Here are my final thoughts regarding the 11th Annual At Home Dad Convention. Have your voice heard too at the Forums section of
www.athomedadconvention.com:
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. They were unique to Kansas City which made the trip very exciting to all the visiting Dads. Next year should be even better, especially the BBQ!
LOCATION. Absolutely perfect. Lots to see and do on the Plaza. More to do at Westport which was only a few blocks away. UMKC was only a 5 minute drive from the hotel and the auditorium at UMKC was the perfect set up.
THE MEDIA. When 10% of the participants are media, you know you are doing something unique and interesting that will land you more great sponsors. This will make the convention grow considerably and be even better.
CHARITY. Donating $200 to UMKC Women's Center. That has to be one the classiest things a group of men has ever done. I hope we can do more next year.
CONVENTION PLANNING COMMITTEE. Just having a convention at all was amazing since it was moving from Chicago for the first time in 10 years. The fact that it was the best one ever was outstanding!
BREAK OUT SESSIONS. Some were good (Digital Photography), some were not so good (Kids, Nutrition & Behavior), some were great (Open Forum about our kids), some were not well informed about their audience (Child Safety) and some were better than expected (Depression & Isolation). Overall the breakout sessions were informative and entertaining; worth the money for sure.
501 3C STATUS. It has been needed for awhile and now it appears we are officially a
national non-profit organization. Unfortunately, we didn't appear to be acting like one. The ink apparently was still wet on all the legal documents setting up our non-profit status so I am hopeful the details will filter out in the coming months.
SPONSORS. We had incredible sponsors this year, most notably UMKC as host and SOR for the Boulevard Brewery Meet & Greet, but with the aforementioned 501 3C status, even more sponsors will be coming. And with more sponsors comes better educational opportunities and more fun. I think we've earned that!
NEXT YEAR'S LOCATION - KANSAS CITY. Most Dads wanted to move the convention around in following years which I agree with, but having it in KC next year makes the most sense for now. I wouldn't mind it being in KC
EVERY YEAR. Sure, I'm biased, but if you were here, you would have to admit a lot of things made KC the best option - from it's central location in the U.S. to the location of the facilities and the realitively low cost. The city chosen for 2008 will have a lot to live up to.
Hope to see more of you at the 12th Annual At Home Dad Convention right here in Kansas City Nov. 2007!
Labels: At home dad
