VEX26PHL Sessions
The 2026 Visitor Experience Conference keynote address and conference sessions take place at the National Constitution Center on Monday, October 12. Admission to this portion of the conference is pay what you wish. All sessions in the Accessibility Track will take place in the F.M. Kirby Auditorium. Read on below for a full list of sessions and descriptions.
Session Block 1 - 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Making the World a Better Place through SUPERB Service
Karen Dutton, Manager of Visitor Services, The Chrysler Museum of Art
John C. Bogle Chairman's Room
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Frontline staff shape every museum visit. This session introduces the SUPERB Service Model and Gallery Host program from the Chrysler Museum of Art. Participants explore six mission-aligned practices that build connection, confidence, and collaboration—elevating daily interactions to create welcoming, inclusive, human-centered experiences that inspire a lifelong love of museums.
To Form a More Perfect Field Trip
Elise Jacobsen, Museum Programs Coordinator, National Constitution Center
Brian Krisch, Manager of Training and Program Development, National Constitution Center
F.M. Kirby Auditorium
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In 2024, the National Constitution Center (NCC) decided to retire the long-running Constitutional Ambassadors Program and develop several new programs to take its place. This presentation will discuss why the NCC made this clean break and the steps it took to create new programs that better suited its audience.
Building Community Trust through Affordable Admission
Alex Boyle, Director of Programs, Art-Reach
Delegates’ Café Private Dining Room
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Join Art-Reach to learn about various economic and financial barriers that can prevent people with disabilities from visiting cultural sites. Using community-driven data and examples from the Art-Reach ACCESS Program, we’ll explore how affordable admission can build trust and strengthen relationships between the disability and cultural arts communities.
Everyone Is On Stage: How Performing Arts Transforms the Visitor Experience
Clayton Barry, Performing Arts Supervisor, Santa Barbara Zoo
Tanner Linden, Guest Experience Manager, Santa Barbara Zoo
Freedom Classroom
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What if every staff member saw themselves as part of the show? This session explores how performance principles (storytelling, presence, and character) can transform frontline interactions into joy-filled, inclusive experiences that make guests feel seen, valued, and connected.
Welcome & Keynote - 9:10 - 10:25 AM
Philadelphia is the cradle of the American institutional identity. It is home to the nation's first botanical garden, its first zoo, its first hospital, first library, to name a few. But what does it mean to be the "first" for two and a half centuries?
Join us for a landmark Town Hall featuring a "Council of Firsts." We are bringing together the visionaries behind Philadelphia’s foundational institutions—the original blueprints for how Americans interact with nature, science, and culture.
In this candid conversation, we will explore:
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The Weight of Legacy: How the "first" institutions have preserved history while evolving to meet the demands of the modern world.
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The Evolution of the Mission: How spaces originally designed for elite "cabinets of curiosity" transformed into vibrant, inclusive community hubs.
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The Challenge of Progress: How these historic pillars are reimagining their roles to address 21st-century challenges—from climate change to social equity.
Come hear from the
Session Block 2 - 10:40 - 11:40 AM
Beyond the Headcount: Turning Frontline Stories into Strategic Data
Andy Cushen, Manager of Visitor Experience and Volunteerism, Clyfford Still Museum
John C. Bogle Chairman's Room
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Unlock institutional intelligence beyond attendance metrics. This interactive session introduces the “Visitor Interaction Protocol” (VIP), a simple, real-time reporting framework that captures frontline insights and visitor sentiment. Through case study and hands-on design exercises, participants will build a customizable tool to transform anecdotal observations into actionable, cross-departmental strategy.
You Are Welcome
Ava Locks, Founding Member, ACCESSforALL
Brian O'Mahoney, Founding Member, ACCESSforALL
Elka Rifkin, Founding Member, ACCESSforALL
F.M. Kirby Auditorium
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"You Are Welcome" provides participants with a foundational understanding of the importance of accessibility in visitor services, ensuring programs remain open to everyone, regardless of ability or background. The session includes an overview of the social model of disability, and the role guest services have in addressing the inclusion gap.
Charting Our Liftoff to the Galaxy
Maria Matlock, Visitor Center Manager, Longwood Gardens
Jeff Harrison, Associate Director of Guest Admissions, Longwood Gardens
Delegates’ Café Private Dining Room
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Change is constant in our work—but how do we prepare our team, guests, and members for a major shift? This presentation examines our rollout of a new ticketing system, highlighting how we prepared for this change, supported staff and guests through uncertainty, and managed the many adjustments required for a smooth, successful transition.
Frontline Power-up: Empowering your Front Line to Optimize Guest Satisfaction
Bayo Fayemi, Director of Guest Services, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Freedom Classroom
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We'll be discussing the benefits of empowering your frontline to make the best decisions for your visitors, provide service recovery, and deliver an experience that goes above and beyond!
