A casual summer gathering for museum, nonprofit, arts, and creative professionals to connect, unwind, and build community.

☀️ EMP Summer Picnic & Creative Social

Join Emerging Museum Professionals (EMP) for a relaxed summer evening at Mission Bay Park.

Whether you’re a museum professional, nonprofit leader, educator, artist, designer, communicator, student, or simply someone who loves San Diego’s cultural community, we invite you to bring a blanket, grab a spot on the grass, and connect with fellow creatives and changemakers.

This casual gathering is designed to foster community, conversation, and new connections outside of traditional networking spaces. Expect a laid-back evening of mingling, light refreshments, creative activities, and a few fun surprises.

Location: An exact location pin at Mission Bay Park will be sent out to registered attendees before the event.

What to Expect:
🌿 Sunset networking by the bay
🧺 Picnic-style gathering
🎨 Creative activity station
🥤 Light refreshments and snacks
🤝 Meet fellow museum, nonprofit, arts, and cultural professionals

What to Bring:
• Picnic blanket or beach chair
• Water bottle
• A friend or colleague (optional but encouraged!)
• Your curiosity and community spirit

EMP is committed to creating welcoming spaces where emerging professionals can build relationships, exchange ideas, and strengthen connections across San Diego’s cultural sector.

We can’t wait to spend a summer evening with you.

Location details and event logistics will be shared with registered attendees prior to the event.

Our Purpose

• We strive to bring together San Diego’s Emerging Museum Professionals (SDEMP) community for networking and professional development opportunities.
• We facilitate career growth and advancement through networking, workshops, and events.
• We provide a platform for EMPs to communicate with and learn from one another.
• We create a strong EMP presence in the County of San Diego through partnerships with local and national museum and cultural professional organizations.
• We create a network within our local arts, science, and culture community to benefit the career growth of our members.

Membership

All it takes to become a member is joining our newsletter. If you’re on the list, you’re in!

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Benefits include:

• Professional networking events at fun local venues
• Behind the scenes tours of popular museum exhibitions
• Special gatherings with in-depth conversations about museum trends
• Invitations to engaging panel discussions with museum leaders
• Discounts on registrations for professional development seminars
• An opportunity to serve on the San Diego EMP Board

Stay Connected

Follow us on Instagram @sandiegoemp + connect with us on LinkedIn