Hosting an Interpretation Canada Conference

The Interpretation Canada National Conference is traditionally held in person in odd-numbered years, and online in even-numbered years. Our in person conferences are typically hosted by an interpretive site such as a museum, park, or botanic garden, with conference activities centered around the site and surrounding area.

When possible, Interpretation Canada aims to reflect the diversity of the field of heritage interpretation in Canada by hosting our conferences at different types of sites and in a variety of geographic locations. Recent conferences have been hosted by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, MB (2019), Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, AB (2017), the City of Montreal (2015 joint International Conference with NAI), and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, ON (2013).

Hosting an Interpretation Canada conference is an excellent  professional development opportunity for your education, exhibit, and interpretation staff as well as a unique opportunity to showcase your site to interpreters and other visitor experience professionals from across Canada.

Interested?  We are looking for host sites that meet the following criteria:

Essential:
* An established interpretation program that reflects a dedication to best practices in the fields of heritage interpretation and visitor experience
* Within driving distance of a major Canadian airport
* Sufficient space and facilities to comfortably host 100+ conference delegates
* Commitment to have at least one staff person attend all conference planning meetings (typically monthly)

High Priority
* Quality and affordability of accommodation, transportation, catering etc. in the local area
* Quality and affordability of field trip options to other interpretive sites in the local area
* Support from the host site in organizing accommodation, catering, field trips, and social events
* Support from the host site in seeking sponsorship for the conference
* Geographical balance (your site is in an area where we haven’t recently hosted a conference)
* Previous experience in hosting conferences or large meetings