details
Volunteers receive a discount on conference registration!

This year’s conference Reframing is taking place on March 10-13, 2026, in Los Angeles at the OMNI Hotel.

CAM 2026 Pricing Sheet

As volunteers, your shift is dependent on the type of registration you will secure:

• All confirmed volunteers are eligible for 80% off their registration. (If you have already registered and would like to be reimbursed for the difference, please contact engagement@calmuseums.org)
• Discount ONLY applies to Full Registration and Single Day Registration options (does not apply to Student Registration, or to add-ons like tours and workshops).
• Volunteers seeking a discounted Full Registration, are required to volunteer for two shifts on two separate days. Volunteers seeking a discounted Single Day Registration, are required to volunteer for one shift. Please indicate your availability accordingly.
• All confirmed volunteers are required to complete conference registration with their discount code (will be emailed to you by CAM staff). If conference registration is incomplete, your volunteer shift may be forfeited to another eligible museum professional.
• If you are applying for this volunteer opportunity, please keep in mind that Volunteer Orientation will be held on February 25, 2026 at 2:00PM PT. Please hold this time in case you are selected.
• If confirmed, your shift schedule and a link for the mandatory virtual orientation will be emailed to you at a later date.

Eligibility
This opportunity is open to all! We encourage you to sign up to volunteer if you are seeking a discount on conference registration, or if you would like to add valuable experience to your resume!

Shifts & Responsibilities
We are seeking volunteers to assist with the event itself, as well as some pre-conference preparations support. There are five main options for volunteering during the conference. Below is more information about each role:

• Conference Preparation: responsibilities include preparing materials, filling envelopes, folders, sorting, etc.
  Registration Desk and Operational Support: responsibilities include assisting with checking in attendees, event signups/tickets, etc.
• Room Monitoring: responsibilities include checking badges, wayfinding, answering speaker questions etc.
• Event Support and Wayfinding: responsibilities include supporting with offsite evening events
• CAM’s Free Library: responsibilities include overseeing CAM’s library table, engaging with attendees, etc.

Accessibility & Accommodations
CAM is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming conference experience for all volunteers. We are happy to provide reasonable accommodations and work with you to ensure your volunteer role is accessible and supportive. Please let us know about any access needs or accommodation requests when you sign up, or contact the CAM team in advance so we can plan together.

Timeline & Key Dates

• Deadline to apply to be a volunteer: Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT
• Volunteers notified of selection and shift assignment: Mid February
• Mandatory volunteers virtual training session: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT

Registration questions? Email engagement@calmuseums.org
Volunteering questions? Email assistant@calmuseums.org

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2026. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

Code of Conduct

CAM is committed to providing a respectful conference experience that is safe, inclusive, and free of harassment. A Code of Conduct sets expectations for all CAM program participants, provides steps to report incidents, and lists possible consequences for would-be violators. CAM does not tolerate harassment or discrimination in any form.