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AMHCA 2021 Annual Conference: Recognizing

By Whitney Meyerhoeffer posted 03-31-2021 11:05

  

At AMHCA, we recognize that a virtual event is different from an in-person event. There are things you miss by not being in person, but there are things you gain by being virtual. For me, there are less hugs, not as many snacks (or maybe more), and not as many opportunities for those sidebar networking moments that are so loved at an AMHCA conference.

How I miss hugs from colleagues I work with weekly but see just once a year. I regret my inability to make food as good as the 2016 New Orleans conference (beignets for days!) or snacks as good as the 2017 DC conference (anyone else remember that flavored popcorn bar?). I won’t be making a new connection on the way to dinner or convincing someone to get more involved as we head through the buffet line or refill our coffee. It is a loss that, although minor, is a large piece of why an AMHCA conference is so healing, energizing and rejuvenating. However, there are so many other opportunities that we can offer to attendees that would not be possible at an in-person event.

At AMHCA, we recognize that a shift to virtual means less overhead for us and we are grateful for the ability to pass on that savings to our attendees. The question consistently asked amongst staff and the board is – how can we best serve the member? It is our mission, our drive to reframe how we look at something. A shift to virtual means a wider audience and more attendees. More people, less overhead, we think – how do we give the member this benefit? We change our pricing.

Virtual also means that we can make up new rules with regards to scheduling.
A two-week conference so attendees can fit in clients? Yes!
Daily and weekly packages? Yes!
Can we bundle several things together? Sure can!
So we did.
All of it.

Breakouts are not long days that have your brain overloaded. We have a few breakouts per day so you can fit in a client, take care of paperwork, soak in the information instead of cramming it all at once. Maybe there are some people who can only come for a few days or only need X number of CEs. You have the flexibility now to attend one day, one week, or the whole thing.

So. Many. Bundles. The Fall Summit will be November 1-5, 2021 and with the purchase of a 2021 full conference ticket you are registered for that too! Are you ready for Vegas in 2022? If so, you can bundle 2021 and 2022 for a ton of savings.

I am ready for hugs and laughs, networking and all the #snacks of 2022. I will be there for all of it. I'm already making plans to skip down the streets arm in arm with @Eve Rogerson as we explore Las Vegas for the first time, I have my mental list of those to pester about taking a bigger role in #leadership at national (sorry, not sorry), and I hear the food in Vegas is amazing! 

Until then I am going to be safe, enjoy the gift of slowing down and focusing, and be grateful for the opportunities to grow that have been set before me.


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#AnnualConference
#AMHCA2021
#Conference
#Leadership
#snacks
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03-31-2021 13:08

Here's to skipping down the street together very soon! Excited for the opportunities the virtual format brings this year.