General Conferences
ICOM’s General Conference is a worldwide reputed hub for exchange about the topical issues museums tackle today and the most innovative solutions.
Since 1948, every three years, ICOM gathers the international museum community around a theme of crucial interest to facilitate cultural exchange, to promote international cooperation, and to inspire local actions in order to allow museums to continue their public service mission to the society.
More than 3.000 participants from all international backgrounds come together to attend debates, round tables, panels, networking events and cultural activities.
In parallel, an International Museum Fair, where suppliers and museums showcase their latest projects and products, takes place in the whole week.
The three key moments of the ICOM’s General Conference are:
- Inspiring speeches by world-renowned professionals on multidisciplinary subjects concerning the international museum community;
- Scientific discussions on the conference theme among ICOM’s International Committees;
- Administrative sessions to summarise and evaluate the actions conducted over the past three-year period and to initiate the new working term.
The 27th ICOM General Conference will be held in Dubai in November 2025.
The theme of this conference is ‘The future of museums in rapidly changing communities’.
In today’s world, a whirlwind of global events has reshaped our understanding of the world and our place in it, thrusting us into an era of constant transformation. In this ever-evolving landscape, we are all striving to adapt, innovate, and stay ahead.
Museums are on this journey too, though due to their broad variety, their pace may vary. As we navigate through these changes, museums are also reimagining their roles and forging new connections. This is the journey ICOM Dubai 2025 invites us on: envisioning the future of museums and communities together. Here, museum professionals and community members will come together to seize opportunities to collectively shape our future. Our goal is to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth.
‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’ encapsulates the dynamic ever- changing landscape that our communities and museums navigate through today, while three interconnected sub-themes will invite in depth discussions into the safeguarding of intangible heritage, youth power and the rise of new technologies.
As we prepare for ICOM Dubai 2025, let’s unite to define our collective path forward.
ICOM Prague 2022: The Power of Museums
Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and a magnificent open-air museum, welcomed the 26th ICOM General Conference on 20–28 August 2022. Museum professionals from around the world put forward the topics and set the direction of the museum sector for the next three years.We were interested in the strength, position and capacity of museums in building a free, democratic and educated society, reactions of museums to the challenges and needs of the 21st century; and the ability to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, both societal and economic. The results of the search for a new definition of “museum” were presented at ICOM Prague 2022.Thanks for being there together!