ANSWER—They were all part of the 2011 International AFP Conference in Chicago this weekend! So far, I’ve heard varying reviews about this conference, but I have to say, I thought it was pretty good, overall. Here are some of my highs and lows:
HIGHS:
#1 Hearing Blake Mycoskie…he was THE best speaker I’ve ever heard! He was so engaging, charismatic, humorous and thoughtful…he had me laughing and crying at the same time as he talked about his journey as founder of TOMS shoes (I bought a pair of TOMS that night). He’s done an amazing thing and is a wonderful person. Support his movement on April 5, 2011 by going One Day Without Shoes!!
#2 Hearing Bill Clinton…he was more low-key than I expected but is just brilliant and full of so much information! Surprisingly, his speech to this professional fundraising audience took a somewhat analytical approach, citing studies and statistics often. He was very fascinating and should be applauded for his continued commitment to the Haitian Crisis.
#3 The education sessions/networking…the ones I attended were insightful and well-presented. It is so important to share information among fundraising colleagues…we all have a common goal for philanthropy to grow and thrive—sharing our experiences helps us all!
LOWS:
#1 Hearing Queen Latifah…I was somewhat disappointed in her presentation, however, she did get better as she went along. She just talked a bit too much about how her philanthropic efforts affected HER, rather than about the causes she supports. She was sassy, but didn’t quite hit the right note with this audience.
#2 Waiting in line for Bill Clinton’s speech…not sure how this could have been avoided, given 4,000 people were there, but none-the-less I didn’t enjoy standing in line for an hour.
#3 The seating at the conference…whether it was in the education sessions,the exhibit hall or on the shuttle buses, there didn’t seem to be enough seating to accommodate everyone. People dealt with it well enough, but it was a pain!
You might be wondering what I thought of the Village People, but alas, I wasn’t able to make it to their concert…after going to see Rick Springfield a few years back at an AFP conference, I thought I’d give the YMCA a pass this year and looking at the footage on YouTube, I think it was a wise move. ;-)
AUTHOR: Renee Durnin, CFRE
