Published on December 16, 2015
Posted on behalf of Sean Meister.
The location has been announced. Ticket sales are open. And the Call for Speakers has been made.
But one big question remains:
Why should you — a busy and resource-stretched college or university employee — attend PSEWEB 2016 in St. John’s?
For me, a “veteran” of three conferences, it comes down to four things:
The Format
At the heart of PSEWEB are the presentations from your colleagues across Canada. These are the people doing jobs very similar to yours and facing the same type of challenges you are facing. The topics range from content strategy to app development, and everything in-between.
It’s fascinating to hear what they have accomplished, motivating to learn about new tactics you can implement, and comforting to hear that your experience is very similar to someone else’s.
Combined with the keynote speakers, who are often key influencers in our field and beyond, you get a variety that I have not found at other conferences.
The Location
One of the most enjoyable parts of PSEWEB is the host city! It’s an opportunity to experience a new city, get to know the local culture and see the unique post-secondary landscape. In a lot of cases, local influences have a big impact on what we do. And this year in particular, there will be so much to learn from our hosts in Newfoundland and Labrador. I also promise you’ll love the scenery, culture and people of St. John’s. And if you’ve ever wanted to get “Screeched In,” this is your chance!
P.S. I suggest adding on a few extra days as vacation to explore the province. It’s one of the most unique, enjoyable places you can visit in Canada!
The Inspiration
I guarantee you’ll leave PSEWEB inspired to try something new. It can be as simple as learning a new trick for your CMS, or as complex as wanting to entirely change your digital communications strategy. And not only because of the presentations, but also because you’re surrounded by PSE colleagues. You’ll share stories over coffee that could change how you do your job.
You’ll leave PSEWEB with knowledge and new ideas that will help both you and your employer. And you’ll leave PSEWEB having helped someone else too.
The Community
Attending PSEWEB makes you part of a community. Everyone from PSEWEB is a simple tweet, phone call, text, or email away throughout the year. The conference allows you to meet colleagues, but the social events during PSEWEB allow you to become friends. When you need advice, or want to talk through an idea, there is always someone to call – from St. John’s to Montreal to Whitehorse.
So why should you, a busy and probably resource-stretched PSE employee, attend PSEWEB 2016 in St. John’s? Because you’ll be hard pressed to find another conference that speaks so directly to your industry, focuses as much on both personal and professional development, and connects you so strongly to a national network of people ready to help year round.
Get your tweeting fingers ready, do your Newfoundland and Labrador research, and I’ll see you in St. John’s!