By: Andrea Drysdale, Prospect Researcher, Office of External Relations, Dalhousie University
In August of this year I was fortunate enough to attend the APRA International Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, thanks to the financial support provided by the 2014 Radikha Jaggernauth Memorial Scholarship and my institution, Dalhousie University.
I was aware that the APRA International Conference was a professional development highlight for prospect researchers, and the conference met, and in fact exceeded, my expectations. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to network with colleagues nationally and internationally. I met people from as far away as the UK, Australia and Puerto Rico who, despite geographic distances and different political landscapes, nevertheless faced similar challenges in their institutions and their day-to-day jobs in the world of prospect research and development.
The individual seminars were extremely useful, both in terms of confirming that my colleagues and I in Halifax are “on track” with our daily practices, and introducing me to new trends in prospect research and development across North America and beyond.
My coworkers and I are beginning to implement what I learned at the conference in our day-to-day work and in our long-term planning, and we are looking forward to adopting some of the practices currently followed at other universities. On a personal level, the conference also helped me to identify areas of professional development I want to explore further, perhaps at future APRA conferences.
All the other elements of the conference were extremely well planned and executed – the vendor exhibits and presentations, the keynote presentation by Dr. Una Osili of the Indiana University Eli Lilly Family School of Philanthropy with her fascinating look at the philanthropic trends which are revealed by studying “big data,” and even the coffee breaks and meals that provided further opportunities for networking and socializing.
The dinner I attended with my Canadian colleagues was a highlight for me, affording me the opportunity to connect in person with colleagues from across the country. The conference hotel, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, was spectacular, with every amenity a conference attendee could need.
Thank you very much to the APRA Canada scholarship committee for granting me the Radikha Jaggernauth award. I encourage all my Canadian colleagues to apply for the next award, as the APRA International Conference really is not to be missed.