2016 in Review

03 January 2017

Happy New Year! Since January is a good time to reflect, we’ve taken a look back at all the things we achieved together last year. We had an incredible year at the International Association of Facilitators, and wanted to share with you some of the highlights:

The year in figures

  • 52 events around the world

  • We are now 40 chapters strong in more than 65 countries. In 2016, we’ve welcomed new chapters in Belgium, Finland, Iran, Lithuania, British Colombia and Rwanda.

  • 89 facilitators achieved their certification

  • 21 awards were given out at the 2016 IAF Facilitation Impact Awards. 

  • 1,680 IAF members - a record high!

2016 IAF Facilitation Impact Awards

This internationally renowned awards ceremony recognises excellence in facilitation and its positive, measurable impact on organizations around the world. In 2016, we gave out 3 platinum awards, 5 gold awards, and 13 silver awards, totalling an incredible 21 awards. See all recipients.

New Facilitators Marketplace

The marketplace makes you more visible than ever to potential clients looking for a facilitator. It’s easy to post an opportunity via a simple form, which is posted in the IAF Members Only section and emailed to you directly.

International Facilitation Week 2016

Through numerous online and face-to-face activities, we highlighted the power of facilitation and celebrated the community of facilitators and their groups worldwide. We added four people to the Hall of Fame (Nel Mostert, Carol Sherriff, Dorothy Strachan and Michael Wilkinson), and also celebrated IAF Jamaica’s 5th Anniversary! More about International Facilitation Week.

5 Regional IAF Conferences

  1. The Festival of Facilitation at the IAF 2016 North America and Caribbean Conference focused on three themes: Releasing Creativity, Generating Positive Energy, and Nurturing Group Synergy.

  2. Pushing Boundaries at the IAF Oceania Conference focused on how you can use facilitation, obtain insights from others, and build your network. In case you missed it, you can watch our video of key takeaways from the conference.

  3. From Mountain to Sea at the IAF Taiwan Conference took inspiration from the mountains, the valleys and the sea to discover how we can support each other to build strong communities and networks to move forward.

  4. The Urge for Facilitative Leadership in the Netherlands invited you to share your learning at the 2016 EMENA Conference.

  5. Opportunities for Participatory Growth in Africa and Beyond was the theme of the IAF Kenya Conference.

2016 was one of our biggest years yet. And it’s because of valued members like you that we are making an impact all over the world. Let’s see what we can achieve together in 2017.

Farewell and thank you for your service! 

At the end of 2016, we're saying farewell to long-serving board members: 

  • Kimberly Bain, IAF Vice Chair
  • Beatrice Briggs, IAF Director of Memberships and Chapters

At the same time, we are welcoming new members to the IAF Board: 

  • Mirjami Sipponen-Damonte, Regional Director for Europe, Middle East & North Africa
  • Vinay Kumar, Regional Director for Asia