Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Participating Live From #GMIC

My last post talked about my experience attending The Sustainable Meetings Conference virtually. Today I am here in Montreal with my like-minded professionals, sitting in the room, I watched on the screen a few days ago. It looks remarkably the same, but now I am at a table filled with sustainability professionals eager to connect and learn more.

Over the past two days, I have had conversations with peers over tea or in the hallways that wouldn't have been possible virtually. I find myself re-energized by their passion and commitment. I have also talked with fellow tweeters that I have only known virtually--we feel like we have known each other for years. It is a hybrid world, indeed!

The buzz here is all about collaboration and communication towards a more sustainable future for our industry. While we may well be competitors in the outside world, this conference is a safe space to talk about issues, challenges and concerns. Tough to do virtually. I will defer my final comments about being a hybrid participant until later this week when I am not so tired, jet-lagged, and otherwise spent.

For now, it has been a fascinating experiment and I am grateful for the opportunity.

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