Excitement is building for the virtual Forum! It's taken a little while to shift our plans and build the necessary infrastructure, but our staff and committees have been hard at work, and we will be ready to open registration in early August. Meanwhile, I want to give a preview of all that's happening so you can start to plan. Our virtual Forum spans ten days from October 19-29, so you'll want to mark your calendars now. This extended schedule allows us to stretch our offerings over many time zones, so no matter where you live, there will be many options during waking hours. The theme is "The Door is Open…" and we are excited to welcome hundreds of professionals from around the world to what promises to be the biggest Forum ever. We'll begin with eight Pre-Forum Institutes (PFIs) from October 19-22. The Forum proper will start on Friday the 23rd with sponsored workshops, and our opening ceremonies and keynote. Over the weekend, we'll have several opportunities for the networking, socializing, and pure fun that everyone looks forward to at Forum. These will include special gatherings for new members, civil practice, peacemakers, and more. The Saturday online party promises to be a highlight and Sunday promises dine-arounds with IACP Board members from around the world. From October 26-29, we'll host over 30 workshops featuring leading professionals, and we'll conclude with our annual Stu Webb Lecture. I invite you to: * Stretch your comfort zone with technology and with new ideas, * Stretch your muscles with our online yoga breaks; and * Stretch your international horizons by participating in events outside your usual working hours. You'll be home, so consider joining a workshop or event with your early morning coffee, or bring a nightcap and log in for sunrise on the other side of the world. Whenever you join, you'll have a chance to meet and learn from colleagues on six continents! Your registration will grant you access to recordings of all 30+ workshops for a full year, so don't worry if you have to miss a workshop or two. Going virtual makes the Forum so much more accessible, and we've been able to make it even easier to join in this year with a reduced price. In 2019, Forum was $585. This year, it's $295 – including a $205 member discount, which means that your membership will pay for itself. (If you're not already getting your Whole Group discount, this makes it a great time to pull your group together and do it.) As always, we'll be offering scholarships for those who may be facing difficulty this year, and if you are able, we encourage you to donate so that we can include as many as possible. I look forward to seeing you all there. Keep an eye on your IACP email for the opening of registration in early August. The door is open!
Anne Tamar-Mattis IACP's Executive Director |
