As the Museum Store Association prepares for the 2026 MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo, the association has removed the registration fee for individual institution members to further support museums amid challenging financial times. By removing conference registration fees, MSA says it hopes more institutional members will be able to attend to connect and learn valuable business insights and merchandise strategies they can take back to their organizations.
MSA anticipates hundreds of retail leaders to attend the 2026 MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo, happening in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums Conference & Expo May 19-22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The show will feature over 220 vendors offering mission-aligned products in the expo hall. Show organizers add that attendees can find newer vendors in the Fair-Trade Commission Pavilion and NextGen Pavilion.
The event will also include two keynote addresses: Julie Steiner of the Barnes Foundation will present how museum stores can apply data, and Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor, will share how museum stores can better reach their retail goals. Other expert-led breakout sessions will dive into topics such as visual merchandising, branding, staffing and AI.
MSA FORWARD attendees will also have opportunities to expand their reach by engaging with American Alliance of Museums attendees and exhibitors as well as by attending networking events and local museum tours.
Registration for 2026 MSA FORWARD can be accessed here and is free to MSA members. To become an MSA member, visit https://museumstoreassociation.org/.
