In today’s competitive world, museums want to differentiate themselves from other similar institutions. So, what makes a museum stand out? This will be the topic of the next workshop organised by the ICOM International Training Centre for Museum Studies (ICOM-ITC): "Promoting your Museum: Make it relevant and attractive". It will take place in Fuzhou, China, between 14 and 22 November 2018.

After tackling community engagement, the social role of museums and ethics in the April workshop, the 11^th edition of ICOM-ITC will explore the relevance and attractiveness of museums through three aspects: museum branding, trends in marketing, and public relations to reach new audiences.

The training will include lectures by international and Chinese experts, group work and discussions, visits to local museums, and a full-day excursion to cultural heritage sites around Fuzhou. Accepted applicants might also be chosen to attend the 2018 International Forum of Young Museum Professionals, which will be held from 23 to 26 November in Fuzhou.

By providing inclusive and participatory training programmes for museum professionals, ICOM-ITC is intended to “promote research and exchange among museums at an international level and develop the museum expertise of professionals from developing countries, especially those from the Asia-Pacific region,” where the museum sector is growing rapidly and there is a high demand for museum professionals.

ICOM-ITC, housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China, is a collaboration between ICOM, ICOM China and the Palace Museum. The operation and management of the centre is conducted by the Palace Museum. The ICOM-ITC training workshops are intended primarily for ICOM members from emerging countries and countries of the Asian Pacific region.

Grants

ICOM, ICOM China and the Palace Museum award two types of grants:

• The full grant covers an economy-class air ticket, accommodation and local hospitality for the participant for the duration of the training workshop. Applicants residing in countries belonging to categories 2, 3 and 4, as defined in the ICOM membership grid, are given priority for this type of grant.
• The partial grant covers accommodation and local hospitality for the participant for the duration of the training workshop. Applicants residing in countries belonging to category 1, as defined in the ICOM membership grid, will be considered for partial grants.

Registration and further information

Applications to attend the ICOM-ITC workshop "Promoting your Museum: Make it relevant and attractive" in Fuzhou  should be submitted by 22 July 2018. For additional information and registration, please visit http://icom.museum/activities/training/icom-international-training-centre-for-museum-studies/