Tami Wendt
After returning from Toronto, I was asked if it was smoky there. Yes, yes, it was. It could have been from the wildfires, or it could have been from the IABC World Conference. It was, as my daughter might say, fire. Nearly a thousand communicators from around the globe gathered for two and half days of networking and highly relevant professional development sessions. The IABC spirit was alive and well in that hotel in downtown Toronto.
Through interactive sessions, meals, and evening activities, I met people from all over the world; several of whom I’ve since connected with on LinkedIn. (And to my new friends in Barbados, perhaps I might visit you next February when Minnesota’s lakes are, once again, frozen over?)
In my role on the PPR board, I serve as a chapter advocate for three chapters. I meet with their leaders by video call every month, but that doesn’t hold a candle to having the opportunity to meet them face to face and share a meal. (Elizabeth, Andrea, and Jill, it was such a treat to share the conference experience and a few beverages with you.)
The topic of many conversations related to the pending changes to IABC’s structure. Members of the International Executive Board (IEB) were present and approachable on the topic. They were clear on the fact that the organization must evolve to survive. They reiterated that we’ll work together to shape an association that not only supports the ever-changing role of communicators, but one that is also financially viable.
The meat of the conference were the sessions. The plenary sessions offered nuggets of wisdom and ideas for communicators of every experience level. And the variety of breakout sessions had me wishing, on several occasions, that I could be in two places at once. As a seasoned communicator, all too often, professional development sessions can seem a bit basic. But, here, there was content for even those of who’ve been around the block a few times.
I was grateful for the opportunity to attend, to be elbow-to-elbow with my tribe, to find re-assurance in my own approach to being a communicator, and to open my mind to new approaches. Yeah, I guess I would say that the World Conference was indeed “fire.”
More information about the IABC World Conference.