brief
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference is a triennial gathering of museum professionals and cultural leaders from around the world, providing a critical platform for the sector to reflect on its evolving role across societies.
The landmark 27th edition was hosted in Dubai, marking the first time the conference took place in the MEASA region since its founding in 1946. Under the theme The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities, ICOM Dubai 2025 examined how museums respond to accelerating technological, cultural, environmental, and demographic shifts shaping contemporary life.
Building on the intellectual groundwork established through the 2024 ICOM Symposium, Alserkal Advisory was engaged to develop a thematic structure capable of anchoring three days of dialogue and to craft an interdisciplinary programme in close collaboration with the conference’s organising committee.
RESPONSE
The foundation for effective dialogue
Drawing from the conference’s guiding principles—Intangible Heritage, Youth Power, and New Technologies—Alserkal Advisory distilled these priorities into a set of interrelated sub-themes that structured the programme across each day of the conference. Framed through the pillars of Preserve, Adapt, and Catalyse, the thematic architecture responded directly to key inflection points facing the museum sector today.
This structure allowed participants to engage with complex questions from multiple disciplinary perspectives while maintaining a coherent narrative throughout the conference.
Day 1 — Preserve
The opening day centred on how museums determine what to safeguard amid competing cultural, political, technological, and ecological pressures. Discussions explored the stewardship of heritage, institutional responsibility, and the evolving notion of cultural truth in environments marked by constant change.
Day 2 — Adapt
The second day focused on how museums reflect and adapt in response to shifting societal values, cultural norms, and demographic change. Conversations examined future-proofing strategies, evolving leadership models, and new approaches to storytelling grounded in shared authorship, community engagement, and multi-species perspectives.
Day 3 — Catalyse
The closing day turned toward possibility and transformation, exploring how museums can actively shape futures rather than simply respond to change. Dialogues addressed the role of museums in post-conflict recovery, cultural continuity, and social cohesion, alongside discussions on redefining institutional purpose beyond inherited frameworks.
A multi-layered programme
To bring the programme to life, Alserkal Advisory researched and curated a roster of more than 150 international speakers, including government representatives, researchers, practitioners, and artists. Speaker selection was guided by core areas of expertise, ensuring a balance of perspectives and continuity across sessions.
Our curatorial approach prioritised diversity across gender and geographies while foregrounding representation and platforming stories from the Global South.
In response to the diversity of audiences and the spatial conditions of Dubai World Trade Centre, the programme employed a range of formats designed to support different modes of exchange. Alongside plenary sessions and panels, the programme introduced dedicated mentorship sessions, masterclasses, and networking formats, creating opportunities for more intimate and impactful engagement between speakers and participants.
Global orchestration
Supporting a programme of this scale required precise operational coordination. Alserkal Advisory managed the full logistics and movement of all speakers across the three-day agenda, working closely with participants to choreograph transitions and ensure smooth delivery throughout. A core component was the management of several VVIPs and their protocol teams to move in sync with each other. By dedicating liaisons for protocol teams, we ensured the experience for both speakers and guests exceeded expectations.
This detailed orchestration enabled seamless session flows, facilitated cross-committee interaction, and ensured intellectual exchange remained at the forefront of the experience.
For more details on the entire roster of speakers and sessions that took place, visit ICOM Dubai 2025.
