Top five reasons to come along to Share National meetings

21 Oct 2019 12:41 PM

Events manager Poppy Wheelan offers five reasons to attend Socitm’s national conferences

, Top five reasons to come along to Share National meetings, Socitm

On the back of a great meeting in Leeds and with the events calendar for 2020 taking shape, this is good time to reflect on why people attend conferences. When I first started my career I wasn’t taught the fundamental reasons why people attend events. I learnt this over time and – having joined Socitm earlier this year – am still learning. I’ve witnessed the social and educational benefits to attendees, speakers and partners. Themed around our key policy areas no two events are alike. Attending is an investment that pays dividends for delegates and organisations.

These are my top five reasons to join us at events nationwide:

  1. To network
    Share National brings together people from different geographical areas who share a commitment to improving outcomes for service users. As you build your professional network, Share National events are a good place for catching up with those you haven’t connected with in a while.
  2. Expand your knowledge and find solutions
    You’ll hear about new techniques, new technology and new innovations. Share National gives you the opportunity to talk to people about these resources ad insights, to ask questions and join workshops.
  3. Share your ideas and work
    Presenting will make you more confident about the work you do; the feedback and questions can provide valuable new insights and perspectives.
  4. For people to meet you
    If you’re a CIO or part of our Leadership Academy cohort and presenting for the first time, you can make a connection that could dramatically change your professional career. This is especially important when you’re looking for collaborators, problem-solving ideas, a mentor or someone you can mentor yourself.
  5. Learn beyond your immediate specialism
    Share National events have many sessions for professional development and career advice. These sessions and the people you meet can offer you tools that can’t be taught in-house or online. The focused nature of the events allows you to take risks confidently and apply best practice examples to everything you do.

We work on developing interesting and relevant events for members and partners. The outline 2020 calendar is available and my colleagues and I are open to suggestions about themes and speakers. We look forward to welcoming you at an event soon. By talking and sharing ideas we can all get better together.