Another year – another great conference!
Well over 80 members of the Insights community gathered December 5th at the Pan Pacific Hotel in downtown Vancouver for the 11th annual Insights Regional Conference.
After opening remarks by Ken Blosser, Director of Operations at Insights Vancouver, and a ‘get acquainted’ scavenger hunt led by Kim White, Insights Vancouver Senior Consultant, Spencer Gillman, Marketing Manager for Insights Learning and Development Global delivered the keynote address “Immediate Impact-Endless Possibilities”.
Eleven different Cracker Barrel sessions were offered, and attendees had the opportunity to participate in 3 different fifteen-minute sessions and take part in fast-paced learning to review resources they can use for strengthening application of the Insights Discovery system within their organizations. Deborah Edwards, Activing AVP, HR and Organizational Development for Coastal Community along with Joyce Gwilliam, President of Insights Vancouver treated guests to their presentation “Engage, Empower & Enrich”, showcasing how leaders applied best practices in change, innovative technology and a balanced approach to building engagement on a major change initiative at Coastal Community.
The networking luncheon was followed by the Executive Roundtable, featuring client stories about Insights in Action. Speakers included Denise Buchanan, VP Human Resources at White Spot; David Walker, Director, Resource Development with the Alzheimer Society of BC; and Loree Gray, Vice President Retail Banking, Envision Financial. This was followed by extended break-out sessions featuring Best Practices in Action, focused on Healthy Workplaces, Team Effectiveness, Performance Management, and Leadership.
After a stretch break and coffee top-up, Cathy Anderson, Portfolio Education Manager with Insights Global led guests through a 30 minute session to consider ways they currently deliver Insights within their organizations, and explore new opportunities and resources available to them.
The afternoon closed with Poetry by Sue McIntyre, City of Burnaby, who treated attendees to poetry created during the conference. Her two works \”the colour of possibility\” and \”A Day Like AnyOther\” are available by following the links.
Networking, wine and appetizers followed closing remarks by Joyce Gwilliam, President of Insights Vancouver. Conference evaluations are still coming in but it’s clear to see attendees ranked this conference the best ever, with many indicating the cracker barrel sessions in the morning and the new-this-year extended learning break-out sessions in the afternoon as their favorite part of the day. Oh, and the networking! So many noted the opportunity to visit with other members of the Insights Community of Practice, share ideas – borrow ideas – reconnect with fellow practitioners, and learn new and exciting ways to deepen the Insights Discovery learning within their own places of business.
Many thanks to our speakers, cracker barrel facilitators and guests in attendance. You all contributed to a highly successful day. We look forward to seeing you at the 12th Annual Vancouver Regional Conference scheduled for Monday, December 3, 2012.
Insights Vancouver