This is a web page version of our monthly email with links for more information. (Typically updated the beginning of each month). Check the overall schedule for a current list of this year’s meetings and benchmarking program milestones.
This Month’s Shared Practice Meeting
Shared Practice Meeting (One-hour Zoom call)
August 26, 2025:12:00 pm EDT / 9:00 am PDT / 5:00 pm CET
This month’s shared practice meeting will be on a topic we have not discussed recently: Grounds and Outdoor Spaces at Cultural Facilities
Some museums have historic gardens, some have huge estates, and others just simple courtyards. Some of these are open to the public while others may be restricted to visitors, but they all have plants and weather issues. This presents different challenges for the management of these spaces than the buildings and inside spaces. This month let’s share issues and lessons learned on how we manage the special concerns and measures needed to manage the outdoor spaces associated with our cultural facilities.
Please take just a few minutes to provide your input on our shared practice survey on this topic. (If you have not done these before, they are short multiple choice or fill-in questions that we assemble and share with all who participate. Upon completion of the survey you will go right to the meeting registration page.)
Just register for the Shared Practice Meeting
Other Meetings of Interest
2025 Annual Benchmarking Workshop
September 7, 2025 (the day prior to the annual IAMFA conference as usual)
This year’s meeting will be hosted by the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
We will have limited space this year so please register by August 26 if you are interested in attending the Annual Benchmarking Workshop. Benchmarking participants have priority if they register by August 13 and then we will take registrations on a first come basis until full. There is no fee to attend this year. You can see the draft agenda and register here
IAMFA Online
https://www.iamfa.org/iamfa-online
IFMA Museum/Cultural Institutions Council
https://mcic.ifma.org/events/
Working Towards a Museum ENERGY STAR Rating
New Buildings Institute (NBI) and Environment & Culture Partners (ECP) have developed a data collection survey to support the development of a Museum Score for EnergyStar Portfolio Manager (ESPM).
While we have all heard that this program is at risk, ECP has been in touch with EPA regarding the future of ESPM. We do not believe that the tool will be eliminated, but it may be moved from the EPA to DOE or be reinstated by a nonprofit organization. Whatever the case, a score for museums that is scientifically collected, and developed in alignment with other sectors’ scoring approaches, is important for future benchmarking and compliance.
This survey is intended to gather data and information for EPA analysis that could lead to an ENERGY STAR Score (1-100) for museums and other cultural institutions
If you do energy star benchmarking or IAMFA benchmarking you should have the information needed for this survey. The survey asks for 2024 calendar year energy-use data for all fuels (e.g., annual total for electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, etc.), along with operational data. Please participate in this survey to help use gain a museum rating: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MuseumScore
Other Updates and Activities
Special thanks to Brendan Robinson of Glenstone for sharing Lessons Learned from an Energy AI System Pilot at our July shared practice meeting. A recording of this presentation will be posted in the near future.
The draft reporting for the 2025 Cultural Facilities Benchmarking Program is now available. If you have already entered your data, you can check it now. If your organization is not benchmarking yet, you cans still enroll online or contact us with questions if interested.
Steering Committee Meetings are discontinued for 2025
While we have had these general discussions about the benchmarking program, we now offer 1:1 support calls and will use this time slot for those and general training. Suggestions for benchmarking data/metrics, reporting requests, and ideas for the annual workshop are still welcome! (submit them here)
Additional Support
We provide additional support services on data systems, data integration/assembly, using metrics, special studies and strategic facility planning. Contact us if you would like a no-sales chat about your situation.
Other News & Announcements
- Did You Miss a Shared Practice Meeting in 2024? Some were recorded and are available in the articles section of our website: https://facilityissues.com/articles/ along with other resources we provide.
- I am exploring alternative options and additional support related to the facility benchmarking program. If there are any potential changes or services that you would like to see, please contact me.
- 1:1 calls available with any benchmarking participant and anyone interested in the program. Schedule now if you wish to discuss your results, challenges with any issues, or just to chat about your situation.
- If you are interested in the Second International Climate Control Conference coordinated by Ki Futures, the recording is available
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