European Museum of the Year Award 2015 – , Scotland, 13 – 16 May 2015

EMYA 2015 – WHAT MATTERS IN MUSEUMS TODAY

We are delighted to invite you to the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) event which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from Wednesday 13th to Saturday 16th May 2015. For the past 38 years EMYA has stood for public quality, creativity and innovation in the museum field. It gathers together small, medium and large museums with one thing in common – outstanding excellence!

More than 200 participants come together every year from across all of Europe. They meet to discuss points of view, themes and issues that affect museums. This year, forty candidates from 21 countries are in the competition for the prestigious annual awards and the title of European Museum of the Year. Using inspiring stories, dramatic buildings and innovative solutions to make their collections shine and engage with diverse audiences, these museums and galleries represent a wide range of collections and approaches to interpretation and visitor service.

The event offers workshops, panels, interviews with candidates and a range of social gatherings in which to meet colleagues informally. On the Pre-Conference Day (13/5/15) at Glasgow’s eCult Dialogue Day, a workshop titled Museums: Responding to the digital world will take place. A range of speakers will focus on how museums can foster a culture of digital integration across departments within their wider organizations and explore what ‘digital’ means for museums. Presentations will discuss: creating and implementing a digital strategy that works, effectively managing the challenges and opportunities of social media, roles and staffing and how to build support and develop skills using technology in museums.

The Festival of Museums in Scotland will create an additional spark during EMYA 2015.

Your host for EMYA 2015 is Glasgow Life, which manages Glasgow Museums and during the course of 4 days, historic sights and museums of the city will open their doors to EMYA participants. Visits to award winning museums, containing one of the finest civic collections in Europe, will feature as optional tours on the itinerary, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), the People’s Palace, the , Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) and of course Riverside Museum, winner of the European Museum of the Year award 2013.

Our host city Glasgow is offering not only wonderful museums, but an internationally recognized creative spirit. As Scotland's largest city, Glasgow is renowned for its culture, style and the friendliness of its people.

The main programme for EMYA 2015 will take place at the stunning Mitchell Library in central Glasgow, one of Europe’s largest public reference libraries, the hub of the city’s information service.

Save the date! Make sure you’re at EMYA 2015 - the museum event that matters.

Goranka Horjan

Chair of the European Museum Forum, Trust of EMYA

Registration now open on the website: www.glasgow.org.uk