IFCPP's 27th Annual Conference

The International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection's 27th Annual Conference, Seminar & Exhibits will be hosted by the National World War II Museum and The Historic New Orleans Collection, April 18-22, 2026!

The Foundation's 2026 conference will be held at the Higgins Hotel & Conference Center Curio Collection by Hilton, with additional programming at the National World War II Museum and other New Orleans cultural icons.

This not-to-be missed in-person gathering will include all-new conference sessions presented by industry leaders and local experts,  security manager and director certification and re-certification, pre-conference emergency planning field trips and workshops, excursions to several world-renowned cultural institutions, group meals, industry exhibits, out-of-the-classroom educational and networking events at host institutions, and our traditional lineup of outstanding presenters, timely topics, and networking activities.

ReadyWhen Foundations in Event and Emergency Operations
Pre-Conference intensive for cultural venue professionals preparing for climate and disaster impacts

Museums, libraries, historic sites, and other cultural venues operate sophisticated systems for managing people, resources, and facilities—capabilities that become critical community assets during disasters. This conference, IFCPP and Majestic Collaborations are partnering to present a tactical bootcamp to earn the ReadyWhen Foundations Certificate in Event and Emergency Operations, which translates in-demand cultural properties expertise—crowd management, logistics under pressure, resource coordination, and safety planning—into frameworks cultural institutions can use to enhance both daily operations and disaster preparedness.
 
The classroom component of the certification will be taught in a full-day pre-conference on Sunday, April 19. Learn practical strategies for assessing your facility's resilience capacity, coordinating with emergency management partners, and positioning your institution as a community resource during crisis—unlocking new funding streams through disaster planning and emergency readiness grants. Whether you're improving safety protocols for public programs, documenting institutional capacity for funders, or exploring positioning your venue as a community resilience hub, this training builds transferable skills in logistics, accessible design, stakeholder coordination, and adaptive planning.
 
Come a day early to take part in an Immersive Intensive at French Quarter Festival on Saturday April 18th! Experience operations firsthand through a 3-4 hour guided tour of the festival infrastructure, featuring interviews with professionals and interactive learning activities. See how large-scale event systems function in real-time. This session fulfills the practicum requirement of the ReadyWhen Foundations Certificate in Event and Emergency Operations.

FULL CONFERENCE MEMBER REGISTRATION:

Only $695 for active members! Includes all conference sessions, certification courses, lunch and dinner, host excursions, and networking activities!!! A ton of bang for your buck! 

REGISTER HERE FOR CONFERENCE & DISCOUNTED LODGING!

*Active membership required for full conference registration - please make sure that your membership is up to date. For new members, any membership category (including our Free Trial Membership) provides full access to registration discounts

CERTIFICATION ONLY REGISTRATION:

Register for CIPM or CIPE cultural property security manager or director certification courses only (Wednesday, April 22) for the low price of $395 (including lunch).

REGISTER HERE FOR THE FULL-DAY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM ONLY (select "Certification Courses Only")

COMPANION/SPOUSE REGISTRATION:

Spouses and companions can join pre-conference, afternoon, and evening excursions, tours, and dinners for the low cost of $75-150 per activity.

REGISTER HERE FOR COMPANION PARTICIPATION (select "Companion Registration")

DISCOUNTED LODGING:

Only $259/night plus tax at the Higgins Hotel New Orleans (Hilton Curio Collection) when booked through IFCPP

REGISTER HERE FOR CONFERENCE & DISCOUNTED LODGING!

Conference & discounted lodging registration deadline: March 31, 2026

Payment by Visa, MC, AMEX, or electronic invoice (check / purchase order)

Note: IFCPP conference costs are closely tied to contractual obligations for meetings and lodging. Registration fees are calculated based on these commitments, so all conference participants are required to utilize established conference hotel arrangements to take advantage of published registration rates. A $350 registration supplement will be assessed for registrants that select lodging outside of the IFCPP discounted group room block. IFCPP has negotiated the best available rates to keep conference fees at a minimum. All discounted rooms must be reserved through IFCPP directly (as part of the online conference registration process). Please contact us if we can answer any questions about lodging arrangements.      

Exhibitors & Sponsors: Please contact us for an application and list of opportunities

ON-SITE EXHIBITORS REGISTER HERE!

CONFERENCE CODE OF CONDUCT:

All conference materials and presentations should be considered proprietary, confidential, and copyrighted.

Promotion of commercial ventures or related activity without advance approval (excluding the purchase of an approved exhibit or sponsorship) is prohibited.

Conference participants shall adhere to IFCPP's professional code of conduct. Conduct unbecoming of a cultural property protection professional shall be grounds from expulsion from the event. 

For additional information, please see IFCPP's Terms & Conditions and Disclaimer.

Looking Back:

2025 Annual Conference 

The International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection's 26th Annual Conference, Seminar & Exhibits was hosted by Yale University in New Haven, CT, May 3-8, 2025!

The Foundation's 2025 conference was held at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, with additional programming at several Yale University cultural institutions and other entities. 

This not-to-be missed in-person gathering included all-new conference sessions presented by industry leaders,  pre-conference networking opportunities, pre-conference workshops, excursions to several world-renowned cultural institutions, group meals, industry exhibits, out-of-the-classroom educational and networking events at host institutions, and our traditional lineup of outstanding presenters, timely topics, and networking activities.

LIBRARY PROTECTION TRACK:

Our special full-day of library protection sessions on Thursday, May 8!  Included all Thursday sessions, meals, and Beinecke Library tours and reception.

Thanks very much to Yale University Cultural Properties and Department of Public Safety for an outstanding conference!

2024 Annual Conference 

The IFCPP conference team is pleased to report that our 25th Annual Conference was a resounding success! The 2024 conference took place in Chicago, IL from June 15-19, hosted by the Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute of Chicago, and Field Museum of Natural History. We would like to thank all of our members that were able to attended in person, as well as those that joined us online. We are also grateful to our conference hosts, exhibitors, sponsors, and outstanding presenters for their generous contribution to a very special gathering.

Thanks very much to all of our Chicago hosts for another outstanding conference!