AFP live blogging & my new NPT column
I would be amiss if I didn't mention that Reed over at the Association of Fundraising Professionals set up a neat blog for this year's AFP Conference in San Diego.
I should also point out that the Chronicle of Philanthropy also has a new blog, named Prospecting, which has been cranking out some decent coverage of sessions from the AFP events.
But, perhaps most important... my new column has been published over the NonProfit Times web exclusive section. The title this month is, "An Honest Critique Of The Fundraising Conference Circuit." I think many of you who are in San Diego now can relate.
Go here to read the entire article now... especially my money quote:
To put it bluntly, conferences suffer when organizers allow uninspired speakers to present stale content to disengaged attendees....oh yeah, and you should also take note of the fact that the NPT placed my article above Eleanor Cliff's new column.
3 comments:
Thanks for the coverage of our efforts.
Reed
Thank you for writing this article. So relevant (not just for fundraising conferences). You are so correct. I think we have all become numb to the whole conference thing. We go, we assume some of the sessions will be lame, and we just go off in search of another session. Or is it that we don't demand excellence in our conferences? Or is it not about the conference at all, but just about going to a warm sunny location and hang out with friends? Maybe the conference planners need to do a better job at identifying the purpose of the conference. Is it about learning and professional development of a high caliber? Or is it about promoting a book or selling a piece of software? Conferences are about learning, trade shows are about letting businesses "sell" their wares (whether directly or subtly).
Thanks again for your thoughtful comments.
Thanks "fundaiser" - that was very well said.
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