| | CONFERENCE EVENTS In addition to the multitude of sessions, MCN is also about experiencing the vitality of our community, mingling with peers, networking and having fun. MCN holds daily events, most of which are complimentary and included in your registration fees (unless otherwise noted). We strongly encourage you to attend.
Welcome Reception with Ignite MCN Wednesday, November 20
6:30 - 9 PM (7 - 8 PM IGNITE MCN)
LOCATION: VIRGIN MOBILE CORONA THEATRE Generously sponsored by Exablox.  Join us at the Welcome Reception and kick off MCN 2013 in grand style with Ignite MCN at the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre. Built in the heart of Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood in 1912 during the silent movie era, the theatre is the only one of its kind to have survived almost unchanged inside and out. As a modern-day creative centre for the performing arts, what better venue than this to host the collective creativity of MCN. Ignite MCN will showcase a series of five-minute, rapid-fire talks from eight of the most provocative thinkers in the museum field. Ignite MCN has become one of the not-to-be-missed events at MCN, so arrive early, grab a beer, and cheer your fellow museum-ers on! Koven J. Smith, Host
Speakers this year include: - Dana Allen-Greil, Educational Technologist, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- Douglas Hegley, Director of Technology, Minneapolis Institute of Arts
- Emily Lytle-Painter, Educational Technologist, J. Paul Getty Museum
- Luis Marcelo Mendes, Communications Consultant for Museums, Fundação Roberto Marinho
- Tim Svenonius, Producer, Interpretive Media, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Don Undeen, Manager, Media Lab, Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Chad Weinard, Manager of New Media, North Carolina Museum of Art
- Simone Wicha, Director, Blanton Museum of Art
Buses will begin departing at 6 PM from the entrance of the Hotel.
Off-Site Reception with Silent Auction Thursday, November 21
6 - 8:30 PM
LOCATION: MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS Generously sponsored by Selago Design.  Soak up the nighttime city views from the museum’s vast Glass Court, enjoy the company of old friends and new, and bid on some original artworks by local artists in the Annual Silent Auction to support the MCN Scholarship Fund. With one of the highest attendance rates among Canadian museums, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ encyclopedic collection and temporary exhibitions feature fine arts, music, film, fashion, and design. A major expansion led to the 2011 opening of the museum’s fourth pavilion, which features Quebec and Canadian art and a concert hall; a fifth pavilion devoted to the Old Masters will open by 2017. Buses will begin departing at 5:30 PM from the entrance of the Hotel.
A Byte of Lunch Friday, November 22
12 - 1:00 PM Calling all Special Interest Groups (known as SIGs) members to join us for A Byte of Lunch! All SIG members and the newly curious--are welcome to our second annual luncheon. Each SIG will have a table for free-flowing discussion, and table-hopping will enable you to join the conversation with more than one just one SIG. Topics covered by the SIGs are digital media, information technology, intellectual property, and DAMS, just to name a few. There are also Regional SIGs for California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northeast. The Special Interest Groups (SIGs) play a vital role in extending communications and idea-sharing throughout the year. Come join us and give comments, suggestions or ask for advice... and have some fun with your colleagues! You can register and pay the $20 lunch fee with your conference registration, or onsite at the conference registration desk. MCN is underwriting 40% of the cost to lower your expense. This should be a fun event, so don't miss it!
Exhibit Hall Reception Friday, November 22
5:00 - 6:30PM Generously sponsored by Gallery Systems.
Join us in the Exhibit hall to spend the last evening of the conference visiting and networking with friends and colleagues, and gathering intel on the latest in software innovations and offerings from our museum vendor community. Enjoy a drink - and updates from the MCN Board of Directors.
MCN Karaoke Night Out Friday, November 22
10PM onwards
Lolita Resto Bar-Lounge
96 Sherbrooke Rue W Generously sponsored by Johns Hopkins University.  A $5 minimum suggested donation will be asked at the door to benefit the MCN Scholarship Fund. Have you found your voice yet? If the conference sessions have left you speechless, join us for MCN Karaoke Night Out benefiting the MCN Scholarship Fund and let your voice be heard at this fun night out.
TOURS Three behind-the-scenes tours are scheduled for Wednesday, November 20. Take the opportunity to meet other MCN delegates and explore what's going on at some of Montreal’s most creative and engaging cultural & scientific spaces. Tour times vary and registration fees vary, please see individual tours for details.
