From insights to inspiration: why you should say yes to conferences
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Attending a conference is an opportunity to learn, network, strategize, collaborate, and celebrate—a time to immerse ourselves in growth and connection. This year, I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) conference, marking 25 years of impact and excellence.
A Milestone Celebration
2024 was a milestone year for POC, celebrating its 25th anniversary with the theme 25 Years of Impact. While we had hoped to gather in person, economic challenges, logistical complexities, and rising costs made that dream unattainable. Nevertheless, the National Conference Committee rose to the occasion, crafting an engaging and celebratory virtual summit that exceeded expectations.
The summit’s format spanned two consecutive days, offering 8 dynamic hours of connection and learning. The event kicked off with a heartwarming video montage of POC’s history, set to music and filled with memorable moments from the past 25 years. Our president’s opening message was both reflective and forward-looking, inspiring us to envision the next 25 years of impact and growth.
Inspiring Keynotes and Engaging Sessions
Our first keynote speaker, Joshua Becker, renowned for his work on minimalism, captivated us with the story of his journey into organizing. In a surprising announcement, he shared that he will no longer be offering his annual decluttering course, which has transformed the lives of thousands.
Day one’s breakout sessions provided invaluable insights:
- 6 Dangerous Myths that Keep Us in a Never-Ending Cycle of Anxiety, Fear, and Overwhelm
- Transferring My Knowledge into Workshops and Seminars
- Beyond Diversity 101: From Allyship to Co-Conspirator
On the second day, Juliano Lissoni took the stage as our keynote speaker, introducing us to the potential of artificial intelligence. He demonstrated how AI can simplify content creation by walking us through the process of creating a video using AI tools.
The breakout sessions on day two were equally enriching:
- Safety First for Professional Organizers
- 5 Ways to Promote Yourself with Confidence
- Se Détacher: Arriver à la Fin de Chaque Boucle de Réflexion
Additionally, Allison Weigensberg shared strategies for reusing and repurposing social media content, helping us maximize our outreach while minimizing effort.
Transformative Changes for POC
This year brought significant changes to POC, signalling a new era for our organization. Starting in 2025, POC will become self-governed, parting ways with its management company. This shift empowers the National Board to work directly for members, ensuring their needs remain a top priority.
Another major change is the transition from a chapter-based model to a community-based approach. Members can now join multiple community groups—either by location or shared interests—streamlining administration and fostering deeper connections.
Celebrating Excellence
The conference concluded with the presentation of two prestigious awards.
I am thrilled to share that I received the Harold Taylor Award for outstanding contributions to the organizing industry and POC. It is an honour to be recognized among such talented and dedicated professionals.
Congratulations to Dawn Robertson, the recipient of the Ambassador Award. It was created to honour a POC member who gives back to other organizers, who is involved with his or her chapter and who devotes time and energy to volunteering in the local community.
Gratitude to Our Sponsors
A heartfelt thank-you to our sponsors and speakers whose support made this event possible.
Reflecting on an Unforgettable Experience
The 2024 POC conference was a celebration of our collective achievements and a source of inspiration for the future. It reinforced why conferences are such invaluable experiences—to learn, connect, strategize, and celebrate our shared passion for organizing. Here’s to the next 25 years of impact!
If you want to learn more about Professional Organizers in Canada contact me and let’s chat.
Julie Stobbe is the 2024-2025 winner of the Harold Taylor Award for outstanding contributions to the organizing industry and Professional Organizers in Canada. As a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach, she brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides, mentors and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
It sounds like a lot of great information shared within a single day! Thank you for sharing this.
The new 2 day format was interesting. I like to have it all in one day but i do live in the eastern time zone. For an association that reaches across 5 time zones dividing it into 2 days is better so no one needs to get up too early or stay up to late. 2025 will be a virtual conference too.
Wow, Julie, I am so glad you shared this. First, congratulations on winning the Harold Taylor Award. I’m sorry to hear that the event wasn’t held in person this year, but I know how expensive conferences are (for the organizations as well as for the attendees, both in expense and missed time at home); it sounds like the resulting conference was nonetheless a success.
The sessions sound amazing, though my 7th-grade French wasn’t enough to properly translate effectively, so Google rescued me and delivered “Detach: Getting to the End of Each Thinking Loop.” I wish I could have attended ALL of those sessions.
Management companies are great at managing conferences, but I’ve always believed that for the rest, professional organizers could manage the rest of an association with limited staff and good technology. As tech advances, I believe that even more. I’ll be eager to hear how POC handles everything post-transition.
Thank you for sharing this!
The new 2 day format was interesting. I like to have it all in one day. For an association that reaches across 5 time zones dividing it into 2 days is better so no one needs to get up too early or stay up to late. The information was good and the format worked well. In 2025 it will be a virtual conference as well.
Congratulations, Julie, on receiving the prestigious Harold Taylor Award! I’m applauding you from afar. Congratulations to POC, too, on reaching the 25-year milestone! Amazing!!! It’s terrific how POC was able to pivot this year to offer a great virtual experience.
I had the joy of attending several in-person POC conferences when I was ICD President and President-Elect. I have fond memories of the learning, the people, the enthusiasm, and the professionalism. I think you and I first met at one of the POC conferences 10+ years ago.
Yes our first meeting was at POC and the second at NAPO in Atlanta. Thank you for your kind words on receiving this award. Volunteering has helped me to learn a lot and meet and work with many supportive people.