Illinois Parks & Recreation Association ConferenceJanuary 24th-26th, 2013
With this being my second trip to the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Conference in downtown Chicago, my expectations were a bit different. At the 2012 conference I met so many new people and came away with knowledge of new positions that caught my attention. This year, my goal is to reconnect with those I met at conference last year. With my professional internship quickly approaching, I have my sights set on a few specific areas. By attending the 2013 Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Conference, I hoped to learn all I could from professionals in my area of interest, Event Planning for Premium Seating. Even though I hope my future career leads me to work in the Sports field, I know there are many opportunities in the Parks and Recreation field from which I can learn. All of which will help me to build upon my current knowledge, skills, and abilities as a leader and event planner.
This year at the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Conference I attended many workshops, events, and student oriented sessions. One session that I attended that really stuck out in my mind was ‘Super Hero Social Media: Rescue Tiny Budgets and Get POW!erful Results’. This workshop taught me that in order to be successful in smaller businesses, you must be creative, innovative, and take advantage of free or minimum cost outlets…such as social media. This key that I learned can be related to project and program effectiveness. It relates because in order to have a successful event that accomplishes its goals, the program needs to have great community support and be well attended.
Transitioning to the student-focused sessions, I gained the most from the Mock Interview. My interviewer, Dr. Terry Schwartz is the current Executive Director of the Winnetka Park District and was previously the Superintendent of Citywide Services with San Francisco Recreation and Parks. With Dr. Schwartz’s many years of experience, I was able to gain great insight on how to handle interview questions that stumped me. He also provided great insight into the mind of someone who is on the interviewer side. I took his advice and have used it in all of my previously mentioned interviews.
For me, the skills and attributes that the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Conference focused on was communication and self-management. This was a huge resource for utilizing and practicing my communication skills because there were organizations, companies, and employees present from all over Illinois as well as across the United States. The listening side of communication was largely present in the workshops and student sessions. Using my discerning listening style, I was able to block out the distractions in the room and focus on the facilitators to get the most out of the weekend. I knew to ask questions if I did not understand a concept or idea that was presented.
Using my communication skills at the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Conference connected to my Learning Goal 2) to increase my self-confidence by more frequently asking questions and voicing my opinions during class and discussions during the 2012-2013 school year. By building my self-confidence in the classroom I was not afraid to ask questions and voice my opinion in front of a room full of professionals. It felt good knowing I was confident in my capabilities as they apply to the real world. Using the skill of communication also is a transferable skill that I improved upon; I can apply it in my everyday life. While I have become accustomed to using my listening, speaking and non-verbal communication skills, I feel I still need to work on my self-management skills. Prior to attending conference, I set goals on what I wanted to accomplish. However, these goals were very vague which caused me to have a hard time deciphering if I fully achieved the goals. Next time, I will be sure to set, SMART goals and objectives: simple, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time framed.
