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DotDotDot is a symbol of possibility, representing uncertainty. It’s an invitation to embrace the unknown.
At this event, two options are available:
- We’re thrilled to offer a three-night Workshop + Conference package
starting on Thursday, October 1st after 4pm and
ending on Sunday, October 4th after lunch.
This option not only includes the Open Space conference,
it also includes a day with Richard Sheridan and Melissa Boggs! - We’re also looking forward to having a two-night Conference package
This starts after 4pm on Friday, October 2nd and
ends after lunch on Sunday, October 4th.
It includes an Open Space conference to share, learn, and connect with others.
We’d love to tell you what the Open Space event will be about, but the truth is we’re not sure. It’ll be up to you to determine who’s there and what we do. Some possible topics might include things like Product Management, Project Management, Change Management, Organizational Design, Training Techniques, Facilitation, Ways of Working, Human Centred Design, Agile, Lean, Scrum, Kanban, XP, AI, or dozens of other topics. It totally depends on you. I’m pretty sure there will be games – lots and lots of games.
As far as who comes – that’s also up to you. If you’re attending, we’re hoping you’ll extend and encourage others to join. We want this to be a time to connect and reconnect with people you’d like to spend time with, and the best way to make that happen is to reach out to others who you’d like to spend time with.
Welcome to an all-inclusive experience to learn, share, and reconnect with others. This event will use an extremely lightweight version of Open Space Technology. It’s for folks to come together to share their own experiences and learn from others related to the work we do. It’s a chance to reconnect in an all-inclusive, retreat-like environment.
Two event options are available:
Option 1: Workshops + Open Space Conference
Featuring Rich Sheridan & Melissa Boggs
This option starts with a Workshop on Friday after breakfast. To ensure you’re at the venue in time, you’ll be able to check-in on Thursday, October 1st after 4pm. Dinner is included Thursday night starting at 5:30, and will be followed by social time to enjoy games, hotel amenities (like the firepit), the on-site pub, socializing, and networking.
After breakfast on Friday, we’ll dig into the workshop topic of inspiring change.
We follow it because it’s safe. Because it’s known. Because we were taught that colouring inside the lines keeps us from getting hurt. But what if that script is what’s holding you back? What if the ideas you’re meant to bring to life, the changes your organization needs, aren’t in the script at all? We’re wired for caution, mistaking structure for certainty. We play small. We wait for permission. We stay busy without actually moving forward. The risk? Atrophy. In our work. In our teams. In ourselves.
We’ll explore what it means to nudge ourselves, our teams, and our entire organization forward into making meaningful impacts to improve outcomes. We’ll look at specific, tactical and practical actions that can be taken immediately. This isn’t about theory, but about how we might be able to impact and influence change on the things that matter to each of us personally.
We’ll also look at an example where an IT executive, and a successful one, was let go in a round of layoffs. Rather than going and finding another joyless position, he took the bold step to create his own company – one where joy is built into the very fabric of how they work. It doesn’t get much more audacious than taking a step like that. But it’s one that’s had an amazing impact, becoming a beacon for thousands of executives and individuals from around the world to flock to this company to see, firsthand, how work can be different.
Melissa Boggs is the former co-CEO of the Scrum Alliance. Recently, she’s been helping leaders and change agents go from Cautious to Audacious. She’s was the closing keynote speaker at the Agile Alliance’s Annual Conference. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how these principles and techniques can apply to us as individuals, and also we can use them to influence positive improvements and change within the organizations we work, regardless of where we sit in the organizational hierarchy.
Richard Sheridan is the founder of Menlo Innovations, and the author of “Joy Inc.” and “Chief Joy Officer”. After being laid off from his corporate IT leadership role, Rich decided to venture out on his own to create a company based in the idea that work could be, and should be, a joyful place. Work can be different than what so many of us have come to accept in corporate jobs. In his session on Friday, he’ll share some of his experiences, discuss the challenges and risk he faced in creating this world-renowned company, but how he was able to transform software development and delivery into something that is far more humane. Participants will leave with first-hand experiences, along with ideas for how we can nudge this to life in any organization with practical tips, experiments, ideas, and approaches.
We’ll see how much of what Melissa has to share aligns with Rich’s story in founding and fostering Menlo Innovations!
These sessions will be held on Friday, October 2nd. With lots of time to socialize, it should be a fantastic and educational day!
For those of you choosing this option, you’ll be able to check in to your hotel room on Thursday October 1st, with lots of time to socialize and play games Thursday evening. The workshops will start Friday, right after breakfast, and are scheduled to wrap up around 3pm (with lots of breaks during the day). Those joining for only the Open Space Conference will arrive after 4pm on Friday.
