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2026 Ecsite Directors Forum

About

The Ecsite Directors Forum 2026 will take place on 19 & 20 November in Heilbronn, Germany at Ecsite member experimenta.

The Ecsite Directors Forum is an event for senior leaders and Directors of Ecsite member organisations. This annual event welcomes approximately 100 participants and is hosted at an Ecsite member institution and is an ideal moment for senior leader networking, peer sharing & gaining local insights in a confidential space.

As Germany's largest science centre, which includes an AI Pavilion, Observatory, Science Dome and more, experimenta will serve as the perfect host for this meeting of senior manager and directors from Europe and beyond.

Registration

Registration for the 2026 Directors Forum is now open!

Tickets are 310.30 euro per person (incl. 7% VAT) and include the full programme, 2x lunch and 1x networking dinner, coffee breaks throughout the event, optional tours, shuttles from the airport and a 15 euro legacy donation (read more below).

Registrations close 4 November.

Programme

The Directors Forum is a strategic, peer-to-peer discussion forum and consists of:

Programme at a Glance

Get an overview of the two-day Ecsite Directors Forum with our Programme at a Glance, featuring the Keynotes, discussions and networking opportunities shaping this year’s programme.

Keynote speeches

Providing inspiration from outside our field, followed by in-depth discussion.

- 'Places That Connect Us: The Future Role of Museums and Science Centres' by Aat Vos and Amy Goedhart
- 'Radically Emotional. How Feelings shape public discourses' by Maren Urner

Additional excursion

experimenta invites attendees of the Ecsite Directors Forum to join a free tour of German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Lampoldshausen in Lampoldshausen on the morning of Saturday 21 November.

At DLR, researchers develop and test innovative technologies for chemical space propulsion using a unique test infrastructure that is unparalleled in Europe.

Please note that visitor access requirements are still being confirmed. Participants who are not EU citizens may need to complete additional security checks or provide further documentation before the visit.

Departure: 9:00 AM from experimenta, Heilbronn
Return: 12:30 PM to experimenta, Heilbronn
Guided tour on site: 2 hours

This tour is not part of the programme, but instead an additional offer from experimenta.

Transportation

Planning on travelling to Heilbronn by train or car?

You can find further information on experimenta's website here.

For those flying, there will also be a bus shuttle from the following airports to Heilbronn:

18 November at 19:00 and 21:00 CET from Frankfurt to Heilbronn
18 November at 18:00 CET from Stuttgart to Heilbronn
20 November at 17:00 Heilbronn to Frankfurt and/or Stuttgart if there is demand.

Prebooking the shuttles will be available in the registration form.