Picture this…

You wake up on the morning of Friday, October 13 (oh so scary!) and make your way downtown on a beautiful, sunny Vancouver day – okay, that might be a bit too fantastical… it’s most likely raining. But you are enjoying the view of the Vancouver skyline as you head towards downtown Vancouver to the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel for BOSS 2017! Is this your plan for October 13? Because BOSS is where I’ll be. Here at Vantage Point we have a motto for this event: Bigger, Better BOSS-ier. We are now on year three of BOSS and our team’s mantra is holding true. We’ve leveled up the speakers, leveled up the numbers, and leveled up our excitement.

Why do I love to get BOSS-ier each year? Here’s why:

1) The Education
As not-for-profit leaders and changemakers, we work in a special world. If you think about it, while our causes may sprawl from senior pet rescue to youth services, we are a tight-knit community, sharing similar responsibilities in our day-to-day work. Because I am super practical, when I attend conferences, I like to select topics that align with my current work. This is because during the session I can discuss and learn with colleagues facing the same things as I am in my work. We become a community of sharing successes and new ideas. I’m looking forward to Unleash Your Inner ‘Super Power’ with Doris Orr – just one of the 13 amazing topics.

2) The Lunch Panel
I am so jazzed about this year panel discussion, The Impact of Investing in Leadership. There has been a lot of information percolating up about leadership in our sector, from Imagine Canada’s report on Young People & Nonprofit Work to Ignite NPS’ research on the Trends and Forces Reshaping Nonprofit Organizations. I’m excited to hear our panelists’ insights on why we should invest in ourselves and, perhaps, I can apply a nugget or two in my work right away.

3) And most importantly for me … the Hellos, High-fives, and Hugs.
Between a light breakfast, lunch, the sessions, and the glass of wine we cap the day off with, I leave with a new network of peers that I can connect with for questions that might come up during the year. And might I just say, a group of community leaders fuelled by a driving belief in positive change – that is BOSS!

In essence, I love BOSS because I leave energized, not exhausted. I’ve met with and learned from colleagues across BC’s not-for-profit sector and these connections make me better at what I do. And there is no better feeling than being a part of the most impactful gathering of not-for-profit leaders in BC.

Sounding pretty good? Great. See you on Oct 13th!

Seriously, go grab your ticket.