Conference Events
Join us throughout the conference at evening events held at local museums, botanic gardens, and planetariums! Make sure to register for all appropriate events as early as March 5. Check out our Schedule at a Glance.
Welcome to Raleigh: VSA Silver Anniversary Celebration
Wednesday, July 25 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
$45
Join VSA and the North Carolina Museum of Art as we kick off the celebration of 25 years of VSA conferences. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served in the foyer, with live music as entertainment. The event will also feature a “silver anniversary” cake for dessert and lighthearted “remember when” memories of conferences past. Museum docents will be available to take guests on tours of the superb collection, which includes more than 5,000 years of artwork. You will see Renaissance, 19th century, Egyptian, African, ancient American, and contemporary artwork, as well as the largest repository of Auguste Rodin’s work in the American South, the museum continues to actively build upon its collections. The 164-acre Museum Park is home to more than a dozen monumental works of art, with artists actively involved in the integration of art into the Park’s natural systems and the restoration of its landscape.
Pre-registration is required. Evening includes entertainment, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and dessert. Event ticket also includes transportation from the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel.
Event hosted and sponsored by NC Museum of Art.
Celebrate North Carolina’s Past, Present and Future with a Traveling Reception
Thursday, July 26 6:15 – 9:15 p.m.
$45
Begin the evening by exploring more than 14,000 years of North Carolina history, from the state’s earliest inhabitants through the 20th century, at the North Carolina Museum of History. The major exhibition The Story of North Carolina features fascinating artifacts, multimedia presentations, and an interactive format for all ages. Enjoy appetizers and beverages while Revolutionary War and Civil War period actors regale with tales of North Carolina’s past and then escort guests across the Bicentennial Plaza to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
You’ll then enjoy a second course of traditional NC BBQ at the largest natural history museum of its kind in the Southeast. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features an array of exhibits that encourage visitors to explore the natural world and their connections to it. From there, the reception will move across the street for dessert at the Museum’s brand new, 80,000-square-foot wing, the Nature Research Center. With state-of-the-art laboratories, interactive exhibits and high-tech, dynamic presentation spaces, the Nature Research Center demystifies science and helps visitors understand the practical applications of science research in their daily lives.
Evening includes appetizers, dinner, drinks, dessert, and entertainment.
Event hosted and sponsored by NC Museum of History and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.
Annual Membership General Meeting
Friday, July 27, 8:30 – 9 a.m.
Free
VSA’s Board of Directors invites all members and all interested in learning more about VSA to our Annual General Members Meeting.
Pre-registration is not required for this event.
16th Annual April Award Luncheon
Friday, July 27, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
$45
The April Award Luncheon celebrates the history, evolution, and eminence of visitor studies, as practitioners come together to welcome and honor an outstanding new professional to the field. This award was generously established by Dr. Marilyn Hood to honor the memory of her longtime research assistant, April Lahm. The tradition continues today, with an April Award recipient selected each spring and introduced at the annual luncheon. Dr. Steve Bitgood will be presenting at this year's April Award lunch. Dr. Bitgood has been to all 25 VSA conferences and is well positioned to take luncheon attendees on a journey through time with "A Tribute to the Mothers and Fathers of Visitor Studies."
Membership Committee's Happy Hour
Friday, July 27, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Free
VSA’s Membership Committee invites new attendees and all members for a happy hour! This is an informal way to meet and chat with other members and VSA leaders, to learn about VSA committees and how you might get more involved, and to see some nearby bars and local watering holes.
Pre-registration is not required for this event. Drinks are not included. Visit the registration desk for happy hour locations.
Hollywood in North Carolina!
Friday, July 27, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
$45
Stars are out in Downtown Raleigh for this reception at Marbles Kids Museum, which inspires imagination, discovery, and learning through extraordinary adventures in play and larger-than-life IMAX experiences. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages outside under the stars while learning about North Carolina’s bustling movie and TV industry. You will also enjoy a backstage tour of the Wells Fargo IMAX Theatre at Marbles, which features the newest state-of-the-art IMAX 3D projection system, enhanced audio with 24,000 watts of heart-pumping sound, and a higher brilliance 70-foot wide giant screen.
As an additional option to extend your evening, guests will have the opportunity to purchase a ticket to see the highly-anticipated next chapter in the Batman film series, The Dark Knight Rises, in North Carolina’s only Giant Screen certified IMAX 3D Theatre. The showing begins at 7:30.
Evening includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music. Movie screening is an additional cost and can be purchased on-site at the event for those interested.
Event hosted and sponsored by Marbles Kids Museum.
Closing Luncheon
Saturday, July 28, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Free
Join colleagues and a panel of discussants for a final conversation and commentary, reflecting on the past 25 years of VSA, the content of the 2012 conference, and visions for the next 25 years of the Visitor Studies Association.