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PHO, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) and the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) are working together to plan a unique public health conference for the spring of 2011. Interest in the conference is high; a general call for volunteers to participate in a brainstorming session resulted in a lively workshop in February. Twenty-five participants from a range of organizations including clinical and public health, provincial and municipal government, academic institutions, and professional associations came together to share ideas and develop potential conference principles, themes and approaches. The brainstorming sessions generated many ideas and concepts. A number of key principles for an innovative, transformational conference generated a lot of excitement and will provide a foundation for planning going forward. They included formats to increase attendee engagement, such as pre-distribution of presenter materials to inform greater discussion and dialogue during the conference; a central venue with satellite broadcasts to designated regional locations, allowing regional participants to attend workshops by satellite but also to engage in the social and professional networking that is a key aspect of conferences; content and scope to appeal to a broader audience, including students and non-public health professionals; and use of technologies and tools for greater knowledge exchange and interaction. PHO, alPHa and OPHA are now continuing to plan for the conference based on the input from the workshop. Stay tuned for details! Thanks to all the participants for their energy and ideas. We’d love to hear what you think - email us at learning@oahpp.ca with your suggestions. |
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