Close to 1,000 history professionals are headed to Motor City in the upcoming days to learn from each other in order to improve their organizations and the field of state and local history.

Associations:  American Association for State and Local History and Michigan Museums Association

Conference: AASLH/MMA Annual Meeting

Venue: Cobo Center

City: Detroit

Following a day of workshops on Wednesday, the 2016 AASLH/MMA Annual Meeting kicks off with its evening event, “Distinctly Detroit: A Night at the Detroit Historical Museum.” Attendees will experience the destination’s rich cultural history with a Motor-City-themed party that includes Motown music and local foods. Also worth highlighting:

Got issues? New this year are Current Issues Forums, two-hour spaces reserved for key questions the industry should be addressing. Before the meeting, AASLH opened a call for topics and participants. Organizers—who proposed the topics—got the discussion going via email and conference call several weeks before the conference. When the group gathers in Detroit, participants will carry the topics forward to a culminating point that the organizers can then share widely with the field.

Motor City mayhem. Battledecks 2016 is an after-hours event where the best and brightest in the museum field will compete head to head. Ten contestants will give a four-minute presentation on 10 Power Point slides they have never seen before. Topics will range from relevant to silly, and contestants will be judged on their adherence to the theme, creativity, and delivery.

Living legend. Mary Wilson, a member of world-famous female vocal group The Supremes, is one of the meeting’s featured speakers. She’ll share her own story and her message about how hard work can make goals achievable and help dreams come true.

The usual social spaces—Facebook and Twitter (#AASLHMMA2016)—have more conference details.