40th Annual AIC Conference

The 40^th Annual AIC Conference was back in May (I thought I posted this article back then, but apparently I didn't hit the submit button. Oops!) and I have had plenty of time to think about what I’ve learned and feel the influence of all the talks I attended. I had a spectacular time and enjoyed meeting a variety of new people. It was great to see what the entire world of conservation looks like when people from all over come together to talk shop. So what did I learn from my first time at AIC?

 Take it slow. There’s a lot going on and there are a lot of people to meet. Look over the program, but don’t feel you have to rush and see everything. It can be overwhelming, especially if you have never been to a conference before.


Go to the receptions. After everyone has been in talks and discussions all day it’s nice to sit back and get to know your fellow conservators. The beautiful Albuquerque evenings were a nice way to end the day.


 Don’t be afraid to go up and introduce yourself. Sometimes you recognize someone, either from the Internet or a photo, but you’ve never had the opportunity to meet them. If you see him or her, don’t interrupt if they are in a conservation of course, but don’t be shy in going up in saying hi. Everyone is so friendly and polite.


Visit all different types of specialty talks. I was very exciting to see all the book and paper talks, but there is so much more than the specialty you may be interested in. The second day I ventured over to the Photographic Material talks, which I absolutely loved. 


Take time to see some of the city you’re in. By the end of the day I was completely exhausted and just crashed into bed. I did miss out in seeing the city of Albuquerque, which I heard from many others  attendees what a nice place it was to walk around.

Book and Paper Group Reception

For those that are new to a conference I thought a really great set up was the ECPN’s Happy Hour the night before the conference began. For those coming to the conference who may not know anyone, it gave us all a chance to meet new people and see each other face-to-face after all the communication being done through email and Facebook.  I felt like I could walk around the conference and always run into a familiar face, which seemed to make the entire event a little less stressful. As I’ve worked through my fellowship this summer I feel that I have a much broader sense about the entire world of conservation. I look forward to next year!