A Message from Suzanne Bader, VP of Programs

One of ASTD-Cascadia's premiere and largest events is the Annual Regional Conference being held on October 20-21, 2010 at the Salem Conference Center with a special pre-conference event on October 19. This year the conference features keynote speakers Dr. Thiagi and magician Brad Barton.

The Conference Planning Team has been hard at work planning the conference. Here are the top 3 reasons why they believe attending the Conference is so exciting:

1. Learning! This year’s conference theme, Play! Learning to Play, Playing to Learn, provides for us an opportunity as practitioners to develop our skills. We focus our time on building skills and creating energizing and fun opportunities for others to learn but we sometimes get so busy we don’t focus on our own development. And in our current environment, with tensions high and expectations even higher to do it all with less money, effective playing can create an amazing shift in an organization. The Conference is the PERFECT place to give yourself permission to Play, Learn and Network to create that new environment!

2. New and Creative Ideas! Where else besides the Conference can you get so much value for your dollar? If you’re like us you are always looking for something different, a new approach, product or contact that will add creative content to your work. At the conference you will have access to so much more in person than you can get from the mass email advertisements or Google searches. Hint, hint - Thiagi, Brad Barton and other regionally and nationally known speakers that you couldn’t easily access anywhere else (check out the website for all the great speakers!).

3. The People! Over 200 workplace learning professionals from all across the region will be attending the event. This will provide you with an amazing opportunity to network in both formal and informal sessions. Attend an in-conference networking session to share and learn from your colleagues on topics like e-learning, becoming an independent consultant, and making the workplace playful. Or spend some time in the Cyber Café or Exhibit Hall informally meeting fellow participants.

Now the *Plug*! If you haven’t registered for the Conference and Pre-Conference session, do it before the Early Bird Registration expires on August 13, 2010.

Join us in some Play!

Suzanne Bader
VP of Programs
ASTD-Cascadia Chapter
programs@astdcascadia.org

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