New York or bust!

Wow-NAEA is in New York this year. Since first attending in 2003, I have always looked forward to this time of year. The first year I was ecstatic to learn so, so much from colleagues I didn't realize I had. Over the years, I have collected and reflected on my experiences in various ways: the first year I transcribed my notes all the way home on the plane. I've also created immediate action to-do lists; research to-do lists; and narrative reports and presentations for colleagues. In addition to practical and theoretical information, I catch glimpses at long-range vision that, collected over time, can add up to a life's work.

NAEA conferences are such a rich opportunity to be charged and nurtured by old friendships and new acquaintances alike. I get inspired to do more, better, and smarter. It's an important time to reframe horizons in the company and consultations of valued colleagues.

And that's just the conference! Attending NAEA in New York also means getting inspired by great exhibitions and the city itself.

This year I'll do several things to sustain the inspiration of sessions, exhibitions, NY mojo, and more: during the conference, I'll be absorbing and recording as much as I can (and tweeting as I go as part of the Museum Division's "Tech Mob"); afterward I'll sort, organize, and share my key findings and inspirations with colleagues via presentations at MOCA and via this blog throughout March.

I know that asking "what do you think?" is one of the first, worst sins of blogging. That said, I hope you'll join me here in a shared effort to reflect on key insights, stretching the impact of this year's conference as far as possible.

-Jeanne Hoel