11 September 2007
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Sean Tolliver
Here at ICMA we get plenty of emails and calls asking for tips on getting an idea into the educational program. While ICMA, EPA, and all the conference cosponsors work together to select the program, there are some simple ways to help improve the quality of ideas. Here are 3 tips to improve your idea!
#1 Consider your format – the conference gets lots of panel session ideas, and while they form the backbone of most conference programs, they have a tendency to get repetitive. So, go with a Marketplace discussion! The highest rated portion of the education program are the Marketplace discussions (we also call them roundtables discussions), the attendees like Marketplace sessions and so do we!
What is a Marketplace discussion session? Marketplace discussion sessions feature one or two facilitators who direct dialogue and discussion around a certain, focused topic. The sessions are dynamic and full of excellent discussion between attendees and the facilitator. Attendees connect with each other on the topic, or just sit and listen to vivid conversations. This session usually has no PowerPoint presentations but instead is focused on the facilitated discussion.
#2 Know your audience and what they expect to learn – ICMA prefers to include sessions in the program that provide audiences with take-away examples, best/leading practices, and practical examples they can apply to brownfields in their communities. So be sure to include session goals and what the audience will learn from the session.
#3 How about some new blood! We enjoy hearing from new speakers and so does the audience and cosponsors! We try to include as many first time speakers as possible to create a new and exciting program for the conference. We prefer ideas that often have a mix of veteran and new conference speakers.
So go ahead, don’t be shy, submit that idea!