Description

You organize conferences - or you are going to. You spend considerable time scheduling speakers and managing logistics. You want people to come, have a good experience, and feel connected to your organization. The problem is: How do you know you made a difference? How do you make sure that the people who attend your conference are able to do their work differently because they invested time and money in your event? How do you use your conference to move the needle on some important issues facing your organization or sector?

Join Nancy Bacon as she walks through the four elements of conference design:

• Strategy and overall approach
• Pre-conference activities
• The big day: Deliver a day that makes a difference
• Make it stick: Post-conference activities

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe how a conference can fit into your organization’s strategy
• Name several ways that you can get attendees ready to learn before the conference begins
• Support your speakers to deliver excellent workshops
• Describe how to build in opportunities for networking and reflection
• Explain ways to “boost” learning after the conference

Nancy will share practical advice based on implementing and advising on conferences big and small. She will show you how to use tools honed through past conferences. She will leave you ready to deliver a valuable conference for the people you serve.

Offered by our partner, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

About the Presenter

Nancy Bacon is a teacher, instructional designer, consultant, and speaker on topics at the intersection of learning and nonprofits. She created Washington Nonprofits’ learning program in 2013, the third learning program she designed over the course of her career. A former ESL and middle school teacher, Nancy has done nearly every job within a nonprofit: Executive Director, program director, board chair, strategic planning chair, and volunteer. Nancy regular writes and speaks about topics related to nonprofits and learning. In 2019, she co-authored with Mark Nilles the e-book Conferences That Make a Difference. Learn more at www.nancybacon.com. Nancy also co-hosts the Nonprofit Radio Show with Sarah Brooks and JoAnn Crabtree. The Nonprofit Radio Show offers bite-size, practical information to help nonprofits thrive. Based in Washington State, the Radio Show celebrates the small nonprofits that serve our diverse communities.