Option 2: Open Space Conference
Starting after 4pm on Friday, October 2nd, you’ll check into your hotel room, have dinner (which is included, of course). After dinner, we’ll get to know each other a little with some lightly structured activities to bring us all together. Saturday will be an Open Space format where I’m hoping you’ll bring topics or questions you’re interested in sharing or learning about. Saturday evening after dinner will involve social networking time at the on-site pub, board games, card games, or all sorts of other activities. Sunday will continue the Open Space format in the morning, and the event will wrap up after lunch.
What is Open Space?
Open Space Technology is a way to create inspired meetings and events. It’s an event structure where everyone in attendance can work together to create extraordinary results. At an Open Space event, participants create and manage their own agenda of parallel working sessions.
Open Space works best when the work to be done is complex, the people and ideas involved are diverse, the passion for resolution (and potential for conflict) are high, and the time to get it done was yesterday. While Open Space is known for its apparent lack of structure and welcoming of surprises, it turns out that the Open Space is actually very structured — but that structure is so perfectly fit to the people and the work at hand, that it goes unnoticed in its proper role of supporting (not blocking) best work.
At the start of the day, we’ll co-create a marketplace of topics, ideas, and questions. Throughout the day, everyone will have the chance to attend the sessions on topics they’re most interested in learning about, or sharing their own personal experience or expertise at. You don’t need to be an expert on a topic to propose it; often the best sessions come from curiosity and a willingness to explore something that’s of interest to you. It could be a challenge you’re facing, or something you’ve heard about and want to learn more. Or it could be something you’ve experienced that is so good you want to share it with others. Whatever it is, it can be added to the agenda for the day.
At the start of the day, we’ll remind ourselves that there are four Principles and one Law for the day. The Principles remind us how to think about uncertainty and surprises:
- Whoever comes are the right people,
- Whenever it starts is the right time,
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened, and
- When it’s over it’s over.
The Law of Two Feet (aka “The Law of Mobility”) says that “You, and only you, know when you are learning and contributing as much as you can.” It reminds us that “If you find yourself in a situation where you are neither learning or contributing, use your two feet, and/or whatever you use to get around, to go somewhere you can learn and contribute more.”
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For either the Workshop + Conference package, or the Conference package, you can select a single room (you’ll have a room all to yourself), or a shared room (and save a bunch of money… Each shared room includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms – the only thing you really share is one common entry door to the room). Obviously, it’s entirely up to you, but I’d highly recommend looking at the lower cost of the shared room and considering that as an option to attend at a lower price.
📍 The event will be held at the DEV Centre. It’s located at 1950 Montreal Road, in Cornwall, Ontario.
What about pricing?
How much is something amazing like this going to cost?
And, where does my money go?
Those are all really good & important questions. The first thing to know is that this is a not-for-profit event. That means the price covers the cost of running the event, with a small amount of contingency in place in case something comes up. But CA3C is a not-for-profit entity, and only tries to break even.
The cost of the event covers all of the following:
- Your room (single or shared),
A shared room includes two bedrooms and two washrooms;
the only thing you really share is a single door to get into the room.
Shared rooms are a pretty good deal. - All meals (dinner the night you arrive; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; breakfast & lunch on Sunday),
- Workshop sessions (if you pick the “Workshop + Conference” option),
- The conference itself, with typical conference/event supplies,
- Coffee, tea, drinks, and snacks during the days,
- All gratuities, and
- Event insurance, and all applicable taxes.
- Oh… And it’s possible there will be some surprise giveaway prizes!
So here’s what you can expect for the regular prices:
- Conference + Workshop: 3 nights (~$440/night) + Workshop = $1,750 (shared room, per person)
- Conference + Workshop: 3 nights (~$490/night) + Workshop = $1,920 (single room)
- Conference only: 2 nights (~$440/night) = $875 (shared room, per person)
- Conference only: 2 nights (~$490/night) = $985 (single room)
Purchasing your ticket early will get you the best price.
If you’re wondering about how these prices came to be, a shared room, three meals (dinner, breakfast, and lunch), gratuities, municipal & federal taxes comes out to about $350 per person, per night. It’s about $50 more per night if you want your own (single) room. On top of that are the costs for the conference room, supplies, conference catering (and gratuities), and insurance. Those items work out to a little under $100 per person. If you’re coming for the workshop, there’s obviously a cost associated with making that happen, above the room, food, and conference costs.
