When we planned our session sponsored by the Corporate History interest group last fall, we were deeply affected by the news of the Target archives closure.
We began to think about ways that we could support our colleagues at other companies and organizations where the Archives or Museum supports a larger organization.
Our session on Thursday morning (9/18, 8:30 am) will showcase two distinct case studies:
Pat Grande of Zippo will spotlight her company’s successful public programs – including mentions on the Travel Channel’s “Made in America” series. Zippo features the destination tour m model alongside their manufacturing processes, with an additional company museum located on their property. This is a growing trend for companies to include tours or visitors centers on their property – something which had been more associated with bakeries, brewers and candy companies.
Bruce Kitt of the Northwest History Center will speak on what happens when the company closes – but the collection remains. When NorthWest Airlines ceased its core operations – many of its retirees took it upon themselves to keep up the collection of archival quality materials in the hopes of finding an appropriate way to display the items in the future. Find out what happened next.
We look forward to sharing these and other ideas about staying visible and vital within a larger organization at our session this week!
We also invite you to “Tie It Together” later on Thursday Evening at 5:45-6:45pm at the American Burger Bar (www.americanburger.com) in St. Paul.
Don’t forget to wear your best company related tie or worst tie for bragging rights!
