The world's museum intelligentsia is centered on Houston as more than 5,000 curators and museum professionals from 50 nations descend upon the Bayou City for the American Association of Museums' annual conference. The confab, Sunday through Wednesday, brings the brightest minds from museums around the world to exchange ideas and expertise, showcase museum programs and address the future needs and trends in museums.

The hand behind this cultural coup belongs to the late Museum of Fine Arts, Houston director, Peter Marzio. "Houston of course is a great cultural city with great museums of art, science, history and zoos, aquariums and public art," says AAM director Ford Bell. "But it was the way that Marzio really took charge that informed our decision."

Four years ago, an AAM selection committee analyzed U.S. cities, and approached Houston professionals to make a proposal. That Houston could easily accommodate upwards of 6,000 museum professionals, and that the Bayou City had never hosted the convention made it a prime candidate.

Predictions that America's future will be decided in Houston coincided with the AAM 2011 conference theme, "The Museum of Tomorrow." Explains Bell,

To prepare for the conference, an elite Local Host Committee was cherry-picked from the Houston museum community and its patrons. Leading the pack is Menil trustee Courtney Sarofim as host committee chair.

"Peter asked me more than a year ago to serve as his civilian chair," she recounts to CultureMap, "but I haven't cared about my title all along. I'm just flattered that Peter wanted me to be involved."

Sarofim explains that the most rewarding aspect of the process has been witnessing the prolific local museum community in its pursuit of engaging AAM programming. Over the past year, she met with the litany of local committees to strategize myriad collaborations, from the Art Car Parade to a revolutionary community service initiative at the nascent Museum of African American Culture. The Art Car Parade was moved from its customary early May date to kick off the conference Sunday.

Among the 160-plus conference sessions will be a seminar on philanthropic giving conducted by Sarofim.

Despite Marzio's critical role in landing and planning the conference, he didn't apply an agenda to the entire event's realization. "He would do the very elegant, lovely, gracious thing he always does, and stop back into the shadows to let all of our institutions shine," says Sarofim. "If Peter were here to attend the conference, I think he'd be beaming with pride as he shows all of his colleagues around the country what we've built in Houston."

When Gwen Goffe assumed the role of interim museum director, she also found herself serving as the AAM meeting's general chair.

"We already had a great team working on the meeting, including Willard Holmes, the museum's education director, Victoria Ramirez and our local facilitator, Monica Rhodes," Goffe says. She agrees with Sarofim's sentiment that Marzio would be incredibly proud to witness Houston as it hosts the convention. "Peter had such a clear vision, and it gave us the impetus to do the best we could," she says.

While art museum professionals converse year-round about sharing ideas and exhibitions, Goffe is anticipating seeing all of her colleagues in the same location. She says she's excited to showcase the MFAH's projects and entertaining guests, and especially to watch the Art Car Parade alongside fellow museum professionals from around the world.

A tangible tribute to Marzio's mission of community engagement, the museum conference is opening its doors to the public for the very first time in the event's 106-year lifespan. The public session track launches on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. with "Committed to Collections" at the George R. Brown Convention Center. That talk will offer an insider's view on how museums build, organize and care for objects, with expert insight from AAM director of meetings and professional development, Dean Phelus, and curator Michele White of the Menil Collection.

Curious how your family fits into the museum scene? At the MFAH from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, a panel will engage in the seminar, "Why Museums Matter: An Open Discussion for Parents and Caregivers." Back at the GRB, representatives from the Contemporary Arts Museums Houston, Houston Endowment Inc. and Houston Arts Alliance will debate "Governance Best Practices for the Museum of Tomorrow" at 4:15. A brown bag session will be held at the convention center on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. on the topic, "Museums Need You: Partnering to Enhance and Enliven Our Community." Learn more about the public session track here.