By Lisa Eriksen

Of course, the answer to the first part of this question is Portland, Oregon for the Western Museums Association annual meeting!

The Author with Greg Farrington, ED, Cal Academy of Sciences and Lori Fogarty, Director, Oakland Museum of CA and others "Futurecasting for California" at AAM in L.A.

The second part of the question is a bit more difficult to answer, which is why I encourage everyone to attend the session Forecasting the Future of Museums - California as a Case Study. This session, hosted by the American Association of Museum’s Center for the Future of Museums and the California Association of Museums, explores the massive changes we will experience in the coming decades and how museums can thoughtfully prepare for changes by realizing preferred futures.

If you cannot make this session (and especially if you plan on attending), you can learn more about how museums will embrace a leadership role in realizing preferred futures by reading the new CFM and CAM resource guide Tomorrow In the Golden State: Museums and the Future of California.

Tomorrow in Golden_State - click image to download

This guide provides a basic overview of futures studies, a summary of trends shaping the Golden State, probable future scenarios, and instructions for holding your own forecasting session. While this report focuses on California, it covers trends and topics that museums throughout the US will be challenged with in the coming decades.

I look forward to seeing you in Portland in the near future!

PS – If you miss WMA, you can attend a session I am moderating at the CAM conference March 2-4, 2011, titled You Don’t Need a Crystal Ball: How Future Studies Helps Museums Plan for the Future, or the engaging Dialog Dinner This is the Future.