strategic education, learning or professional development outcomes) to:
1. Specific and narrow objectives intended to help achieve the association’s strategic goals; and
2. Clear metrics intended to measure/evaluate attainment of these goals and objectives.
Additionally, a mission statement specific to the annual conference was developed to ensure all association stakeholders universally understand the event’s purpose. It reads as follows:
The mission of the AORE Annual Conference is to provide professionals, students and organizations who advance the field of outdoor recreation and education the opportunity to learn, network and improve performance while ensuring the association’s financial viability.
Finally, financial goals were established, including board-approved revenue goals for registration, the silent and live auctions, exhibitors, sponsorships and both pre- and post-conference workshops, among others.
Similarly, non-financial goals were established. Following are just a few examples:
-Ensure attendees learn both about AORE’s current initiatives and about three to five best practices, products and services to advance their programs.
-Create an environment in which attendees are reunited with old friends and meet/network with a diverse audience of at least seven to 10 individuals.
-Guide attendees in identifying and then transferring three takeaways in support of performance improvement within the first 30 days post-conference.
Each of 14 total financial and non-financial goals were then assigned an intentional road map of objectives and metrics designed to support, measure and evaluate success.
Engaging AORE Leaders
AORE has expanded Event Garde’s scope of work this year to extend to those action items of AORE committees, the Board of Directors and the National Office staff that directly relate to the annual conference (i.e., only conference-related deliverables). As part of this engagement, Event Garde will:
-Establish roles, responsibilities, expectations and norms;
-Seek understanding of all National Office-approved volunteer outcomes;
-Support the breakdown of high-level outcomes into step-by-step action items;
-Provide input on timelines for the completion of all action items;
-Establish benchmarks, metrics and reporting mechanisms for status updates;
-Help volunteers and staff work within established budget parameters;
-Facilitate effective communication across committees, the Board of Directors, the National Office staff and the conference host team;
-Unify education design across all platforms (e.g., breakout sessions, Summit Series, Research Symposium, pre-/post-conference workshops, experiential learning and Career Center sessions);
-Hold meetings by phone/video with volunteers and staff, as necessary;
-Facilitate and respond to email/phone communications with volunteers and staff between meetings; and
-Encourage the establishment of standard operating procedures and standard documents/forms.
In this capacity, Wolowiec and his team will have a greater presence among AORE’s volunteer leaders. They will also have greater flexibility to combine their knowledge of the AORE annual conference with their substantial meeting management expertise to ensure conference-related initiatives are planned and implemented in a cohesive and collaborative way.
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