by Jim Jirak
When you think of Las Vegas, what first comes to mind? The cha-ching of the slots or hitting it big at the tables? The bright lights of the smoke-filled casinos? Elvis impersonators or other celebrity look-alikes? Perusing the Vegas strip with all its shops and restaurants? Or is it the summer heat? All of these items are prevalent during the summer months in Sin City.
With that said, it is the backdrop of Louisville's Churchill Downs that saw the culmination of the collaborative efforts of ACB's Leadership Task Force to launch a successful leadership training in conjunction with the ACB conference and convention in July 2012. Dubbed the "Inaugural Leadership Conference," each agenda item focused on various aspects of leadership responsibilities and provided a cohesive and meaningful conference experience.
Building on the momentum of this conference and several regional training opportunities since, ACB is once again offering to anyone interested in leadership development or leadership enhancement the opportunity to learn and grow.
The all-day training takes place at the Riviera Friday, July 11 at 8 a.m. and will cost $75, which includes lunch and electronic hand-outs. We hope this training will attract emerging leaders within affiliates and others who feel they could benefit from some additional leadership training. Affiliates should begin thinking about who might benefit most from expanded training and encourage and support those individuals' involvement. Registration is also open to individuals who feel they want to reach out and gain more training to become emerging leaders in an ACB affiliate. Are you, or do you know someone who has expressed genuine interest in and follow-through with projects? Are you a scholarship winner or new board member who feels they need a little additional training and mentoring?
This year's theme is "Profile of a Leader: An Interactive Day of Skills Improvement." Topics include, but are not limited to, characteristics of a leader, running meetings, membership development, recruitment and retention, fund-raising and a fun and interactive group activity. Registration for this event will be a part of the pre-convention registration, which will be available soon.
If you're looking for a singularly effective means of increasing affiliate membership, training tomorrow's leaders, improving the ability of current leaders, and creating a vibrant, active and empowered state or special-interest affiliate, look no further than ACB's leadership training seminar. The Leadership Training Task Force is placing bets that many will take advantage of the opportunity to learn and grow. Remember, in this case, what happens in Vegas need not stay in Vegas.