ICOM SEE AS A PARTNER DISSEMINATED PROJECT RESULTS ON MUSEUM REPUTATION AS A LEADERSHIP TOOL AT THE MEETING IN LJUBLJANA

On December 2, 2025, the Regional Alliance of the International Council of Museums for South-East Europe (ICOM SEE) successfully held a dissemination session on the outcomes of the project “Museum Reputation as a Leadership Tool”. The session took place in the conference room of the Slovenian Banking Museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, gathering museum professionals and representatives from member countries across the South-East Europe region. The dissemination event was the last activity in the project supported by the ICOM Special Project Grant and co-financed by several partners.

The event marked a key moment in sharing the project’s final publication and its strategic insights into how museums can use reputation and branding as leadership tools in today’s rapidly changing global context. The presentation of the book and its key thematic sections was led by Goranka Horjan, project leader and respected advocate for inclusive and future-oriented museum practices. The publication, which formed the core of the dissemination session, put the focus on the key premises from the training programme led by INTERCOM during the 2025.  These include  the concept of reputation building and branding with purpose, It outlines how reputation in the museum field is no longer merely about visibility, but rather about trust, care, and connection thus becoming a strategic leadership tool. The publication presents a comprehensive framework to reposition branding from marketing to mission. The printed postcards which were also delivered at the event were distributed among the representatives of different countries for further dissemination.

The session emphasized the importance of cross-institutional collaboration and shared learning across borders. As Goranka Horjan underlined in her presentation, “Reputation is not an isolated achievement. It is co-created—by institutions, communities, and networks.”  All project partners encourage all ICOM members and regional partners to integrate the publication’s insights into their strategic planning and to use reputation-building as a foundation for stronger, more inclusive museum leadership. ICOM SEE also acknowledged the long-standing cooperation with INTERCOM during the chairmanship of Goranka Horjan and she received the ICOM SEE Special Recognition for her achievements in drafting and leading ICOM projects.