Ten years on, and the IAASF is continuing to flourish. Our latest conference was held in September 2026 at Redworth Hall Hotel in County Durham and featured some fantastic speakers and exhibitors!

The very first IAASF Conference was held ten years ago at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and we continue to bring together speakers, exhibitors, and delegates from around the world for what has been described as the premier cultural protection conference!

In September 2026, the IAASF Conference returned to the 17th-century Jacobean Hall at the Redworth Hall Hotel in County Durham, which provided a beautiful and appropriate setting for our conference dedicated to the protection of art, heritage, and cultural venues.

We would like to thank all of the speakers, exhibitors and delegates who were able to join us for this year's conference. Your contributions helped to make the conference a success and generated valuable discussion around the protection of cultural heritage in times of economic uncertainty.

Background

Conflict, political uncertainty, rising prices, and budget cuts all contribute to global economic uncertainty, highlighted by the ongoing situation in the Middle East. Where there is economic uncertainty, there are often increases in adversarial threats, which can take the form of organised crime, looting, and opportunistic theft from museums and other cultural venues. There are also social impacts that can result in increased staff redundancies, a lack of funding for cultural venues, and inadequate maintenance of buildings and infrastructure.

As with other sectors, the best way to protect assets from adversarial, social, or natural threats is to understand them and how they impact an organisation’s operation and continued functionality. Once the threat is understood, risk reduction strategies can be developed that are sensible, proportionate, and cost-effective. These risk reduction strategies can include enhanced operational effectiveness, increased use of technology, or improved emergency planning.

The IAASF continues to bring together experts from around the world who are passionately involved in the protection of art and cultural heritage. The conference is an excellent opportunity to learn, network with peers, and share global experiences about different approaches that can be adopted to proactively protect assets for future generations.

This conference will focus on existing threats and those considered most relevant for the future, and will enable delegates to understand how these threats can impact their organisation and the steps that everybody can take to reduce the risks that exist.