Join us for a breakfast reception and registration from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m, where you can enjoy breakfast while checking in and networking with fellow attendees before the event begins.

Welcome

SPEAKERS

ICOM’s definition of a museum includes a need to serve society, contribute to its development, be open to the public, and encourage visitors to engage with our collections and exhibitions. This presentation will explore the conundrum experienced by museums when our culture of openness and inclusion is exploited by activists. The talk will seek to shed light of the current threat facing museums, especially from climate activists. It will then compare the current risk to similar historical threats, with particular reference to the actions and destruction of art by the Suffragette movement in the United Kingdom a hundred years ago! The presenters will explore the complex balancing act required to safeguard our collections whilst continuing to give access and facilitate freedom of speech and expression for all. They will suggest that we can better prepare for the future by looking back and learning from the past!

While not all activists use illegal means to communicate their message, when that threshold is breached, we must be ready to protect our staff, visitors, and collections. Additionally, specific emphasis must be placed on mitigating the risk to our public perception and goodwill. Are you prepared for activists to visit your cultural property? When does a visitor become an activist? When does an activist move from protected speech to criminal activity? Can you safeguard your reputation while protecting the civil liberties of all your “visitors”? Do your policies support limiting what activists view as success? These topics will be explored, along with intelligence gathering, modality identification, planning and response, in addition to recovery and after-action reporting.

The presentation will also include discussion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s re-structured security matrix and how it has significantly improved several key areas. These include response procedures, communication and coordination internally and with external agencies. Protocols for responding to and mitigating protests within the Museum, along with other newly developed divisions within the security matrix and an explanation of how these measures enhance investigations and strengthen our collaboration with external agencies.

Heritages Have Stories to Tell: Kenya, a country with a rich history of cultural heritage and natural resources, stands at the forefront of the global effort to embrace sustainable tourism and effective heritage site management, protection, and preservation. The nation’s approach to preserving its unique heritage, while welcoming the economic and social benefits of tourism, offers valuable insights into the principles and practices of sustainability in this field. This presentation investigates how Kenya is navigating the challenge of balancing public access to its heritage sites with the need to protect and preserve them for future generations.

Embracing globalization is widely recognized as essential for the future of countries throughout the Middle East. Economic modernization and diversification are critical for the stability and prosperity throughout the region. Protecting and promoting the region’s rich cultural heritage is a widely shared imperative. Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned in its deep appreciation of cultural protection and preservation. For nearly 40 years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proudly asserted itself as the “Protector” or “Custodian” of two of Islam’s holiest sites. Today, Saudi Arabia’s strategic plan for economic transformation, Vision 2030, is among the most ambitious modernization plans in the world. In this presentation, we will discuss Saudi Arabia’s path toward modernization with the inclusion of promoting global access to the Kingdom’s rich and diverse heritage. Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, Saudi Arabia has prioritized the promotion of its cultural heritage, ancient sites, and antiquities as a source of national identity and a means for opening the Kingdom to the world through tourism. This presentation shares many of the Kingdom’s governmental transformations advancing modern approaches to cultural protection while promoting its rich heritage to the world for exploration, education, and global appreciation. Preservation, protection, and security initiatives in the Kingdom incorporate technological innovation and design. Achieving Saudi Arabia’s ambition to once again be the world’s crossroads of ancient cultural convergence is dependent upon the Kingdom’s capabilities for site preservation and security of the visitors’ experience. We will also discuss Saudi initiatives as well as the multinational support efforts to advance regional peace and stability through cultural preservation. Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented journey toward modernization provides global opportunities to share in the region’s rich, diverse cultural experience and history.

Security strategies often translate into an iron fist or kid gloves approach, a philosophical dichotomy that grows every year. It seems like you either lose the notion of customer service or you sacrifice efficacy. We chose to merge security concepts with hospitality to design a new (and more holistic) security policy. Collaborating with all museum employees – including security guards, reception staff, shop assistants, and guides – we took up the challenge to make security hospitable and hospitality secure. The resulting concepts were applied in several Ghent museums. Our municipal museums strive to be at the forefront of security and art crime prevention but are located in a country with a famously high-risk appetite concerning these topics. Accessibility, convenience, and enjoyment for the public remain our priorities. We will show through three tactics how we seek to instill responsibility, collaboration, and situational awareness in our team and museum visitors. We’ll talk about nudging, empowerment, and shared worth. The involvement of the staff from the very beginning of this exercise resulted in a heightened awareness for most of them and a better understanding of their functioning within the security strategy.

