Create Your Session Track at the SPARC National Conference

Conference time is almost here, the schedule is available, and preparations are nearly complete as we look forward to welcoming you to Scottsdale, Arizona next month!

Remember to check out Sched to explore what the conference has to offer. You'll find everything listed, including Ignite Sessions, poolside roundtables, SPARCbursts, the rooftop reception, and more. With Sched, you can build a personalized list of events you don't want to miss.

You'll find sessions grouped in one of four categories to help you filter through your options:

• Marketing and Communications (MC)
• Leadership and Staffing (LS)
• Program Design (PD)
• Business and Operations (BO)

Whether it's your first time or you attend every year, the SPARC National Conference offers such a breadth of speakers, breakout sessions, roundtables, and activities that it can be challenging to plan how to make the most of your time. We asked Planning Committee members Jana Blackwell, Dan O'Neil, and Joe Ali to share their own strategies for creating an individualized session track.

Plan Ahead

"It's about the lens you're coming to the conference with," Jana says. She takes a "divide and conquer" approach when she and her team meet to strategize their conference plan. "I want [my team] to get new trainings. I want them to get new ideas to enhance what they're already doing." This way, they can cover the most ground possible and share what they've learned with each other. 

Jana also suggests not stressing out about choosing the "right" sessions. As long as you go with an open mind, you're bound to get value out of whatever you attend. "You can learn something from a presentation you didn't expect to learn from," she says.

Joe emphasizes the "backwards design" approach to planning. "Know what you are trying to accomplish and what you want to leave with." Choose your goals for the conference first, then choose which sessions and events will get you where you want to be.

Since he's working at a new school, Joe find that his goals have changed from previous years, which affects his session choices. In some ways, he feels like a new attendee. "I'm trying to align my [conference] goals with the school, not for myself this time around." 

Look for Inspiration

Like Joe, Dan is also at a new school this year, which brings a different frame of mind. "There are some sessions that speak to me more than they would have a couple years ago,” he says. Ultimately, he takes a more intuitive approach to creating his path through the conference. “For me, I pick one that’s fun. I’m looking for that recharge, that inspiring session, the one where I’m maybe weak in this area.” 

You may find that your two top session choices are scheduled at the same time. If that happens, you should feel comfortable leaving one early so you can check out the other. "We presenters understand that sometimes people want to see what else is going on," Joe says. 

Dan agrees. “What’s so unique to me about this conference is it’s the only thing like it where we’re all peers and all of the session kind of apply to all of us." You might be surprised at what appeals to you, and you should feel free to follow your instincts. As Jana says, you never know where you might learn something new.

Make Connections

You may find that the most important part of the sessions you attend is the people you meet. Sessions can be a launchpad for you to build a new network of peers or enhance the one you have. "SPARC is about the whole year," Joe says, "not just about three days in October." The point of auxiliary professionals coming together at the conference is not just to learn and share expertise, but to create connections that will help sustain and support them throughout the year.

To help you do this, Jana suggests following up with people between sessions, over coffee or lunch, or at one of the scheduled social activities. "Include yourself in the conversations. The group will be welcoming! Just get there," she says, stating that it's helpful to "lean into discomfort" when you're approaching a group of people you want to know. 

Jana also brings a fresh mind to the conference, never feeling like an expert in her field despite her experience. “I’ve been in this job for eight years, and I still think of myself as new.” This helps her keep an open mind, ready to find that "nugget" of a new idea to take home. "I don’t feel like a veteran, since there are others who’ve done it longer and in different ways." No matter where you are in the auxiliary world or how long you've been there, you have something to offer and something to learn.

If you're between sessions and not sure where to go, take Joe's advice: "Go to the pool." The pool serves as a central,  informal meeting ground for catching up with peers you meet in sessions, making new friends, and building those connections that will sustain you long after you return home.

If you're concerned about sessions you missed or want a refresh of what you learned, remember that after the conference, all attendees can find PDFs of conference slides in Sched. If you're a SPARC member, you can easily access them in our Collections file in SPARC Connect. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Valley Ho in Scottsdale!

Gain access to a wealth of valuable resources that will propel you to the next level of your auxiliary career. Join SPARC today for tools, webinars, events, and community support on SPARC Connect.