What’s not included in your registration
- Transportation to/from the venue
- Alcohol purchases with meals at the Propeller Restaurant (where our meals will be served)
- Purchases at the on-site Jet Set Pub
- Services or treatments at the on-site Sky Serenity Spa
- Purchases from the on-site café
What amenities are available & included?
- Outdoor Fire Pit
- Indoor Pool
- Sauna
- Fitness Centre
- Outdoor Volleyball Court
- Outdoor Tennis Courts
- Gymnasium
- Basketball Courts
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Here’s a bit of small print and some FAQs. You should expand this section and read it. And then you should click one of the “Register Here” buttons to buy your ticket to come to the event!
- Code of Conduct:
- By attending the event, you agree to be respectful and professional. Treat others as you’d like to be treated. That’s all we have for a code of conduct because we hope it’s all we need to say on this topic.
- By attending the event, you agree to be respectful and professional. Treat others as you’d like to be treated. That’s all we have for a code of conduct because we hope it’s all we need to say on this topic.
- Photos:
- Your photo may be taken an used for promotional purposes or shared with other participants. If you would prefer your photo not to be taken or used, please let Jeff know. And while I’ll do everything reasonable to honour your wishes, I can’t promise that you won’t appear in photos taken by others during the event.
- Your photo may be taken an used for promotional purposes or shared with other participants. If you would prefer your photo not to be taken or used, please let Jeff know. And while I’ll do everything reasonable to honour your wishes, I can’t promise that you won’t appear in photos taken by others during the event.
- Non-Refundable:
- Your ticket purchase is non-refundable.
- Your ticket is transferrable anytime before September 28th. Just send me a note with your information and the email address & details of the person you’re transferring the ticket to, and I’ll look after updating the reservation so they can check into the hotel.
After September 28th, we’re not able to make any changes. - We use the Zeffy platform for managing the event & processing payments. Zeffy is a platform that’s free for not-for-profit corporations to use, which means we don’t pay any credit card processing fees. When you pay $100, we get $100. But Zeffy will ask you to make a donation during the checkout process. It’s optional, and you don’t have to donate their suggested amount. But it helps keep the platform free for not-for-profit organizations like us.
If you make a donation to Zeffy and have a question about it, even if I wanted to help, I can’t… I don’t know you’ve made this donation, and I never see it. It goes directly to Zeffy.
- What if the event gets cancelled?
- I never really had to think much about this prior to 2020. But now it seems like a reasonable thing to include. If something happens and the event needs to be rescheduled, your payment will be applied to that new event. If for some reason the venue cancels our event and refunds us, those refunds will be passed along to you.
- I never really had to think much about this prior to 2020. But now it seems like a reasonable thing to include. If something happens and the event needs to be rescheduled, your payment will be applied to that new event. If for some reason the venue cancels our event and refunds us, those refunds will be passed along to you.
- Do I have to have a second person to get a Shared Room?
- Yep. If you want to get the lower pricing that a Shared Room offers, you do need to registerer two people. You’ll need to provide the names & email addresses (and dietary restrictions, if applicable) for each person when you register. If this is going to cause you severe challenges, please reach out to Jeff so he can help get the two of you registered. There are manual offline ways to make it happen.
- Yep. If you want to get the lower pricing that a Shared Room offers, you do need to registerer two people. You’ll need to provide the names & email addresses (and dietary restrictions, if applicable) for each person when you register. If this is going to cause you severe challenges, please reach out to Jeff so he can help get the two of you registered. There are manual offline ways to make it happen.
- Can I come to the workshop without coming Thursday night?
- The only way to attend the Friday Workshops is with the “Workshop + Conference” ticket.
- When you actually decide to actually show up at the venue is entirely up to you! This ticket price includes three night accommodation, and the meals associated with that stay, along with the Friday workshops.
- How involved will the Workshops be?
- If your concern is that it’ll be too much like work and you want to socialize a bit on Friday, you have nothing to worry about. We’ll have lots of time on Friday. We’re certainly not looking to make this too onerous on anyone! But you should be prepared to participate, as you see fit, to ensure you get value out of the material & how you might apply it in whatever professional or personal context makes sense to you!
- If your concern is that it’ll be too much like work and you want to socialize a bit on Friday, you have nothing to worry about. We’ll have lots of time on Friday. We’re certainly not looking to make this too onerous on anyone! But you should be prepared to participate, as you see fit, to ensure you get value out of the material & how you might apply it in whatever professional or personal context makes sense to you!
- What should I do if I have a question about something not covered here?
- Send Jeff an email at: jeff@AgileMagic.ca. He loves making up answers.