Sunday
Sunday Walking Tour, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Penn's Plan for Philadelphia
Join VEX VP and longtime Philly resident Pat Wittwer for his tour focused on William Penn’s original plan for Philadelphia, what parts of it remain, what has been lost, and what we’re currently doing right and wrong. This is a walking tour that will cover over three centuries of Philadelphia history over the course of a 3.5 mile walk. The tour begins and ends in front of the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District at 400 Arch Street. Your ticket grants you access to the tour and the most Philadelphian lunch you can imagine: Wawa hoagies on a pier on the Delaware River.
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes and be mindful of the uneven sidewalks and "historic" paving you will encounter on this walking tour of Historic Philadelphia.
In the event of heavy rain, we will cancel this tour and issue refunds.
Sunday Field Trip, 12:30 - 5:00 PM: Edelman Fossil Park & Museum Behind-the Scenes Tour & Fossil Dig
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of this attraction with VEX VP and EFM VEX manager Pat Wittwer, including a talk on the hiring process that built the team that drives the institution. After that, get ready to get your hands dirty when you dig for fossils in an active fossil quarry where you will be finding fossils of sea creatures of the Paleocene Epoch, dating back 60 million years! This ticket includes the talk, tour, fossil dig, and bus transportation between the Fossil Park and the conference hotel.
Bus departs from the conference hotel at 12:30pm on Sunday, October 11 and will return around 5:00pm, leaving enough time for you to get ready for the Dine-Arounds that evening!
***This event requires at least 20 participants - if that number isn't reached by October 7, it will be cancelled and tickets will be refunded***
Sunday Dine-Arounds, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Join VEX board and committee members for a bite to eat at a local Philly eatery, just a short stroll from the Wyndham. Registration is free for this event, but you will be responsible for paying for your own meal. Restaurants include:
Oh Brother Cheesesteaks, Cheesesteaks, pizza, 0.3 miles
Tom's Dim Sum, Dim Sum, 0.7 miles
National Mechanics, Pub Food, 0.2 miles
Revolution House, Pub Food, 0.3 miles
Sunday Karaoke Party, 9:00 PM
Join VEX VP Pat Wittwer at the 700 Club for the best karaoke party in the city: Sing Your Life Karaoke with DJ Sara Sherr. The party begins at 9 and goes until the bar closes. Registration is free for this event, but you will be responsible for paying for your own drinks.
Monday
Monday Pay What You Wish Visitor Experience Conference Sessions & Keynote, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions and keynote at the National Constitution Center. View full session descriptions here.
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Session Block 1, 8:00 - 9:00 AM
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Making the World a Better Place through SUPERB Service
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To Form a More Perfect Field Trip
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Building Community Trust through Affordable Admission
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Everyone Is On Stage: How Performing Arts Transforms the Visitor Experience
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Welcome & Keynote Address, 9:10 - 10:25 AM
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Session Block 2, 10:40 - 11:40 AM
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Beyond the Headcount: Turning Frontline Stories into Strategic Data
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You Are Welcome
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Charting Our Liftoff to the Galaxy
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Frontline Power-up: Empowering your Front Line to Optimize Guest Satisfaction
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Lunch on your own, 11:40 AM - 1:10 PM
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Session Block 3, 1:10 - 2:10 PM
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Beyond the Box Office: Modern Business Development Ideas for Cultural Icons
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From Vibes to Variables: Define It, Capture It, Improve It
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A More Perfect Welcome: Partnering with Disability Communities
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Cultivating Care, Comfort, and Confidence for Front-Line Teams
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Access for All! Working with Community Partners for a Brighter Future
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Session Block 4, 2:20 - 3:20 PM
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An Exercise in Trust - Building a Museum-Quality Space for a Non-Museum Client
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Small Teams, Big Impact: Volunteers That Elevate Every Visit
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Museums for All: Building Accessibility into the Everyday
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Make It Your Business: Creating Unique Experiences for Corporate Guests
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Designing Sensory Guides for Live Performance
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Freedom Rising Performance & Closing Remarks, 3:30 - 4:00 PM
Monday Liberty Bell Visit, 4:15 - 5:00 PM
Head down Independence Mall to visit the Liberty Bell Center between the end of the sessions and the beginning of the party.
