Our triennial conferences play a major part in delivering our strategic objective to support excellence through building knowledge, high standards and valuing the profession.
Belfast was selected as the location for Icon’s 2019 Triennial Conference. It was anticipated the choice of Belfast would provide a basis for the organisation to engage with local member networks and reach out to those who might not have interacted with Icon before, from resident conservators, to local institutions, to local government bodies and beyond.
A key ambition was to provide a lasting foundation for local conservators to better engage with one another locally, and to benefit from continued national and international outlets to highlight their activities. These ambitions were realised when, as a direct legacy of the conference, a group of local Icon members founded the Icon Northern Ireland Network to sustain the momentum generated by the event, which welcomed conservators from all over the globe to the region for an extensive programme of conference tours, evening events and of course session papers.
The Network is now active in the delivery of events programmes, CPD and other networking initiatives in the region; supporting best practice, sharing ideas and working to foster Icon’s strategic goals more broadly. Their presence with a dedicated section on Icon’s website and profile across Icon’s events programme and publication outlets attests to the higher international profile consolidated by Belfast conservators as a direct legacy of Icon’s 2019 Triennial Conference, and the spotlight this brought upon the region.
International outreach
The choice of Belfast was designed in part to position Icon as an outward-looking, nationally and internationally engaged organisation, embracing regional diversity in major events programmes and harnessing opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
These ambitions grew markedly as the results of the Call for Papers became clear, and it was recognised that a substantial constituency of conservators in climes abroad were interested in attending the event; more than 30% of submissions came from countries outside the United Kingdom. Ultimately, 21% of delegates came from outside the UK and there was substantial international engagement from those farther afield across Icon’s social media platforms.
Underscoring this, Icon was awarded a grant from the Getty Foundation to bring twelve conservators from emerging economies the UK for a programme that took in both the conference and an extensive range CPD activities. Directly supporting our strategic objective to develop knowledge and high standards worldwide, the twelve Getty-funded delegates formed a new professional network that has endured via their WhatsApp group.
Delegates reported these international emphases had a transformative impact on their perception of Icon. ‘I think Icon has the potential of being a major player in the conservation world, both nationally and (as a result of this conference) internationally. This is a feeling I had not experienced before.’
Engaging the broader sector
More broadly, discussion after the event positioned Icon as the fulcrum in any drive to achieve an upward trend for the sector. ‘[There is a] need to communicate the relevance of our profession and to work closely with Icon and other organisations in doing so,’ reported one delegate. ‘We all must realise that we are Icon,’ reported another. ‘We need to ensure that members of our profession are LEADING cultural institutions.’
Accessibility will be an important consideration as we aspire to ensuring that our events are open to as many of our members as possible. With recent improvements in digital technologies we feel confident that we can build on this success and as we begin to plan our next conference. A working group will now examine conference feedback and learning points and chart the way forward for Icon’s next conference, scheduled for 2022.
