Note: This blog post was updated October 2019
You spent 2 ½ days in Springfield, MA learning from experts and connecting with peers at the JCamp 180 Annual Conference. Hopefully you came prepared to make the most of your time at #JCampConf. 😊
Well, now you are back at work and you’re facing a long to-do list and a full email Inbox. How can you ensure you leverage your time at the conference to be as useful as possible to you and your organization?
This
article about the annual Salesforce conference called Dreamforce inspired us to document these steps for making sure you get as much out of your time at #JCampConf as possible:
- Do a Brain Dump – Write down all the notes you took from sessions and conversations, and any ideas they inspired. If you already have the notes on paper or in your phone, review them and organize them in one central place.
- Prioritize – Pick one or two things from your list that you will implement in the next 1-3 months. A long list can be daunting, but if you focus on one or two things, you are more likely to follow through. You can put a reminder in your calendar to look at the rest of the list again in a few months so the rest of your ideas don’t get lost completely.
- Set a Goal – Remember the chutzpah stories and challenges you wrote down on Sunday and looked back at on Tuesday afternoon? What big goal will you and your camp take on this year that you could share with your peers at NEXT year’s #JCampConf? Focus on that goal.
- Keep Networking – Don’t forget to add all your new connections to your contact list so you can reach out to them later; document what you talked about for easy reference later. Send a quick email or Facebook message to them to thank them for their time and let them know you are looking forward to future discussions together.
- Share with Your Team – If your whole team couldn’t attend #JCampConf, make it a priority to share your learnings with them. Schedule time in your next staff or board meeting. If others DID attend #JCampConf (thank you!), schedule time to compare notes and work together to prioritize your next steps.
BONUS: You can also share your learnings and next steps online with your wider peer group using the hashtags #JCampConf and #jewishcamp.
We hope you left the conference full of ideas and connections. And we hope these tips will help you make the most of them in the coming weeks and months.
P.S. Did you know that you can find session materials on our website by searching for the presenter’s name or session number? Or that you can find all session materials that are available by searching for
jcampconf2019? We’ll continue to add resources to the Knowledge Center as we receive more materials from our presenters.
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Written by Kevin Martone. Kevin is the Technology Program Manager with JCamp 180. His focus area is in applying technology (database management, communications) to support fundraising and outreach efforts. Kevin leads JTEC (JCamp 180 Training in Effective Communications) and co-leads Data2Donors, a program to help camps prioritize their database for improved Alumni outreach and fundraising.
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Who we are: JCamp 180 is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). Our goal is to significantly enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish camps in North America. To meet this goal, we provide affiliated Jewish camps with consulting services, annual conferences, shared resources, professional development, and matching grant opportunities. Find more at www.jcamp180.org