To
conference or not to conference,
that is the question
By Bonni
Graham, Region 8 Director-Sponsor
To volunteer
to help
with the conference,
contact Kathryn Munn at kathrynmunn@attbi.com
or Bonni Graham at bgraham@manuallabour.com.
Many of you
have e-mailed me asking when the 2002 Region 8 Conference will be, enough
so that I figured a column spent on it would not be inappropriate.
The best
answer I can give you is: I don't know.
We have most
of a committee ready to work on implementing a conference vision. We have
a volunteer coordinator, Kathryn Munn, who knows what additional talent
we need and is ready to organize and manage it. We have interested attendees.
What we don't
have is a conference manager. What we don't have is a location or a theme
(things, usually at least, decided on by a manager).
The original
manager had to step down for personal reasons. I applaud this person for
that decision; recognizing when is a good time to step down is a mark
of maturity and is difficult to do. However, it leaves us without a leader.
In an ironic twist on the old saw, we have too many Indians and not enough
chiefs.
The original
location returned an unacceptable contract. I applaud the hospitality
committee for rejecting this contract—it was the responsible choice.
I think a
conference is still possible. Not in November, of course, our traditional
time frame. But a conference in late winter or early spring can be done.
We have a startup budget, thanks to the exemplary work performed by De
Murr, the conference manager for 2001's highly successful Guerilla Conference.
We have equipment, also from this conference, that can be carried forward.
We have a Web address (thanks to Jeff Randolph for renewing that) to publicize
it.
We need a
conference manager with a vision of theme and the willingness to see it
through. It is not something you have to do alone. We also have an advisory
committee consisting of the top conference management talent from past
years. There has never been a better opportunity for someone to step forward
and try running a conference. We have never been better prepared.
But it's
up to you. The conference is a grass-roots effort. It is not a requirement
imposed from the top; it is not an event that "someone else"
will start. If you want a conference, someone will have to step forward
and manage it.
Will it hurt
the conference to skip a year? Not at all; we have before and we can again.
However, I would love to see us continue this effective educational experience.
Attendees routinely praise the knowledge and connections they acquire
at the regional conference. (And who, in this economy, can turn down connections?).
And I can tell you from extensive personal experience that you get far
more out of a conference you work on.
If you're interested in volunteering to help with the conference at any level, contact Kathryn Munn at kathrynmunn@attbi.com or myself at bgraham@manuallabour.com. We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have and get you set up to move forward on the safest management opportunity you'll ever have!
