AIMAC honours François Colbert’s career with an award in his name
May 15, 2025
The International Association of Arts and Cultural Management (AIMAC) has announced the creation of the François Colbert Award in honour of his outstanding career in the field of arts management.
Professor François Colbert from HEC Montréal’s Department of Marketing founded this association in 1991. Its main activity is to organize a biennial research conference on cultural management, whose next edition will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2026.
Since its modest beginnings – 60 participants from 14 countries – the AIMAC conference has established itself as a leading platform for exchange that currently brings together several hundred specialists from around thirty countries. It has now become a must-attend event for anyone interested in arts management.
As François Colbert steps down as co-chair of the organization after 34 years of commitment, AIMAC highlights his unique contributions in developing the field of cultural management.
“I am very proud of how far we have come since the conference was founded. And this symbolic recognition confirms the worldwide interest in a field that has been close to my heart for over 40 years. I will continue to follow AIMAC’s progress with interest.”
François Colbert has been a professor at HEC Montréal for over 50 years and has established himself as a pioneer in arts management. This visionary is behind the creation of numerous symposia and conferences and also the launch of the International Journal of Arts Management, which is regarded as a global reference for the arts management community. He holds several chairs dedicated to arts management and is passionate about theatre, dance and music. François Colbert has also been a member of the Order of Canada since 2002.
International Association of Arts and Cultural Management (AIMAC)