Get Smart 2014

Written by Shelley Kilpatrick.

On Friday, October 17, 2014 from 1-5 p.m., the WCA will be hosting our annual Get Smart Conference. Since its inception, the Get Smart Conference has been a signature event for professional development that is designed to leave your brain buzzing with information. But how did it come about?

During the 2007-2008 year under Anne Lasseigne Tiedt’s presidency, she and her co-chairs of professional development, Andrea Exter and Pam Bixby, wanted to create the framework for a new event that would complement what was already happening with Banner Bruch. The event needed to be something that could be replicated every year with a different, yet relevant topic. The overall goal for that first year was to create something that everyone would enjoy and be excited about. And thus, the Get Smart Conference was born.

With great topics over the years including “Fail Forward”, “Understanding Multi-generational Workplaces”, and “Building a Better Toolbox”, the Get Smart Conference continues to be a fun, focused way to develop your skills and learn new ones.

And this year’s conference, “The Power of Your Voice, The Power of Your Message”, will be no different. With so many new communication mediums that never existed before – social media, blogs, videos, etc. – how do you consistently communicate your message and drive results without losing your voice? Together, we will explore how to find your voice, the power behind it, and how that power impacts your message.

In addition to the 2 breakout sessions and keynote speakers, there will be an after-party/happy hour for formal networking and further discussions about the conference.

Here’s what a few WCA members had to say about their past conference experiences:

“I just moved to Austin from Boston before my first Get Smart in 2010. To this day, I often recall to friends the career advice from that year’s keynote speaker, the brazen and amazing communicator, Stephanie Klein. She said, stop analyzing and just do it. A writer, a photographer, an advertiser…Stephanie was successful in all of these careers mostly because of gumption, self-training and a little bit of bad ass. Get Smart brought out in me a little bit of bad ass.”

– Ellen Decareau

“There’ve always been one or two things that I wasn’t expecting to learn that ‘twisted the prism’ to give me a different way of looking at something.”

– Lisa Maxwell

“Beyond the basic networking and information, the conference is a place to feel connected with your peers that do the same work and to get valuable feedback from people you might not get to see all the time. And even though the environment is laid-back, you’re able to learn more in just one afternoon than you would during a series of seminars.”

– Ileene Haddad