Monday Event, 6:00 - 8:30 PM: Visitors are a Drag After Party
Join us for an evening of fun at the Mummers Museum in South Philly! Your ticket includes:
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Open Bar
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Mummer-themed craft activity
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Full access to the museum
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Light bites
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The Snark Attack - a open mic-like event hosted by some fabulous drag queens in which you get to say all of the things you've always wanted to say to the worst kinds of visitors and one-star reviewers
Tuesday
Tuesday Roundtable Breakfast, 9:00 - 10:30 AM
Join VEX board members, committee members, and session and workshop presenters for roundtable discussions over breakfast. Table topics and hosts TBA closer to the event. This breakfast is included in your pay-what-you-wish admission for the Monday Sessions and Keynote.
Tuesday Workshop, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: You Are Here: On Maps & Belonging
More than navigation tools, maps and way-finding communicate belonging, trust, and accessibility. This workshop guides attendees on how cultural institutions can design accessible maps and signage that empower visitors, improve autonomy, and enhance the visitor experience. Attendees will learn the elements of accessibility way-finding, learn to evaluate maps for to identify gaps, and tactics to improve them. BYO map to work in real time to evaluate and identify areas of success and improvement!
Presenters:
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Dani Rose
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Director of Cultural Access, Open Door Arts
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Alex Boyle
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Director of Programs, Art-Reach
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Tuesday Workshop 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: From Turnover to Tenure: Employee Mentoring
Front‑line staff shape every visitor interaction, yet often lack structured development. This session shares how we shifted from incentives to a mentoring program focused on visitor engagement, retention, and cross‑department learning. Participants will examine challenges, review adaptable tools, and draft a realistic mentoring outline tailored to their institution’s capacity and culture.
Presenters:
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Jill Nelson
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Manager of Visitor Experience, Amon Carter Museum of American Art
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Amanda Blake
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Chief Learning and Experience Officer, Amon Carter Museum of American Art
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Tuesday Workshop, 2:00 - 3:30 PM: Staff Engagement: Humanizing the Workplace
The ways we welcome visitors are informed by the ways we welcome our colleagues. In this workshop, you will hear about how Pat, the visitor experience manager of Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, and Casey, the visitor experience manager at the Chazen Museum of Art, have worked to steer their respective institutions toward a people-first workplace. Throughout this interactive workshop, you will be able to apply takeaways in real time to help implement change in your own institution.
Presenter:
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Pat Wittwer
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Visitor Experience Manager, Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University
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Vice President, Visitor Experience Group
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Tuesday Workshop, 2:00 - 3:30 PM: Extending Intentional Invitation – Accessibility Through Design, Messaging, & Implementation
Creating an accessible and inclusive experience requires intentionality from the start! This workshop will provide a basic overview of the principles of disability access and explore how to ensure accessibility is woven into the design and planning process, across messaging and community outreach, and throughout the onsite visitor experience.
Presenter:
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Diane Nutting
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Accessibility & Inclusion Consultant
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Tuesday Happy Hour, 4:00 - 6:00 PM: TBA
We're narrowing down our options for Tuesday evening's happy hour - there's a lot to choose from! Stay tuned for more information on this event in the coming weeks.
Wednesday
Wednesday Bus Tour, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Philadelphia Zoo and TBA
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of two distinct outdoor attractions: The Philadelphia Zoo (America's first zoo) and another TBA soon. This ticket includes admission to both institutions, a short presentation/tour from staff, and bus transportation to and from the conference hotel.
Wednesday Bus Tour, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Mütter Museum and TBA
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of two unique Philly cultural attractions: The Mütter Museum and another org TBA soon. This ticket includes admission to both institutions, a short presentation/tour from staff, and bus transportation to and from the conference hotel.
Wednesday Museum Tours, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM: Old City Attractions
Stroll around Philly's Old City Historic District, making stops at three cultural institutions for a behind-the-scenes look at their operations and time to enjoy each institution. Your ticket includes admission to all three institutions, all of which will be announced in the coming weeks.