You will be prompted to select the tour(s) you wish to attend when you register for the conference.
Highlights of the Largest Natural Sciences Museum Complex in Canada: The Biodome and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium Biodome: 4777, avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, Montréal, Quebec, H1V 1B3 (514) 868-3000
Planetarium: 4801, avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, Montréal, Quebec, H1V 3V4 (514) 868-3000
Wednesday 20 November
11:15-5 pm (including travel time)   
Start your tour by exploring on your own the Biodome’s five ecosystems of the Americas: The Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Labrador Coast and Sub-Antarctic Islands. Experience the faithful and complex way in which the natural environment is represented, and how the animal and plant species interact. Join the Biodome’s director, Rachel Léger, for a special behind-the-scenes look at some of the many fascinating aspects of the Biodome’s work, including the sophisticated seawater filtration systems, the veterinary clinic and the animal kitchen. Make your way over to the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium (opened April 2013) where its director, Pierre Lacombe, will introduce a completely fresh and innovative approach to astronomy. Marvel at the building’s bold design, incorporating the strictest sustainable development criteria, and the use of cutting-edge technology to create a unique experience of the universe. Round out your visit with time in the permanent exhibition Exo: Our Search for Life in the Universe and two shows - the immersive and whimsical Continuum and the more scientific From the Earth to the Stars.
A tour itinerary and transportation information will be included in your registration package.
TOUR LIMIT: 20 people
COST: $ 30 (including transportation by metro)
A Feast for the Senses: Mile End and Moment Factory 6250 Hutchison #200A, Montréal, Quebec, H2V 4C5 (514) 843-8433
Wednesday 20 November
12:30-5:00 pm (including travel time)  Start the afternoon with a stroll on your own through the Mile End district, once home of Montreal indie rock band, Arcade Fire. Experience the visual art and café/resto scene this bohemian neighbourhood is known for, and sample world-famous Montreal bagels and Genevieve Grandbois chocolates. Then, in the neighbouring Outremont district, join two senior Moment Factory staff for a presentation and tour of this dynamic, multifunctional new media and entertainment studio. Since 2001, the team of more than 110 talented individuals has developed, designed and produced more than 300 groundbreaking - often interactive - events, shows and installations around the world for such clients as Cirque du Soleil, Disney, Nine Inch Nails, Céline Dion, Microsoft, Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles and Pointe-à-Callière Museum, and Madonna. Visit the cutting edge industrial studios devoted to technology, content creation, scenography and production, where video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects are combined to create remarkable experiences. In the black box test lab, you may even have the chance to see a live demo of a current project.
A tour itinerary and transportation information will be included in your registration package.
TOUR LIMIT: 50 people
COST: $ 25 (including transportation)
Flex Your Body and Your Mind: ARTCORPS and TOHU/CESM ARTCORPS: 2500 Jarry Street East, Montreal, Quebec H1Z 2C4 (514) 419-0958
TOHU/CESM: 2345, Jarry Street East, Montreal, Quebec H1Z 4P3 (888) 376-TOHU (8648)
Wednesday 20 November
12:30-5:30pm (including travel time)
Spend a stimulating afternoon in the heart of Montreal’s Cité des Arts du Cirque, an international capital of circus arts and a benchmark for sustainable development through culture. To kick things off, put yourself in the hands of the trained circus professionals at ARTCORPS for active fun and challenge. In an exciting 2-hour workshop, learn the basics of juggling, acrobatics, aerials and pyramids using the ball, baton, ring, Chinese plate, diabolo (spinning top & string), fabric, hoop, trampoline - and your own body. Then head down the street for a guided tour. At the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex (SMEC), learn about its transformation from quarry to landfill site to future urban park - and the technologies used in its rehabilitation. At la TOHU, see the only circular performance hall of its kind in North America, and the prime circus venue for performance, creativity and experimentation. View the different green elements and environmental design of la TOHU - including hybrid ventilation, green roofs, and recycled and reused materials - and take in the Jacob and William collection on the history of circus arts. A tour itinerary and transportation information will be included in your registration package.
PLEASE NOTE: Wear or bring workout clothing.
TOUR LIMIT: 30 people
COST: $ 65 (including transportation) | |
