We’re excited to share insights from the recent EMA Conference and Award Ceremony held on September 27, 2025, in Budapest, Hungary.
The focus of our presentation, led by Elia Vlachou, René Capovin, and Henrik Zipsane, was on “The Transformative Nature of Cultural Heritage” (TransforMEANS Theory). Our audience included 15 dedicated museum professionals representing nominees for the Luigi Micheletti Award (history storytelling), the DASA Award (education), and the Art Museum Award (social engagement)—a truly engaged group from across Europe.
Key Observations and Highlights
The two sessions—spanning nearly 90 minutes with a coffee break in between—were marked by a lively and productive atmosphere. The level of engagement was notably high, exceeding the already good levels we’ve seen in previous presentations, suggesting the topic deeply resonates with the field.
Here’s what stood out:
- Impact Measurement is Key: Participant engagement significantly grew when we presented tools and methods for measuring visitor impact. Interest peaked when we moved into preliminary interpretations of those measurement results. This clearly shows a strong appetite within the museum community for quantifiable evidence of their work.
- Personal and Powerful Reflections: A highlight was the number of personal reflections shared about participants’ first remembered museum experiences, prompting rich discussion on why these moments stick and their potential long-term impacts.
- Embracing the Ethical Debate: The post-coffee session featured a vivid discussion on the ethical and political implications of refining museum impact. While participants generally embraced the search for better defining visitor impact, a few challenges were highlighted:
- Resilience vs. Empathy: Participants found it potentially challenging to target impact toward resilience, suggesting that fostering empathy might be a more “natural” and “easier” goal for museums to pursue.
- Methodological Concerns: Concerns were raised regarding measurement methods needing to fully account for the vast differences in visitor preconditions (socioeconomic status, education, age, gender, etc.) and the complexities of capturing long-lasting effects of a museum visit.
Overall, the session in Budapest reinforced that the museum community is eager to explore, measure, and debate the profound impact cultural heritage has on individuals and society. It was a privilege to engage with such a thoughtful and passionate group of professionals!
