Thank you NAMES 2018 Participants, Trainers, Speakers, and Exhibitors!

NAMES 2018 was hosted by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) Planetarium Science Center (PSC), Wednesday to Friday, 24-26 October 2018, in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of NAMES 1st Conference and GAM, NAMES 2008, which was also organized by the PSC at the BA, home of NAMES Secretariat Office (SO). NAMES 2018 welcomed more than 100 participants from 20 countries, including 58 session speakers, and 12 Exhibitors.

The opening ceremony featured a documentary highlighting NAMES history and achievements throughout the previous 12 years. The three-day conference included panel discussions and interactive workshops that shed light on the various aspects of work in science centers and museums from all angles, functions, and contexts, to be contemporary to where the world is now while we create, connect, and commit. NAMES 2018 also featured keynote speeches by Dr. Islam Hussein, Egyptian-American Virologist and Science Communicator, and Dr. Graham Walker, Academic Program Coordinator at the Australian National University, and Science Show Performer and Consultant.

Moreover, for the first time, NAMES 2018 was preceded by 2 Pre-conference Workshops that focused on capacity building in specific areas critical to the growth of science centers and museums. One workshop focused on exhibits development and the other was about streamlining content and strategy to attract visitors and stay relevant. Special thanks goes to Interactive Exhibitions and TalentS|KCA for providing content and training through the two pre-conference workshops.