Annual Conference sessions
Browse all conference sessions since 2010
Science ♥ society
2019
"The blob: a genius without a brain".
2019
"Mathematics as Material Play"
Equity & Inclusion
2019
A blindfolded experience to grasp visual accessibility requirements.
Business & fundraising
2019
The session explores different models for financing our institutions and tackling the biggest challenges we face in the search for a diversified and balanced model.
Strategy & vision
2019
The Supreme Court of the Ecsite Conference will decide whether virtual reality (VR) in museums and science centres is visceral reality providing vital reactions, or just virtually rudimentary and very rubbish.
Research, theory & evaluation
2018
James Beacham is a particle physicist involved in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Watch a video of his keynote.
Science ♥ society
2018
“Go forth and collide, Multiply and create” is the motto of our Science Assembly. Inspired by religious revival meetings, we will offer you songs, laughter, inspiration, and meaning.
Exhibit development
2018
Are you facilitating creative team processes? Tired of always using the same old tricks? Interested in the wider potential of creative techniques? This session is for you.
Strategy & vision
2018
What is the future of science centre exhibitions? Do we need to stick to scientific phenomena, or focus on high tech and current science? Do we concentrate on objects or interaction? Or are physical exhibitions becoming obsolete in the digital era?
Research, theory & evaluation
2017
Professor Alice Roberts is an anthropologist, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. Watch a video of her keynote.
Science ♥ society
2017
Nina Simon has been described as a “museum visionary” by Smithsonian Magazine for her audience-centred approach to design. Watch a video of her keynote.
Research, theory & evaluation
2016
Dr. Frans de Waal is a Dutch-American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behaviour and social cognition of primates. Speech title: Prosocial Primates: The Cooperative Background of Our Species
Equity & Inclusion
2016
Dr. Elizabeth Rasekoala is the President of African Gong – the Pan-African Network for the Popularisation of Science & Technology, and Science Communication. Watch a video of her keynote.
2015
Andrea Illy is the Chairman and CEO of illycaffè S.p.A., a family coffee business founded more than 80 years ago. Watch his speech on Ecsite's YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2014
Professor Ian Goldin is Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalisation and Development at Oxford University. He delivered a speech entitled "Individual and Collective Wisdom and Failure".
Science ♥ society
2014
Ahmet Üzümcü is the Director general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2013.
Strategy & vision
2013
Dominique Pestre is a social and political historian.Hos speech was entitled "What kind of innovation for the Anthropocene?". Watch the keynote on the Ecsite YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2013
Susan Greenfield is a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford and delivered a speech entitled “ The neuroscience of creativity – Making the most of 21st century technology”. Watch the keynote on the Ecsite YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2012
Martin Rees, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, gave a speech entitled "Space exploration, life and the cosmos".
Strategy & vision
2012
Carlo Ratti, Professor at the MIT, gave a talk entitled "Future Cities - The real-time city is now real!"
Science ♥ society
2011
Derrick de Kerckhove, Professor at the Department of French and former Director of the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto, gave a speech entitled "Navigating among the shoals and reefs of social, state and business controls in science and technology".
Strategy & vision
2011
Michael Jones Chief Technology Advocate, Google, gave a speech entitled "The Billionth Visitor".
The first Ecsite Conference took place in 1989. Here you can browse all Conference sessions since 2010. Use the search engine to look for people, topics...
Looking for an older session? Our digital records start in 2007, with programme pdfs attached to each conference page.
Catherine FrancheRichard TuffsTim CaultonAntonio Gomes da Costa
Science centres and museums are becoming instrumental in the economic, cultural and social development of cities. This broad impact of science communication institutions will be discussed based on three presentations. First, a look at the role...
Maarten Okkersenjussi savaIan SimmonsPeter UllstadPieter AartsenClaudia SchleyerIan RussellEsther HamstraLAURENT CHICOINEAUveronique HALLARD
It’s like creative speed dating: Meet exhibition makers and designers in an intimate setting and talk about managing creativity, content development, succesful design and management of exhibitions and exhibits. This new format will stuff as much...
Thanks to online social media such as blogs, social networks, or curating tools (like scoop.it), lots of news has been published, commented, re-published, re-commented, etc. One no longer needs to graduate from journalism school to be a science...
Explainers & visitor services
Nathalie CapletJasper VisserKirsten EllenbogenSophina Jagot
The web and its social networks – they are the ultimate tools to reach beyond time and space. But once we’ve got the website, the blog, the profile, what should we do then? How can we get the most out of these resources? Experiences from...
Maria XanthoudakiAnne Lise MathieuBeth StonePaola RodariHeather King
Explainers are among the professions present in almost all museums and science centres around the world. However, their tasks, training, backgrounds, length of stay on the job – even the name used to define them – varies across different...
Sally DuensingAndrea BandelliSally Duensing
This session offers participants time to explore in-depth ideas from a classic book which participants must read in advance of the session. This experimental seminar-style session is aimed at encouraging all participants to be actively involved...
This session will present examples of attempts to exhibit huge spans of time. What media and exhibits are used to demonstrate great temporal distances, for example in dinosaur shows, history museums or archaeological exhibitions. Are the...
Mireia BesMarzia MazzonettoMaite DebryLinda Leuchars
The field of health research engagement of citizens, and particularly of local communities, is not only a very important focus of actions financed by the European Commission (as stated in Horizon 2020). Partnerships between organizations such as...
James BellMichel ClaessensMatteo MerzagoraSara CalcagniniAntonio Gomes da Costa
Speakers will each have five minutes to discuss their favourite science centre or museum and share why this place is distinct for them. This session will inspire serious reflection on what makes our institutions memorable. After presentations,...
Widening access to all visitors can be achieved from the start of a project and all along development processes. Making improvements over time will be questioned through case studies of institutions at different stages of addressing access....
The Project Buffet is an open poster session organized by Ecsite to enable conference participatns to present their collaborative, not-for-profit projects. Session participants are invited to put up their poster at the beginning of the conference...
Explainers & visitor services
The sheer number of science shows performed at science centres can lead to lower quality presentations. There are several reasons for this, for example routine performances, performers who lack skills as well as too little time for quality...
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