2012 Spring Conference
 
Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
2012 Spring Conference 

Local to Global: Strengthening Our Community
Educate. Equip. Engage.

April 13 - 17, 2012

 

Overview
GII’s Spring Conference is an opportunity for Goodwill professionals to engage in networking and learning opportunities in the areas of workforce development, resource development, human resources, public policy, family financial stability and community engagement.  Learn about Goodwill best practices in each discipline, as well as trends beyond the Goodwill network.
 
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill will be the host hotel for the Spring Conference and they are now accepting reservations. Call (800) 233-1234 or (202) 737-1234 or click here to reserve your room online. Be sure to mention the “2012 Spring Conference” to receive the conference rate of $219 per night. The deadline to reserve your accommodations is March 9, 2012, but book early as the hotel fills up quickly.   Reservations made after March 9, 2012 will be subject to room availability and higher rates. If you are participating in the Hill visits, please note that the meetigs are scheduled through 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 17th, be sure to reserve your hotel room accordingly.
 
                                             
                                                   
Hyatt Regency Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill       
 400 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 737-1234
 
 
Conference Registration Fee
CEO - $475
MS Team Member - $475
Goodwill Agency Team Member - $475
Advocacy Only Events - No Fee
 
Group Rate: You will have the opportunity to register additional attendees at a discounted rate during the registration process. All attendees must be registered at the same time using the following ID Code: SPDiscount.  Please note that the ID Code is case sensitive. The first registrant is charged the full conference fee of $475 - each subsequent registrant will receive a $50 discount. 
 
Local to Global: Strengthening Our Community

Goodwill agencies continue to be innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training, employment placement services and other community programs by selling donated clothes and household items at Goodwill retail stores and on line, and through contract services, private and public grants, and individual giving. Given current trends with regards to the economy, changing demographics and more, we need to work harder and smarter to provide more opportunities for people to achieve economic stability and build strong families and vibrant communities. Critical components to local success include:

 
  • collaborating across disciplines, within the Goodwill enterprise, with government agencies and other community partners
  • leveraging the enterprise through our brand, advocacy efforts in our states as well as on Capitol Hill
  • developing our human resources talent and strengthening our teams
 

This year’s conference will focus on these issues while addressing the core competencies that have contributed to Goodwill’s success.

 

EDUCATE
 
We have developed an exciting program with over 60 sessions that will provide information, engage you in conversation and encourage you to take action back at your local agency. Below you will find a list of program highlights.
 
General Sessions:  We are focusing on the future in order to strengthen our community from local to global. On Saturday, April 14th, Elliott Masie will join us for an inspiring conversation about the future of learning. Elliott is a pioneer in learning, technology, future trends identification and workforce development. On Monday, April 16th Secretary Hilda L. Solis, U.S. Department of Labor will provide a keynote address on the Administration’s efforts to expand opportunities for people with challenges to employment. 
 
Pre-Conference Sessions:  Various pre-conference sessions are planned for Friday, April 13, as well as two two-day workshops on Grants Management and Expanding Your Training Skills. Please make note of these pre-conferences and plan your travel arrangements and hotel reservations accordingly. We encourage you to come early and stay late.
 
Concurrent Sessions:  These sessions give conference attendees the opportunity to delve deeper into a wide range of topics that have an impact on the Goodwill enterprise, our local agencies and the communities we serve.These sessions occur on Saturday, April 14th through the morning of Monday, April 16th.
 

Hill Visits and Advocacy-Related Sessions: On April 17, attendees are encouraged to participate in meetings on the Hill with Members of Congress and their staff.  This is a great opportunity to build relationships with policymakers, educate them about your Goodwill, and strengthen Goodwill’s public policy influence.  GII will arrange meetings with those who register for the event.  A mandatory training session will be held on Monday afternoon for all individuals conducting Hill visits.  Participants will receive their meeting schedules, an in depth overview of GII’s policy priorities, and have an opportunity to role play and discuss each meeting. If you have particular questions regarding the advocacy related sessions and Hill visits, please contact Laura Walling, GII Director of Advocacy & Legislative Affairs at laura.walling@goodwill.org.  Please click here for the Advocacy DAY FAQ document.

 
EQUIP
 

As you go through the agenda, you will notice that we have included session formats in the descriptions as well as resources you might find relevant and worth reviewing before you attend the session. We encourage you to take a look at these resources and descriptions as you decide which sessions to attend. If there are other resources we can provide to equip you for your learning experience, please let us know. Below you will find other resources that we have provided for you.


Free Book - There will be several sessions related to Outcomes Management at the 2012 Spring Conference.  We recommend reading Leap of Reason before attending the conference. Limited copies of Leap of Reason will be available at the 2012 Spring Conference.  To download pdf (free), iBook (free), or Kindle ($1) versions, click here.  Venture Philanthropy Partners will also send free copies to your Goodwill agency –  Click here if you want free hard copies or our board package for strategic planning sessions, performance-management projects, professional development, board meetings, etc.


