I am sitting at the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with about two hours left of my three-hour layover on my way to the Texas Society of Association Executives' (TSAE) New Ideas 2011 Conference in Houston (September 11-13) and I'm excited.
The words, "I have a great idea," are among some of my favorite in this world. My friend, Adele Cehrs of Epic Media, said these to me recently and my heart felt a little more charged. Same feelings occur whenever I think about the conference I am about to attend. I hope New Ideas 2011 is ready for me, because I am super excited.
[I'll be there to do a live DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot from Houston with a debriefing later courtesy of the fantastically talented Jeff Hurt to cover the ins and outs of doing a live weekly web show. Please tune in to the show on UStream on Tuesday 8:15 AM ET and be a part of this special episode!]
Shouldn't we all feel this way regularly? I know it can seem useless to have ideas when your organization does not appear have the basic mechanisms in place to make them effective, but without the ideas in the first place, an organization will grow stagnant and lose its relevance in time.
As association professionals (and as human beings who are, in essence, designed to find joy in problem solving), we should seek out every opportunity we can to expand our knowledge and create or improve ourselves and our organizations as we progress through our careers.
In the next few days/weeks/months look for the following:
- TSAE New Ideas Conference
- WSAE Innovation Summit for Associations
- ASAE Innovation Talks
- Planner Tech
- ASAE Great Ideas Conference
- Event Camp Vancouver
What are your thoughts on creativity and innovation in associations? Are there more events or meetings I should add to this list? Do you see things another way? How have you supported innovation in your own organizations or professional life?
