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You are at > Best Practices Conference > Agenda
 
Sunday, April 27, 2008
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Opening Reception
 
Monday, April 28, 2008
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast

8:45 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome, Opening and Introductions by Greg Marsello, Vice-President, Learning Resources Network

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Setting the Context for Change –
Lifelong Learning in the 21st Century, William A. Draves,
President, Learning Resources Network

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Morning Break

10:15 a.m. – Noon Identification of the Overarching Themes, Greg Marsello, Paul Franklin, and Julia King- Tamang, senior LERN consultants This plenary session will be broken into three parts to address the three major adaptations lifelong learning program must make to survive and thrive in today’s environment.
 
“Our most recent success is how we focused our marketing
strategy around ‘deepening relationships’ and encouraging our best customers to be even better customers. The results are at a record-setting enrollment pace so far. And it all stems from the LERN concept of the USP, and delivering on it.”
Doug Soo, Dean of Continuing Studies, Langara College, Vancouver, BC

LERN’s strategies for addressing these themes and challenges will be summarized:
• Lifelong Learning programs must operate like a business.
• Lifelong Learning programs must be customer focused and market driven.
• Lifelong Learning programs need to be data-driven.

Noon – 1:00 p.m. Luncheon

1:00 – 3:45 p.m. Practitioner Panels and Groups

Discussion Panels of leading practitioners will explore how they have adapted to today’s challenges by adopting and implementing LERN strategies. Conference participants will be split into two groups. Groups will rotate between the two panel presentations held during the afternoon. Each session is 75 minutes long and will include panel discussions, participants small group discussions and question and answer periods. There will be a break between the two sessions.

Panel One: Every Journey Starts With a Single Step — Planning for Success Creating and executing one-year and long-range organizational, operational, marketing and programming plans Hear how leading practioners have made planning a cornerstone for their success. You’ll hear how benchmarks are created and used to measure success and the key attributes of successful organizational, operational, marketing and program planning.

Panel Two: 21st Century Success — Operating like a Business Implementing the right financial and budgeting processes All of our practioners operate programs that are self-sufficient and make an annual surplus. Learn how they have applied the right financial, budgeting and oversight strategies
for moving their programs to a position of ongoing financial stability.

4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Optional sessions with individual LERN consultants and panelists; optional social activities

6:15 p.m. Dinner
 
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Announcements – Greg Marsello

8:45 a.m. to Noon Panel Discussions

Panel Three: Hitting the Target — Marketing Strategies that Promote Efficiency and Growth All too often marketing in lifelong learning is an afterthought and a budgetary stepchild. Hear how successful practioners have made their programs market driven and customer focused and how they use key data to make decisions and drive more dollars to the bottom line.

Panel Four: Right on the Money — Corporate and Contract Training: Selling Strategies that Work
Corporate and contract training are big financial producers for our leading practioners. Learn how they position their programs for success, how they staff for maximum effectiveness and sell for maximum dollars.
Noon to 1:00 p.m. Luncheon
 
“LERN has proven to be a valuable resource over the years. By implementing their proven techniques, our program has been able to succeed and grow.”

Dee Baird, Vice President, Continuing Education and Training Services Kirkwood Community College

1:00 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Panel Discussions

Panel Five: Finding the Right Product — Strategies for Effective Programming Deploying a series of LERN programming techniques and benchmarks, our practioners have all created successful programming models that foster winners and limit “loser”
courses and events. Learn how these practioners plan, manage and evaluate programming for maximum success.

Panel Six: A Solid Foundation — Staffing and Organizational Structure for Success All of the conference’s successful practioners have retooled their organization and restructured their staff along the path to building successful operations. Learn what steps they have taken and why. Discover how they overcame organizational and staff resistance and how they benchmark and evaluate for continued success.

4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Optional individual sessions with LERN consultants and panelists; Optional social activities

6:15 p.m. Dinner
 
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Moving Forward in the 21st Century

9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Panelist Q&A

All of the panelists will be together, and you will have the opportunity to ask any and all questions you have about specific program and operating strategies and techniques.
Each panelist will share their one “must do” for success.

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 – Noon Creating an Action Plan
Structured activity to assist you in creating an action plan for your program. Panelists and LERN staff will serve as your consultants.

Noon Adjourn
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