Session Block 3 - 1:10 - 2:10 PM
Beyond the Box Office: Modern Business Development Ideas for Cultural Icons
Mich Franklin, Sales Manager, Ventrata
Patricia Mano, Sales Manager, Ventrata
TBD, Museum Sales Professional
Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall Overlook
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Ideas on how to expand your impact and reach while creating a cohesive customer journey. Participants will walk away with new ideas relating to how to build a strategic network of local and global travel partners who are equipped to sell premium experiences on your behalf.
A More Perfect Welcome: Partnering with Disability Communities
Dani Rose, Director of Cultural Access, Open Door Arts
Alex Boyle, Director of Programs, Art-Reach
F.M. Kirby Auditorium
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Building meaningful partnership with a disability community strengthens, cultural connection, accessibility efforts, and audience growth. This session introduces practical engagement strategies programmatic ideas an example examples as well as tried and true methods for disability community inclusion. Discover how to build “a more perfect welcome” between cultural institutions and the communities they serve.
From Vibes to Variables: Define It, Capture It, Improve It
Seth Lieber, CXO, Seth Lieber Creative LLC
John C. Bogle Chairman's Room
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Define success first—then work backwards. In this interactive session, learn a repeatable system to turn frontline interactions into measurable outcomes: clarify what “success” means, define a “qualified lead,” and capture consistent data with simple digital workflows. Leave with templates you can use immediately.
Cultivating Care, Comfort, and Confidence for Front-Line Teams
Erin Ray, Manager of Visitor Experience, Missouri History Museum
Delegates’ Café Private Dining Room
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Every day brings the unexpected in Visitor Experience! How can we ensure everyone has the tools to navigate this unpredictability? This session explores how a cross-departmental team worked together to ensure front-line staff felt informed, supported, and empowered before opening a large-scale exhibit on local LGBTQIA+ history in St. Louis.
Access for All! Working with Community Partners for a Brighter Future
Alexsandra Simakowicz, Senior Historic Program Specialist, Morris County Park Commissio, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
Elsa Zavoda, Senior Vice President of Programs, Vision Loss Alliance
Freedom Classroom
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In this polarizing time, welcoming spaces for all are essential for a brighter future. Based on ongoing accessibility projects at the Historic Sites of the Morris County Park Commission, this session explores working with partner groups to achieve tangible and cost affective accessibility objectives for your museum or historic site.
Session Block 4 - 2:20 - 3:20 PM
An Exercise in Trust - Building a Museum-Quality Space for a Non-Museum Client
Casey Gallagher, Principal, EwingCole
Dan Bosin, President, Dan Bosin Associates
Andrew Hill, Associate VP of Economic Education, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Bernhard Mueller, Managing Partner, Quatrefoil Associates
Marie Ruisard, Project Architect, EwingCole
Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall Overlook
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Explore the challenges and successes of creating a museum-quality exhibit within the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Collaborators share how trust unified the team, how they overcame spatial constraints, and used interactivity and gamification to communicate complex content to diverse audiences, including students.
Museums for All: Building Accessibility into the Everyday
Anne Ciskanik, Manager of Museum Engagement, National Constitution Center
Kristina Marinello, Senior Director of Museum Experiences, National Constitution Center
Mike Dees, Senior Manager of Museum Experience, National Constitution Center
Mike Madeja, Director of Education, Independence Seaport Museum
Brian Krisch, Manager of Training and Program Development, National Constitution Center
F.M. Kirby Auditorium
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Incorporating accessibility as a core value ensures that all visitors are engaged and welcomed into the museum. Come learn how the NCC made accessibility the cornerstone of museum culture, programs, and policy, from revising their visitor services training, broadening the tools available to guests, and building partnerships in the community.
Small Teams, Big Impact: Volunteers That Elevate Every Visit
Meggan Sommerville, Educational Assistant, Aurora Regional Fire Museum
John C. Bogle Chairman's Room
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Small museums run lean, but volunteers can transform every visit. This session focuses on retaining, motivating, and developing volunteers so they feel valued and essential. We’ll explore mindset shifts and scalable strategies for culture, communication, and belonging. Leave with ideas to strengthen programs, foster growth, and create personal, memorable experiences.
Make It Your Business: Creating Unique Experiences for Corporate Guests
Tiffany Allen, Director of Education and Engagement, Grounds For Sculpture
Karen Hollywood, Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement, Grounds For Sculpture
Callie Lasch, Assistant Manager of Learning Experiences, Grounds For Sculpture
Delegates’ Café Private Dining Room
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The corporate guest is an important asset for museums. This panel addresses how to welcome the corporate guest, manage their complex needs, and navigate cross-departmental coordination. The benefits can provide meaningful long-term engagement, membership, and sponsorship opportunities.
Designing Sensory Guides for Live Performance
Karoline Smith, Accessibility Manager, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Freedom Classroom
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Learn how sensory guides can improve accessibility and visitor experience in performing arts venues. This session shares practical lessons from developing and implementing sensory guides for Broadway touring productions and live performances, including how information is gathered, how guides are structured, and how they support audiences with sensory sensitivities.