LIVE AT THE SAA 2014: What are you enjoying about this year's conference?

The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) is the largest organization of professional archaeologists of the Americas in the world. The Society was founded in 1934 and today has over 7000 members. Its annual conferences have been running every year since 1935 and is a major event in an archaeologist’s calendar.

This year’s meeting is in Austin, Texas and we’ve been asking delegates what they are most looking forward to and why they love the SAA 2014!

“I'm interested in historical archaeology, especially of the Caribbean. SAA is such a great opportunity to see people. It's a gigantic conference so it's impossible to do everything.” - Todd Ahlman, Historical Research Association

“I'm looking forward to a session on Conflict, Archaeology and the Press. It's a really under-discussed area and the session will cover areas like Egypt and the Arab Spring, and various battles - it's going to be a varied and interesting session. Interacting with the media can be risky, archaeologists don't have control over how their comments are conveyed. We had a module on the press when I did my degree at Newcastle but that's pretty unusual.” - Suzie Thomas, University of Helsinki

“The Defining Spatial Archaeometry session is one I'm really looking forward to - I'll pick up new techniques and ideas regarding modelling. I've been coming to SAA for about 20 years now and it's just fantastic for interacting with professionals, meeting old friends and developing collaborations. It recharges the inspiration batteries!” - Tad Britt, National Center for Preservation Technology

“The session Stewardship, Public Education, And Preservation: Promoting The

Value of Archaeological Collections and Research is perfect for me as I work in this field. There's also a great poster session on interactive interpretative technologies which is going to be really interesting. This is my 2nd SAA and I'm impressed with how much is going on. There's more historic archaeology too this year which is great!” - Tristan Harrenstein, Florida Public Archaeology Network

“I'm looking forward to Saturday's session, Subsistence and Landscape Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is about climate change in the Holocene. I'm based on the United States island territory of Guam. The west Pacific will be affected by climate change over the next 50 years with changing sea levels - it's quite scary for a lot of people. There's lots of debate in this area. Many islands will become uninhabitable. I'm very interested in doing climate change research in this region.” - John Peterson, University of Guam

And what are we looking forward to the most?…..probably a very large Gin & Tonic! J

Read all of the SAA session abstracts here

NEW EVENT: 2014 American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo on The Innovation Edge

18–21 May, Seattle, USA

Innovation is a defining quality of our time. Creating the new, reimagining the old, adapting the present to changing needs have become the goals of the best and the brightest among us. To go from the seed of an idea to universally adopted reality seems to take mere weeks—reading books on our phones, wearing a computer, printing three-dimensional objects in our own homes.

So how can museums engage, support and sustain innovation in their communities? Can they serve as engines of innovation?

Hosted by the American Alliance of Museums, the 2014 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Seattle aims to explore how museums can gain that Innovation Edge by showcasing the best and most innovative models in education, conservation, exhibitions, audience engagement and development.

MuseumExpo highlights

• The show floor will be an interactive extension of more than 150 educational sessions and events. More than 300 exhibitors will display and demonstrate cost- and time-saving solutions and cutting-edge technologies for the museum community and exhibit the latest in technology, exhibit design, lighting, security and countless other innovations critical to the museum field.
• Big idea sessions: Leading and up-and-coming voices from outside the museum field will share innovations, experiences and insights with museum professionals. Speakers this year include: Erik Larson, the award winning and New York Times bestselling author of Thunderstruck, Isaac’s Storm, Lethal Passage and The Naked Consumer; David Fleming, the Director of National Museums Liverpool (NML) and former President and current Vice President of the UK Museums Association; and Denis Hayes, Time magazines “Hero of the Planet,” former Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Professor of engineering and human ecology at Stanford University.
• Marketplace of ideas: An open-air forum in which museum professionals have the opportunity to participate in informal discussions and exchange ideas on timely issues brought to you by the Professional Networks.
• "The Un-Conference Room": This on-site "pop-up" room facilitates ten, 75-minute meetings on any subject of the speakers choosing and is promoted it to attendees via social media. 

For further information, please visit the Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo website