Hello friends! There is an email going out this afternoon with several VEX23 announcements, including registration! Members receive a $10 discount on all of the VEX23 events with the code VEXMEMBER2023 This code will also apply to events that will be added in the coming months. We can't wait to welcome you to Delaware!

VEX Ed is back! Join us on March 28 for Revenue and Experiences Outside the Gate. You have a wonderful destination that people are excited to visit, and that's great! There are always opportunities to satisfy the desire that many have to dive deeper. Learn more about how the Shedd Aquarium Ancillary Operations team develops, vets, and implements mission-based revenue driving and diversifying programs that allow aquarium guests to get even closer to the collection. In this webinar, you will learn: What makes up a viable "Ancillary Program" How to herd the cats (AKA your wonderful colleagues/resource providers who are all very busy in their own right!) Simple tweaks to maximize existing programs Join Colby Sellers, Director of Ancillary Operations at Shedd Aquarium, on Tuesday, March 28 at 3 p.m. EST/2 p.m. CST/1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST for this webinar and use the code VEXMEMBER2023 for your free ticket when you register on Eventbrite.

We're excited to announce that we are currently accepting session proposals for the 2023 Visitor Experience Conference taking place October 22-25 in Wilmington, DE. Proposals are due in by March 31. To help you craft the perfect session proposal for this year’s conference, check out the official VEX23 Session Proposal Guide. Once you are ready to submit, fill out the submission form. We are looking forward to reviewing these proposals and putting together a stellar program for VEX23!

We're looking forward to hosting y'all in our backyard: Wilmington, DE and the Brandywine Valley! We will be announcing dates, host sites, and opening the call for proposals in the next few weeks.

Join us for our next VEX Ed Webinar on Staff Engagement! I will be leading this webinar and expanding on the push for transparency in hiring by laying out a staff engagement plan focused on equity and transparency in hiring, training, recognition, and development. Attendees will leave with tips on how to improve staff engagement in those four areas and have a guide for implementing a new staff engagement plan in their institutions. I'm offering this webinar twice at the end of February. Please note that both of these webinars will have the same content, you only need to attend one (we just wanted to give a couple of different options to work with your schedules). The first offering will be Thursday, February 24 at 8PM EST. The second will be Monday, February 28 at 1PM EST. This webinar will be one hour long, but I can always stick around a little longer for questions. Tickets for this webinar are $10, but as a member, you get it for half price when you use the promo code VEXMEMBER5. All proceeds from this event will go to the VEX22 Presenters Fund. Hope to see you all there! Purchase Tickets

Registration for the 10th annual Visitor Experience Conference is open! This year's conference takes place online on October 13 and 14. Keynote Dr. David Pilgrim kicks off the festivities with the keynote address on Wednesday, October 13 and Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko and Chris Taylor will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, October 14. We will be announcing more details, including the sessions and workshops, in the next few weeks. Don't forget to use the code MEMBERVEX21 for $5 off tickets to the opening night party featuring Museum Trivia, the closing night party featuring Battledecks, and MEMBER10 for $10 off of workshops. Click here to register for VEX21!