By Mike Judson
By now, your recollections of the first virtual LDSPMA annual conference may be fading a bit, so we decided to jog your memory with reminders about what a fabulous conference it was. As a friend used to say, “That’s one in a row!” and indeed it was one worth remembering.
COVID-19!
The big news this year was that COVID-19 forced the conference to take place online. The prospect of putting on a virtual conference was scary and daunting at first, but not as much as canceling the conference altogether, which nobody wanted to do. As plans came together, things began to look more and more doable. Speaking from a completely neutral viewpoint (yeah, right!) I’d say the result was not too bad for a first try. Here’s a mix of comments both applauding and lamenting the online format.
“I really liked the virtual conference. It keeps the conference affordable—no travel, car rental, nor hotel expenses.”
“I would not have been able to attend an in-person conference, so I really appreciate being able to view the session on my own time schedule.”
“I only wish we could have sat and had a meal together, and I wish we could have had the book signing thing that has been done before.”
“I’m not sure I’m a fan of prepared PowerPoint presentations in Zoom. The personal interaction was better.”
“I think this presentation style actually led to better Q&A sessions. The biggest drawback was the limited networking potential within the sessions and the necessary decrease in organic teaching with the prerecorded sessions.”
Survey Results
A post-conference survey revealed some positive, and somewhat surprising results. For example:
- More than 300 people attended online, the most of any LDSPMA Annual Conference to-date.
- Half of those responding to our post-conference survey were first-time attendees.
- People attended from 24 states and 3 countries.
- A majority of survey respondents rated the conference as “highly worthwhile.”
- There were just as many views of the recorded sessions after the conference ended as the live sessions. In other words, people really took advantage of the opportunity to continue watching the sessions long after the actual conference ended. That’s a huge perk of having a virtual conference!
Spiritual Focus
This year’s conference had a decidedly spiritual focus that made it that much better for many attendees. Here’s what some had to say:
“This was the most spiritual conference I have ever been to.”
“I attend a lot of writing conferences, at least three a year. I think what LDSPMA offers me that others do not is the unique LDS flair.”
“I come back every year because I feel the Spirit at the conference. And every year I forget that that is why I love it. Then I come back and there it is again.”
“I attended two years ago and again this year and both times I was blown away. The spirit of the Holy Ghost is strong with LDSPMA. I have attended similar conferences over the years and often notice the void of not feeling the Spirit.”
One comment from attendee Lynn Steen particularly caught our eye:
“Wow! As a writer, I loved the Conference! I’m a Nobody in the middle of Nowhere but had the opportunity to feed on so many things! The presenters, those selected to speak, and the subjects I was able to choose, all of that came together with precision with a wealth of information in the mix. I’m still trying to follow up on my notes. Added to that, everyone was LDS. That painted everything: the goals, and attitudes, the advice. I didn’t need to worry about whom to trust as we might do in other situations. The world is too caught up in making the money, not in “how” to do it the Lord’s way. Thank you!!”
Keynotes
All of the keynote sessions rated exceptionally well in our survey.
“Bonner Family, Brandon Mull, Hafens, Hilary Weeks—all inspirational and practical.”
“I loved the keynotes. They were inspirational.”
“The keynote addresses were all fantastic! The Hafens were so humble about having worked to produce a wonderful biography about Elder Maxwell. Hilary Weeks emphasized her seeking to honor Christ through her music and give him credit for her new marketing strategy. The Bonner Family members were so refreshing with their commitment to the faith. Brandon Mull’s entire presentation told how he was led by Christ to be where he is today—even when times were challenging. Well done, team, in selecting such meaningful presenters.”
Brandon Mull’s presentation received the most comments and the most enthusiastic comments.
“I loved the session with Brandon Mull. It was inspirational to me to hear of his journey from childhood and how he eventually became a successful writer.”
“I was grateful to hear of Brandon Mull’s journey as an author. It was incredibly relatable to my own experience, and it encouraged me to ‘press forward in faith.’”
“Brandon Mull was wonderful and informative about what he had to do to get going. That was so useful and good to hear.”
“I loved hearing about the spiritual side of Brandon Mull’s career. That isn’t something I’ve had the experience to hear him share in public.”
“I have so many thoughts about the conference, but the session that has stayed with me the most is the Brandon Mull Keynote Session. His message blended the best of the professional and spiritual sides of the work. I loved it.”
The really good news about Brandon Mull’s address is it is being made available to LDSPMA members soon and to those they invite to join the Association! You will see a special access link near the top of our home page on the website starting in January. Tell your friends and co-workers to sign-up so they can enjoy Brandon’s powerful message too!
What Lies Ahead?
Plans are already underway for our 2021 conference. Will it be in person? Online? A combination of both? Time will tell. One thing is certain, you won’t want to miss it!
Here’s proof I’m not the only one who loves the idea of a hybrid conference model. Another member recently wrote:
“I love that it is online. I would never have been able to attend otherwise. I also love that all the material is available to watch for a month afterward–so helpful! Whatever you do, I hope you keep the online capability–whether that means live-streaming it or recording it and archiving it after the fact. For an LDSPMA member like me who lives abroad, it was a goldmine.”
We want to hear what YOU think, so please fill out the survey you were emailed last week. All of the decisions the Board and the Conference Committee make are based on your preferences. We want to offer the tools and resources that can best help you share your creative talents with the world!
Thanks for attending this year’s conference. Here’s to another great one in 2021!
In case you missed out on some of the fun, here are some links to some of the sessions you can check out that we uploaded to our LDSPMA YouTube channel:
The Bonner Family were keynoters and spoke and sang about “Bringing People to Unity in Christ through Music”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h84dUQ-N57I&feature=youtu.be ).
In the Lifetime Achievement Awards Ceremony, Dean Hughes, Emily Watts, and Christopher Robbins were honored and spoke about their lives and careers, with Carole Mikita as the emcee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOy_RNgQlZk&feature=youtu.be
And here is a link to view the Praiseworthy Awards Ceremony that gave out publication awards in about a dozen categories, with Amanda Dickson as emcee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uj4sA-YT_w&feature=youtu.be
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