Global Flipchart #12

By Rosanna von Sacken, CPF, IAF Regional Director, Canada

The North America and Caribbean IAF Conference 2018 (#IAFNAC2018) was held in Canada’s Capital City, Ottawa, on 2-5 May 2018, with two days of pre-conference executive workshops and one day of CPF assessment. Congratulations to the new CPFs that earned their certifications!

The conference was very successful and enjoyed by all. We exceeded the targeted number of registrants, with a total 156 registered for the main conference. Fourteen countries were represented - Canada, USA, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica, China, UK, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden and Italy.

What did people say?

I received a lot of positive feedback from delegates during and after the conference, including:

• The conference had a very positive vibe and a wonderful energy.
• Everyone was helpful and friendly.
• This conference was different - it felt more personal.
• As a first-timer, I liked what I saw. Now I have a better sense of what facilitation is and what your organisation does. I will definitely join as a member.
• This was the best conference I have attended in a very, very long time, and I have attended nearly 20 IAF conferences.

Huge thanks to the Steering Committee and volunteers

It was under the tremendous leadership of the co-chairs, Barb Sweazey and Lise Hebabi, that the Steering Committee was strong, cohesive and dedicated.

The two Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Lise Hebabi and Barb Sweazey.

None of the volunteers left the committee during the entire year-long planning process. Despite the high demands, they gave themselves freely, sacrificing family time, working tirelessly together, and drawing on their complementary strengths and skill sets. Each Steering Committee member lead a subcommittee team, and I would like to recognise their outstanding leadership and dedication:

• Margo Purcell (Programme and speakers)
• Robin Parsons (Sponsorship and exhibitors)
• Chris Pederson (Marketing)
• Fern Levine (Social events)
• Susan Hayman (Evaluation)

Most of the Conference Steering Committee members and some subcommittee members.

Without them, the conference could not have been as successful as it was. Over 50 volunteers assisted in various ways, being workshop leaders, speaker buddies, graphic recorders / sketch-noters, Ottawa tour guides or running errands on site, everyone stepped up to the plate.

Thank you to Managing Matters

We would be remiss if we forgot to mention the well-oiled machine behind the scene, Managing Matters, for their phenomenal logistical and venue support, helping to keep us all informed, in line and in touch with all that was going on behind the curtains. What an awesome team!

Thanks to our sponsors

This conference would not have been the same without the support and presence of the sponsors and exhibitors that believed in what IAF does, as well as the donors:

• ICA Associates 
• Lego Strategic Play
• Nureva 
• Powernoodle 
• Stormz 
• Intersol 
• Health Canada 
• Traction Strategy
• GoWall
• 3M (gift basket)
• IAF Ottawa Chapter
• IAF BC Chapter
• IAF Caribbean Facilitators Network
• Individual donations (John Butcher, Nora Sheffe, Michael Wilkinson, Kim Ennis, Tony Nash, John Gelder, Benoit Hubert)

Highlights

Technology

Participants in the plenary sessions learned the tools from Nureva and Stormz just in time to contribute their thoughts and ideas.  In addition to social media platforms, delegates were encouraged to post photos, observations, thoughts and questions on EventMobi, the conference app, in real time.

Using mobile devices and Nureva to contribute thoughts and ideas during a plenary session.

Exploring Ottawa

Despite a threatening storm and potential cancellation of the boat cruise on the Ottawa River, the weather held out long enough for more than 50 participants to enjoy a historic tour of the city from the water. Some of us even got to experience over 90 km winds on our walk back to the hotel from the brew pub after the cruise. On day two, with a take-away lunch, delegates were invited on a guided walk around the city centre to reflect on their conference experiences at iconic and historic sites.

The group that went on the Cruise and Brews outing on 4 May.

IAF booth

We set up an IAF booth with IAF banners, where we sold IAF and conference merchandise, including T-shirts, mugs and CPF business card holders.

The IAF Booth where board members took turn to staff it.

Board support

This conference also saw an outstanding presence of the IAF board, where a total of seven board members (that is half the IAF board) attended and showed their support.

IAF board members at the conference. L to R: Regional Directors, USA and Latin America and Caribbean (Don Kerper, Gillian Chambers), Dir., Professional Development (Cameron Fraser), Treasurer (Tony Nash), Vice Chair (Mara Svenne). The Dir., Conferences and Events (Hector Villareal) and Regional Director, Canada (Rosanna von Sacken), were on stage thanking the volunteers.

The conference ended with a scrumptious dinner, live music, dancing and much celebration.

As I write this article, post conference feedback is being gathered and analysed by the conference evaluation team. I can’t help but feel proud to represent Canada on the IAF board, and of the rock star team that made this successful conference happen. Kudos to all of you!

May the 2020 Global Conference be ever more successful. Stay tuned as information becomes available.