Lunch Break: 12:50 – 2:15pm

Suggested Lunch Itinerary  

Walk from The Broad to Angels Flight Railway, the world’s smallest rail. Tickets are $1USD and will drop you off across the street from Grand Central Market, where you can enjoy a variety of lunch options.  

Google Maps Directions

Tip: Conference organizers recommend getting tacos from Villa’s Tacos in Grand Central Market!  

Angels Flight Railway 

350 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90071

Affectionately nicknamed “the world’s shortest railway,” Angels Flight in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles is a well-known, century-old funicular that over the last 118 years has become somewhat of a celebrity (in true Angeleno fashion). It’s been featured in hundreds of movies and dozens of books, including “La La Land,” and Michael Connelly’s book “Angels Flight.” 

Even though the ride only lasts one minute, it’s still one of the most fun things to do in downtown LA with friends and kids of any age. Riding one of its two trolleys (named Sinai and Olive) is the fastest way to travel between beloved Grand Central Market, which sits at the bottom, 298 feet up to the Water Court shopping mall between Hill and Olive Streets (while avoiding the alternative, which is dozens of steep stairs) for just $1. 

Grand Central Market 

317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013 

A vibrant food hall that features a diverse array of vendors offering everything from fresh produce and gourmet groceries to international cuisine and artisanal snacks. It’s a great spot to explore local flavors, enjoy casual dining, and experience the city’s culinary culture. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, there’s something for everyone.  

Closer and quicker option: 

Cal Marketplace: 300 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90071  

Across the street from The Broad, Cal Marketplace has grab-and-go lunch spots with charming outdoor seating.  

This session will focus on the evolution of technical security and related systems at cultural institutions. The speakers will cover a wide range of topics including: network security;  system applications; the importance of strong partnerships between security and IT colleagues; artificial intelligence; object protection; video analytics; cyber security and real world implications. We will hear from recognized experts at three major cultural institutions who will share their experiences and recommendations. A Q&A session will follow the presentation, providing an opportunity for interaction and further sharing of ideas.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Protection Services (OPS) is addressing the increasing threat of workplace violence by implementing and continuously refining security measures. This long-term commitment aims to protect cultural and historical treasures, as well as staff, visitors, and guests. The initiative has been carefully planned and executed, with collaboration from all involved parties. Moving forward, OPS remains dedicated to maintaining high security standards to ensure the safety and inspiration of future generations.

Polish museums store approximately 20 million museum objects. Only about 5% of them are exhibited; the rest remain in storage. Only the largest museums have safe storage space, and only a few have their own conservation and digitization labs. The cost of creating such a professional space for each museum is very high and not always justified. Hence, the idea of creating a common facility combining many types of high-level services available to all museums. PANOPTIKUM – a competence center for museums – is inspired by similar facilities operating in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland, and it is a response to the actual needs of Polish museums. The construction of PANOPTIKUM, located in central Poland on the outskirts of Warsaw, started in 2022, and the opening is scheduled for the beginning of 2026. The multifunctional facility will consist of storage space, conservation studios, diagnostic labs, as well as an educational and conference area. The building will meet high security standards and will be environmentally friendly. It is designed to ensure maximum reduction in energy consumption, so it is also cost-effective. PANOPTIKUM, as a branch of the National Institute for Museums, will provide a wide range of services for museums, and it can also serve as a safe haven in times of crisis. The project is financed from the national state budget and is in the process of applying for additional European Union funding.

In recent decades, the global community has faced significant challenges in preserving cultural heritage. It is important to acknowledge the need for enhanced global governance and international collaboration to address this issue. Organizations such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe have prioritized cultural heritage in advancing peace, security, and human rights. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that the challenges faced by numerous conflict and post-conflict regions have highlighted the limitations of existing international and local frameworks designed to safeguard heritage. Such frameworks encompass a range of mechanisms, including policies, jurisdiction, and international law. The importance of implementing stronger protection measures, particularly at the national level, is highlighted due to the widening of risks to cultural heritage beyond conventional threats such as armed conflict, cultural erasure, and natural disasters. These risks now encompass the growing impacts of climate change. In 2020, Armenia faced a new challenge with the Azerbaijani-Nagorno-Kharabakh war in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The military events resulted in many settlements in the Republic of Armenia becoming border areas, which affected civil infrastructure and cultural assets, including cultural institutions and museums. This presentation will discuss the state mechanisms and toolkit to overcome the crisis in the field of culture, such as trainings, new policy, and perspectives that have been implemented by the state. I’ll discuss the private mechanisms as well, such as the influence of international organizations (ICOM, UNESCO, the U.S. Embassy, etc.). The aim was to improve the management of heritage during times of crisis, with a particular focus on museum collections. The presentation discusses the challenges faced by Armenia in managing museum crises, highlights the progress made in addressing these challenges, and suggests collaborative strategies for local communities and international institutions to manage heritage effectively during crisis situations. It is important to discuss the current structure of heritage protection from an academic perspective and outline future perspectives for a more comprehensive system.

