Bookings are now open for the Museums Association Conference & Exhibition 2012, an essential event in the museums and heritage calendar and one of the biggest networking opportunities for museum professionals in Europe.

The conference runs on Thursday 8 November and Friday 9 November at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. An early-bird discount is available for everyone who books before 30 August.

Delegates can choose from an exciting range of seminars, debates and networking sessions, with this year’s themes focused on social justice, national identity and Museums 2020, the MA’s ongoing campaign to create a bold vision for the future impact of museums.

Scottish culture secretary Fiona Hyslop will deliver the opening keynote address, discussing the progress of the Scottish national strategy for museums.

The National Museum of Scotland is an Asia-Europe Museum Network member.

Other keynote speakers confirmed so far include human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, who will outline the role museums can play in promoting social justice, and Martin Roth, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Download the new Edinburgh 2012 conference brochure (PDF, 900KB) to find out more.