#AORE2017 Collaborate Sessions Announced
The AORE National Office is excited to once again welcome “Collaborate” sessions at the Annual Conference on Wednesday, November 1 and Friday, November 3. These sessions will provide an opportunity for conference attendees to connect with members who share similar qualities or experiences. In essence, the aim of these sessions is to “shrink” the size of the conference in order to facilitate networking and relationship-building among members.
The creation of the Collaborate sessions stems directly from member feedback expressing a desire for more time and space to meet and interact with other members while at the conference. Along with evening socials and networking lunches, the Collaborate sessions will add an additional space to create community within the Association.
New for 2017, attendees are invited to schedule their own Collaborate session at the conference on Friday, November 3. An open schedule will be posted near the session room entrance for attendees to fill in their proposed topic and contact information. Attendees are urged to post their topic and timeslot in the mobile app chatroom for other attendees.
The format of these sessions will be akin to a roundtable discussion or informal meet-up; 1-2 session leaders may facilitate discussion topics but the flow and feel of each session will be largely directed by the attendees themselves.
While these sessions may be subject to change, the current slate for Wednesday, November 1 includes:
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New professionals – a community aimed at new and entry-level professionals with 1- 4 years of professional experience and graduate students who are about to complete their degree.
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People of color – this community will discuss issues specific to racial and ethnic minorities who work and/or participate in outdoor recreation.
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Academia – this community will bring together faculty, students, and/or members interested in scholarship and research pertaining to outdoor recreation.
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Municipal, MWR, non-profit entities – as AORE’s membership continues to diversify beyond the collegiate outdoor recreation sector, this session will create a community of non-college rec professionals to meet and learn from one another.
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First-time attendees and new members – this session will provide new members and first-time attendees with a space to meet each other and learn about opportunities to get involved within the Association
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Women & LGBTQ members – working and participating in a historically straight/male-dominated industry presents a variety of challenges and opportunities for women and members of the LGBTQ community. This session provides a space for these members to share about their experiences and address continuing issues.
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Upper-level administrators – a community aimed at senior-mid-level and upper-level administrators with 7+ years of recreation administration experience.
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One-person programs – this community is made up of the multi-talented folks at AORE who manage their programs and organizations by themselves or with a very small staff.
Sessions will be hosted in the Pocahontas A room. Sessions will last approximately 30 minutes. Check the website or conference guide for specific times of each session. No advance registration is required. Members are welcome to attend multiple Collaborate sessions. Don’t forget to bring your business cards!
Do you have an idea for a future Collaborate community or want to be involved as a discussion leader? Contact us to share your ideas or to gain more information on the Collaborate sessions.