We Are Going Green:  To support our Going Green Initiative, hard copies of handouts will not be provided at sessions. All session presentations and handouts will be available on MyGoodwill at least one week before the event, and will remain on MyGoodwill for your reference during and after the conference. If you want to have hard copies available to you, you can print session materials before you leave for the conference, or on-site at the event by using the computers and printers available in the Learning Lounge.  


Conference Scholarships:  Don't forget about the scholarship program, which provides support for local Goodwill representatives to attend the various GII-sponsored events including the Spring and Summer Conferences, Conference of Executives and Delegate Assembly. Scholarships are awarded primarily on financial need. Click here to download the scholarship application.


Advocacy Day Program Participant Scholarships:  GII is offering scholarships for agencies to send a program participant (Goodwill Client) and staff member to participate in the Advocacy Day training on Monday, April 16th and then visit with policymakers and staff on Tuesday, April 17th. Click here  to download the application and for more information. 
 
ENGAGE
 

One of the great values of attending the GII Spring Conference is networking with colleagues, meeting up with friends and exploring new relationships. Below you will find some activities and formats that we have created for you to engage with each other before, during and after the conference.

 

Twitter:  Twitter has become a popular forum for conference attendees to communicate with each other before, during and after events.  Below you will find instructions on how to set up your twitter account so you will get messages from your colleagues and continue the conversations online during the Spring Conference.
 

Set Up Your Twitter Account
Sending and receiving updates through Twitter while at the Spring Conference helps you stay up-to-date and remain engaged with the conference. If you’re not already on Twitter, start by signing up for an account at https://twitter.com/signup.


Once you’ve signed up, there are a few ways to get started using Twitter on the go:

  • Many new smartphones come with a free Twitter application (or app) already installed. Look for the blue Twitter bird to see if your phone is already Twitter-ready.
  • If you have a smartphone but don’t have Twitter installed, visit https://twitter.com/#!/download on your phone and download the free app straight to your phone. Once it’s installed, just open the app and log in with your Twitter username and password. (Learn more about installing apps on Blackberry, iPhone and Android devices).
  • If you don’t have a smartphone or don’t want to go the app route, you can sign up to receive Twitter updates as text messages (or SMS). Visit Twitter’s help center page to learn how to set up your phone to receive messages via SMS. Each Twitter message will count as a text message, so be sure you know what your plan looks like with your mobile provider.
Regardless of how you access Twitter, be sure to follow or subscribe to updates from the official event Twitter at https://twitter.com/GIIEvent. Want to tweet a message to the GII events team and other conference attendees? Start your tweet with @GIIEvent. To follow advocacy related sessions/hill day start your tweet with @GoodwillCapHill and #Spring12.  
             
Listen to Twitter founder Evan Williams talk more about the functionality of Twitter.
 

First-Timers’ Session - Welcome to Our Home Town!  Attend the first-timers’ session on Friday, April 13 at 5:00 p.m. to learn how to get the most out of the event, meet colleagues from other Goodwill organizations and team members from the GII Member Services Center. We will also go over how to navigate the city including metro tips, areas to visit and more. 

 
                                                               
 
Getting the Good Out of Goodwill Welcome Reception and Resource Fair - Immediately following the First Timer’s session on Friday, April 13th we invite all conference attendees to the welcome reception and resource fair. Utilize this forum to connect with friends and colleagues from across the Goodwill enterprise and learn about new resources available to you and your agency. Afterwards, we encourage you to explore the different neighborhoods in our hometown. There is a lot going on in the Springtime in Washington, DC. Click here for more information on what to explore during your time here in the Washington metropolitan area.
 

Advocacy Awards Presentation & Reception

Join us, Tuesday, April 17th from 10:00am – 11:00am on the Hill in congratulating the winners of the GII Policymaker Leader Award and GII Agency Advocacy Award. All Members of Congress who will be granted this prestigious award will be invited to attend.

 

Networking Lounge:  This is the place to grab a snack, meet with colleagues, share ideas on a range of topics and check your e-mail. The lounge will be open

 

Planned Evening Activities:  We encourage you to explore the different neighborhoods in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. We have also planned activities for you to network with colleagues. Saturday evening, we have reserved seats for a performance at the Kennedy Center. The NSO Pops and Sweet Honey in The Rock will inspire you for the rest of the weekend with their performance. We encourage you to stay over on Monday evening for a night out at Nationals Park for a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. This has become one of the trendiest areas in the region and the views from the stadium are spectacular. Before going to the Hill on Tuesday join us Monday evening for a night out at Nationals Park for a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. Tickets to this game are at a discounted rate of $20.

                    
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact Everett T. Shupe, II, CMP, at (800) 741-0197, ext. 5258, or Rosemarie McBride, CMP, at ext. 5320 or by email: giievents@goodwill.org.
 
See you soon in Washington, D.C.!
 
The GII Events Team