The party’s over, but the learning has just begun!

The 2007 JCCs of North America Professional Conference hosted over 500 staff members from 114 JCCs in Canada and the United States.  While we’re still tallying the evaluations, the comments have been consistent:

“Excellent conference, I loved the sessions I attended. I have so much to bring back to my community”

“Thank you for providing a wonderful learning opportunity. I am still reviewing my notes and will be launching some new initiatives I learned. I can’t wait for the next one.”

“Our entire delegation felt this conference was the best!  From the top level keynote speakers, to the workshops, to the networking opportunities and the fun evening events – it was all amazing.”

The staff at JCC Association teamed up with committee members from JCCs and put together a topnotch four day professional conference. Keynote presenters included Alan P. Solow, chair of JCC Association, Allan Finkelstein, president of JCC Association, Connie Glaser, author and motivational speaker, and Chuck Underwood, expert on generational marketing.

These speakers created so much buzz. We heard people in the hallways discussing the artwork they created at Connie Glaser’s plenary on leadership and management lessons based on Queen Esther and the Purim story.  “What generation is that?” everyone asked after we learned more about the importance of generational marketing. Allan Finkelstein told us to find a mentor and make long-lasting connections in the JCC field, and attendees started to act on that advice. They met new people, learned new ways to do their jobs better, and shared successes and problems.

The conference is over, but the lessons everybody learned will be applied at JCCs throughout North America. The learning never ends. We hope to see even more people at future conferences, and we’re looking forward to developing other training programs.