Closing remarks by Les Borsay and Jason Heberlein.

Les Borsay

Emergency Planning Specialist, The J. Paul Getty Trust

Jason Heberlein

Director of Security, The Broad

Shuttle Pickup Time and Location 

Time: 6:45 a.m.

Pickup Location: The Luxe Hotel

Name badges needed to board the shuttle bus. 

If you miss the shuttle, you will need to find your own way to the venue. 

**If you are not staying at either the Luxe or the Hotel Angeleno, it is recommended that you take a ride share to the Luxe to join the 6:45 a.m. departure  At the end of the day, the buses will return everyone back to the Luxe.

Parking 

If you are local and will be driving yourself, please contact Les Borsay (lborsay@getty.edu ) directly so that parking reservations at The Broad can be made for you.

Parking is available under The Broad. Enter on 2nd St. between Hope St. and Grand Ave. Rates are $17 for 3 hours with museum validation, $5 for each additional 15 minutes, with a $27 daily maximum. There is a $17 flat rate after 5 p.m. on weeknights and all day on weekends. Lost parking tickets will result in a full charge of the $27 daily maximum. Bike parking is free and located on the P1 level. The garage opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 10:30 p.m. Additional parking is available at other adjacent garages and lots around Grand Ave. The Broad does not provide validation for any other parking garages or lots. 

Public Transportation 

The closest Metro line stop is located at the Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill Station — cross the bridge over Hope St. for direct access to the museum through the East West Bank Plaza. The closest Metro bus stations are 1st & Grand and Grand/3rd. The Metro Red Line stop closest to The Broad is the Civic Center/Grand Park Station. 

For the safety and protection of our staff, visitors, and artworks, the following items may not be brought on-site: 

• • Weapons, including guns and ammunition. 
  • Alcoholic beverages. 
  • Illegal items. 
  • Paint and chemicals, including pepper spray. 
  • Cutting tools, including knives and scissors. 
  • Tools and tool parts. 
  • Recreational equipment, including skates, skateboards, and kick scooters. 

Free Wi–Fi is available.  

Suggested Lunch Itinerary  

Walk from The Broad to the Angels Flight Railway, the world’s smallest rail. Tickets are $1USD and will drop you off across the street from Grand Central Market, where you can enjoy a variety of lunch options.  

Google Map Directions 

Tip: Conference organizers recommend getting tacos from Villa’s Tacos in Grand Central Market!  

Angels Flight Railway 

350 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90071

Affectionately nicknamed “the world’s shortest railway,” Angels Flight in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles is a well-known, century-old funicular that over the last 118 years has become somewhat of a celebrity (in true Angeleno fashion). It’s been featured in hundreds of movies and dozens of books, including “La La Land,” and Michael Connelly’s book “Angels Flight.” 

Even though the ride only lasts one minute, it’s still one of the most fun things to do in downtown LA with friends and kids of any age. Riding one of its two trolleys (named Sinai and Olive) is the fastest way to travel between beloved Grand Central Market, which sits at the bottom, 298 feet up to the Water Court shopping mall between Hill and Olive Streets (while avoiding the alternative, which is dozens of steep stairs) for just $1. 

Grand Central Market 

317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013 

A vibrant food hall that features a diverse array of vendors offering everything from fresh produce and gourmet groceries to international cuisine and artisanal snacks. It’s a great spot to explore local flavors, enjoy casual dining, and experience the city’s culinary culture. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, there’s something for everyone.  

Closer and quicker option: 

Cal Marketplace: 300 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90071  

Across the street from The Broad, Cal Marketplace has grab-and-go lunch spots with charming outdoor seating.