People attracted to arts and culture can develop just as much of a silo mentality as those in technical or professional fields.

That's why Wendy Bury, executive director of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition, said she is so excited to bring together a celebration of the local arts, culture and heritage scenes at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.

The "Thrive" conference, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 6, is expected to attract hundreds of people working in the so-called creative economy. It's the first gathering of creative professionals in what Bury hopes will become an annual event.

"Our job is to break all these silos up," Bury said. "Our future work is to start to integrate them with each other ... it's time for artists to cross-pollinate to create one large creative sector."

The event features keynote speaker Daniel Meiser, owner of the Oyster Club and Engine Room restaurants in Mystic, who was just named Connecticut Restaurateur of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association.

"There is great synergy between arts and culture and restaurants, part of the 'dinner and a show' connection," Bury said in explaining the choice of keynote speaker.

Other guest speakers will include Dee Schneidman, research manager of the New England Foundation for the Arts; Kristina Newman-Scott, the state's director of culture, and Preston Whiteway, executive director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, which just won the prestigious National Medal of the Arts for enriching the culture scene nationwide.

"We will bring in the same room creative, innovative people who don't normally have the opportunity to connect," Bury said.

Some of the topics to be explored during the half-day event will include the local collaboration among 17 small historic house museums and how the arts can be used to promote equity, diversity and inclusion.

Tickets are $40 for organizations registered with the cultural coalition and $50 for others. The coalition currently numbers 460 members.

The Pequot Museum's chef Sherry Pocknett will offer a buffet lunch as Native American music wafts through the gathering.

"We have the run of the museum for the day," Bury said, since it closes for the season the day before.

Other speakers include Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; Bob Ross, executive director of the Connecticut Office of Military Affairs, and Jennifer O'Brien, program director of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.

Breakout sessions include "Artful Access," with presenters Dan Topalis and Elanah Sherman talking about making art accessible to all; "Submarine Century," with Groton City Mayor Marian Galbraith addressing this year's celebration and collaborations, and "Writer's Block Ink," with organization founder Clarissa Beyah-Taylor discussing how students create original productions to explore important social topics.

In addition, Stephanie Lantiere and Joanie DiMartino will be discussing the Historic House Museums Collaborative, which brought 17 small historic house museums together in a cooperative marketing initiative. And Guido Garaycochea and Jose Garaycochea-Ulloa of Expressiones in New London will be discussing how their art gallery helps build multicultural bridges through art and education.

Jason Mancini, director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, will offer another breakout session about his attempts to transform the way indigenous peoples are being portrayed as well as reviewing some of the issues the museum has faced as it looks toward the future. The museum, which opened in 1998 and closed for the first time during the winter months of 2014, has more than 300,000 square feet of space.

For more information about the conference, visit www.CultureSECT.org.

l.howard@theday.com