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Oregon Heritage Conference

2024 Oregon Heritage Conference:
Make Space.
April 17-20, Forest Grove

Join us for the first in person conference since 2018!

The conference is a time for people who share a common passion for Oregon’s heritage and history to come together to share insights, understand connections, develop relationships, learn new ways, reinforce the value of the work and leave energized to keep moving forward.

With all of the demands on people including information overload, home life, work tasks and all the things…the conference will be a place to Make Space. The way to move Oregon heritage work forward is to Make Space: clear the clutter, set priorities, build relationships, and plan for the time it takes.

Call for Proposals is now open!

Sponsorship Opportunities Available



​Submission Deadline: Sept. 5, 11:59pm

With all of the demands on people including information overload, home life, work tasks and all the things…the conference will be a place to Make Space.

This is one of the best ways achieve the statewide Oregon Heritage Plan goals:
1.    Include more voices
2.    Increase access to heritage
3.    Promote the value of heritage
4.    Pursue best practices

The way to move Oregon heritage work forward is to Make Space: clear the clutter, set priorities, build relationships, and plan for the time it takes.

Join us by contributing to the conference content! Submit proposals that address the theme Make Space. Conference proposals related to this theme might include:

Make Space...
…literally!
….for different perspectives and new approaches
…for the time processes take
… for meaningful partners  
…for the basics: board roles, processes, procedures, succession planning, strategic planning, disaster planning
…for health and wellness of staff, volunteers, and partners
…for advocacy & promotion
…untold stories
…good examples and case studies!

Oregon Heritage invites creative proposals! Panels and lectures are welcome, as well as facilitated conversations, debates, practical training, roundtables, meet-ups, or other suggestions.

Conference sessions must be formatted in the following ways:

  • 45 Minute Session
  • 75 Minute Session
  • Half-Day Workshop (3-4 hrs)
  • Full-Day Workshop (6-8 hrs)
  • Tours
  • Poster – share your info or project on a poster to show at the conference.
  • Ideas – Don’t feel you have a full session, but you have something to share, submit it!  We may be able to combine submissions.

Please submit your proposal here, have the following information ready:

  1. the organizer’s name, organization (if applicable), and contact information
  2. a session title (or topic if not a session idea)
  3. select the session format
  4. select session style (workshop, lecture, roundtable, discussion, panel, meet-ups, etc.)
  5. a description of the session proposal and how it relates to the theme in 75 words or less.
  6. information on any additional presenters
  7. any additional details


The Oregon Heritage Conference brings together people who love and work with Oregon's heritage. Designed to be interdisciplinary and cross-pollenating, the conference focuses on all sectors of cultural heritage, such as historic preservation, museums, archives, libraries, Main Streets, historic cemeteries, archaeology, Tribes, genealogy, public history, and local, state, federal government.

The deadline for proposal submissions is September 5, 2023. Applicants will be notified of decisions by October 2, 2023.

Contact Kuri Gill with any questions or accessibility needs, including translation. Kuri.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-383-6787

Submit your proposal here!


​Coming soon.

Three days of workshops, sessions, virtual tours, inspiring speakers, networking opportunities (SO MANY networking opportunities), celebration of heritage work, and more. Submit ideas to Kuri Gill, 503-986-0685, Kuri.gill@oprd.oregon.gov.

Preliminary schedule of events still being determined! Join the weekly heritage news listserv for conference updates.

Coming soon.

Join the weekly heritage news listserv for conference announcements. If you'd like to join our listserv to receive a postcard notifying you when registration opens, send your name and address to katie.henry@oprd.oregon.gov.

​Join friends and colleagues for the annual Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards! Awards will be presented to individuals, organizations, and projects that have made the most of their available resources to contribute to preserving Oregon's heritage.

Nominations will open winter 2023!