This Sunday marked the start of the INTERCOM Doha 2023 Conference, hosted by Qatar Museums at the iconic National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), until Tuesday, 9 May.
On its first day, delegates from around the world were welcomed to The Future Museum: Framing the Skills and Mindsets of the Visionary Leader Conference. Museum directors, curators, educators, researchers, and communications professionals, joined the conference to share their expertise and explore new developments in the field.
INTERCOM – setting standards and establishing best practices
Qatar Museums Chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani gave the opening remarks. She said that the conference marks the very first time that Qatar is playing host to the International Committee for Museum Management, INTERCOM, one of the most important committees in the world for helping museum managers set standards and establish best practices.
In her speech, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said they look forward to collaborating and sharing ideas and insights that will help them continue to move forward in managing the institutions – and more importantly – the futures of the museum industry in Qatar. She said she looked forward to sharing what Qatar has done to develop its own authentic museum experience about Islamic, Arabic and Qatari heritage and culture.
Qatar Museums Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Musa Al Namla added that as the pre-eminent cultural institution in the region, Qatar Museums plays a crucial role in driving change and serving as a role model for the museums sector.
The conference provides an ideal opportunity to gain knowledge and insights from one another, and to extend a warm welcome to colleagues from across the globe to experience the rich cultural heritage, dynamic contemporary art scene, and exceptional array of museums and galleries, she said.
Daily highlights
The conference agenda highlights a different theme each day. Presentations included Charging for Charity by John Wetenhall of The George Washington University Museum (US) and a speech by Anne-Marie Gilis of KU Leuven (Belgium) on Qatar’s emerging museum landscape.
The latest global research by INTERCOM revealed that good museum leadership and governance is a complex matter, says INTERCOM Chair, Dr Goranka Horjan.
The main goal of the ICOM’s International Committee for Museum Management is to explore strategies that can assist museum professionals in running their institutions. Dr Horjan said that the conference in Doha will focus on how to equip museums with visionary leadership and useful management tools designed to communicate the value museums provide to society, which will in turn, make the decision-makers, legislators, and other interest groups be more committed to museums and to understand its value.
In addition to this, Dr Horjan also emphasised that better advocacy is needed to provide support and funding, and to explore new opportunities for museums to deal with present and future challenges like sustainability, digital transformation, climate change, funding issues, new working environments, and operational demands.
The INTERCOM Doha 2023 conference will run until Tuesday, 9 May and will provide attendees with the opportunity to attend a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions and take part in various workshops.
For more information on the full conference programme, visit the official event website at icom.org.qa.
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