Director-Sponsor Column September 2002

To Conference or Not to Conference, That is the Question
Bonni Graham, Region 8 Director-Sponsor

Many of you have emailed 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 due to 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 timeframe. 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, 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 grassroots effort. It is not a requirement imposed from the top, it is not an event that "someone else" will start up. 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 or myself. 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!