MUTEC 2022 – Shaping the Museums and Cultural Institutions of the Future
How can museums and other cultural institutions adapt to become more attractive to visit? Which measures can be applied to improve services and internal processes? And how can institutions best protect their collections and exhibits? MUTEC, the international trade fair for museum and exhibition technology from 24 to 26 November in Leipzig, offers answers to these and many more questions. Exhibitors from home and abroad will be presenting their innovations and the conference programme invites you to visit compelling lectures, seminars and workshops on current topics. New this year are the exhibitor areas stage technology and equipment, museum merchandise and accessibility.
The exhibition at MUTEC covers all branches of museum and exhibition technology. The spectrum ranges from innovations in buildings and technology as well as impressive ways of designing exhibitions, to new methods of using media to present content and exhibits. MUTEC also offers a wide range of information on the topics of visitor services and the management of collections and cultural institutions. Furthermore, services and products specially designed for archives, depots and libraries also play a significant role. Well-known companies that have already registered include Ahlborn Mess- und Regelungstechnik, Beckerbillett, Combase, Erco Leuchten, Frank Europe, Giant Monkey, heddier electronic, HOLOCO, ibs tecnomara, KLUG-CONSERVATION, LIGHTEQUIP, MBA Design & Display Produkt, Robotron Datenbank-Software, shoutr labs, Schnick-Schnack-Systems and VST.
As an international trade fair, MUTEC also welcomes many exhibitors from abroad, who will be presenting their products and services to a professional audience. Overall, companies from nine different countries have registered. Examples of these include AlfaVision from Belgium, Ljusdesign Gobo & Highlight A/S from Denmark, Miedzynarodowe Centrum Budownictwa from Poland, Flyvision from Hungary and De Haan IT from the Netherlands. As in 2018, France is also strongly represented this year with companies including SPX-Lighting, Arenametrix and Ask Mona. Likewise, several companies from Austria have already registered such as Axess, die Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft and Thermo Lignum International.
New Exhibition Areas: Stage Technology and Equipment, Museum Merchandise and Accessibility
This year, three new exhibition categories will be celebrating their premiere at MUTEC together. One of these is stage technology and equipment. In collaboration with the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin (BHT), this category will be aimed mainly at visitor target groups from theatre and stage. Additionally, technology for theatre and events such as lighting or media equipment is also becoming ever more important in museums to make them more attractive to visit. A themed module organised by Prof Thomas Sakschewski from BHT will be included in the MUTEC Forum to accompany this new exhibition area.
A second new area at MUTEC is that of museum merchandise. Here, trade visitors will find companies offering products and content on all aspects of museum shops. These include producers and traders of replicas, souvenirs and gift items as well as suppliers of museum shops and manufacturers of furniture, displays and shop installations. Exhibitors will include BIC Graphic, Fridolin, L.M. Kartenvertrieb and Nature Planet.
Fortunately, accessibility has become increasingly important over the last few years, especially in museums. However, there is still great potential here and companies are continually developing new innovations to improve the quality of inclusion for those affected. At MUTEC, trade visitors can find out about some of these. There will be a collective "Accessibility" stand with yomma as well as Laville Braille from Paris offering solutions on all aspects of inclusion, sign language, accessible routing systems and tactile products. Tactile Studio and Empreinte Beschilderung are two additional exhibitors at MUTEC offering innovations on the topic of accessibility.
The Latest from the Experts: Themed Modules at the MUTEC Forum
The MUTEC Forum will be bringing together current and exciting topics from the world of cultural organisations in five themed modules. Alongside the themed module "Event Technology" mentioned above, further topics in focus will be "Safety", "Change of Perspective", "Conservation" and "Light".
The themed module on "Safety" is scheduled for the first day of the trade fair and entitled "Designing Safe Events at Museums". High-profile guests will take part in a panel discussion led by Dr Alke Dohrmann from SiLK – SicherheitsLeitfaden Kulturgut. In the afternoon, VerA – Verband für Ausstellungsgestaltung e.V. will be organising the programme item "Change of Perspective" with a focus on "Participation at Exhibitions".
The question of "Cultural memory loss: neglected – destroyed – salvageable?" will be at the centre of the themed module on "Conservation" on Friday. This event is hosted by ICOM Deutschland e. V., who is supporting MUTEC this year as an official partner. The themed module entitled "Light" will take place on the last day at MUTEC and is about "Optimum Light in Museums and at Exhibitions". Markus Helle is chief editor at HIGHLIGHT magazine and will be moderating a panel discussion on the wide range of ways to use LED lighting.
Correct Depot Planning: Courses by Prevart With Dr Joachim Huber
The company Prevart deals with various facets of museum work which take place behind the scenes. With extensive experience in conservation/restoration, planning, museum work, inventory, project management and training, the company is dedicated to sustainable, long-term developments in the field of cultural heritage conservation. During MUTEC 2022, experienced depot planner Dr Joachim Huber will be holding two courses. The first course is dedicated to defining quantity structures for depot and storage technology planning in museums. In the second course, visitors will learn about the role of users in depot planning.
Seminars: Holistic Sustainability in the Museum Industry and Fundraising
Sustainability is one of the most important issues of our time. But how can a four-dimensional, holistic approach to sustainability be applied in museums? This question will be addressed in a seminar at MUTEC. The seminar will be held by Prof Dr Oliver Rump, a researcher in the fields of museum studies and museum management at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW).
In addition, there will be a fundraising seminar entitled "Don't be shy! – Donations to culture and monuments". Many museums are overcautious in their approach to fundraising and crowdfunding. However, well-designed fundraising campaigns can have huge potential, not only for generating financial means but also for creating a stronger emotional connection to visitors. Matthias Daberstiel, the publisher of Fundraising Magazine, will be examining such campaigns in his talk at MUTEC 2022.
Workshop: Preventive Conservation Supported by Modern Security Technology
What contribution can modern security technology make in supporting preventive conservation? This question will be examined during a two-hour workshop at MUTEC 2022. Museum consultant Matthias Farke and security expert Clemens Hedder will lead workshop participants in exploring how the two fields can be combined.
denkmal and MUTEC: Unique Combination of Trade Fairs Under One Roof
denkmal, the leading European trade fair for the conservation, restoration and renovation of old buildings, traditionally takes place under the same roof as MUTEC. denkmal combines a lively exhibition with a multi-faceted conference programme, rightly considered to be the most comprehensive further education event in the entire industry. It furthermore acts as a cross-sectoral and transnational networking event for participants and political stakeholders. Together, denkmal and MUTEC form a trade fair network that is unique in Europe, building a bridge between the various sectors and inspiring interdisciplinary dialogue around the preservation of cultural heritage.
