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Conference Season is Here

October 23rd, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

For whatever reason the fall is when many of the associations involved in Higher Education plan most of their conferences. It’s something I looked forward to each year. For us, the conferences we attended the most are put on by the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Years ago, the association had 11 regions, 10 of which did their conferences in the Fall and one in the Spring. Starting in late September going right through to just before Thanksgiving several us would hit the road for exotic locations like Danvers, MA, Peoria, IL, Seven Springs, PA, Oklahoma City, Lancaster, PA and many more. It was an interesting time to say the least. For those few that did all 10 regions you were basically on the road for a little over 2 months. You lived in hotels and out of suitcases. I believe six was the most I ever attended in one fall season and that was more than enough.

It was an interesting time as you spent week after week with the same people going to different locations. School delegates changed from region to region, but the conference food rarely did. Let’s be honest, there are only so many ways that chicken can be prepared. Along the way, we always seemed to find distractions to amuse us. Bowling was always a great way to kill a few hours in the afternoon and we found everything from state-of-the-art lanes to a few alleys in a bar in some out of the way location. Doubtful if I will ever forget our afternoon at Churchill Downs, a day or two before the Breeders Cup, as we all piled into Craig and Charlotte Karges’ SUV and caught the last 3 or 4 races of the afternoon. Our little traveling groups or conference buddies were, at times, like a second family. Several people would arrange a “family dinner” for those nights where we had dinner on our own. Those dinners were filled with laughter, stories, and reminiscences of previous conferences. Every time we did them, they were with a different group of people as not everyone attended the same conferences.

Students back then were so different from today. There was an excitement and an enthusiasm that is far more muted now than when I first hit the conference trail. To be fair, academic expectations and support were also different. Professors seemed to understand that attending things like these conferences provided a different kind of educational experience but an educational experience, nonetheless. It was a time before assignments needed to be turned in electronically with a deadline on when that needed to happen. Now many professors view time away from class as a waste and offer little to no support or leniency on getting assignments in. Along with that, when I first got involved the internet was in its infancy and neither accessible to everyone nor understood by most people. Conferences and tradeshows were the best way to access information in terms of educational presentations, new innovations for products or services, and the ability, in the case of NACA, to view and book live talent. Now, there are webinars on subjects of all types, some free while others have a charge associated with them. Basically, any subject of interest you can find “experts” to help you at a moments notice. Which makes one of the main draws of a conference, for some, obsolete.

It is not just the students that have changed but situations on many college and university campuses have also shifted. In today’s economy, some student groups no longer have budget allocations which allow them to travel. Many decisions on selecting talent and how to allocate resources are decided by the full board as opposed to the select few that may get to attend a conference. Needs and tastes of students are rapidly shifting and some of these conferences, or the vendors that attend them, may no longer mesh with what the students desire to bring to campus. Of course, with the internet being as robust as it is, searching for talent and videos of said performers is readily available online.

Some years it is harder to push myself to head to one of these conferences with the enthusiasm that I had in my youth. Then, I am reminded of the most important group that these conferences are put on for, the students. In the NACA world, I have attended over 300 of these live events so, for me, it maybe old hat but for many of these students it is new and fresh. They are excited to go to the educational sessions offered, tour the marketplace to meet face to face with vendors that they have only communicated with via cell phone, text or possibly Zoom. Having the ability to see live talent with their friends and other like-minded student leaders is a new experience for many. Experiences like getting on a plane or staying in a nice hotel may be a first for some student attendees. Meeting students from other schools who have the same or similar roles can be eye opening as well as rewarding. Having the opportunity to bond with fellow board members is another perk of going to these events.

It is the students that keep drawing me back. It is great to get to meet them and learn more about them. They still bring a great energy and curiosity, which makes every one of these worthwhile to attend. Even if, in the days leading up to these conferences, I am not as enthusiastic as I have been in years past, I arrive with a renewed energy because I always learn a great deal from the attendees. We talk about their struggles and challenges along with what went right and the victories that they have had. Conference season is here, and I am ready for it.

 About the author

Ken Abrahams attended his first higher educational conference in 1979 as a Sophomore at Connecticut College. In the 40 plus years since then, he has attended over 300 conferences in the higher education world. Some conferences are more educational while others are more tailored to the entertainment side of things. Never does he walk away without learning something new.

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