Young Creatives Summit

Okay – so one more Summit behind us…  Almost 150 participants pre-registered, about 25 people came as walk-ups, and there were 100+ volunteers involved in different aspects of the event.  So – we’re talking about 275 at the Dayton Convention Center working on getting young, creative professionals and students engaged in the region.  Not bad for a few hours on a Friday.  Now for my opinions on it: There were obvious improvements from last year (added professional development and networking opportunities and really, really streamlined the final voting process) and a couple aspects that people didn’t love as much (the move from Saturday to Friday).  Let’s talk about the good and the not-so-good from the Young Creatives Summit.

First – some FYIs:
1)  Keep in mind that the mission of updayton is about young talent retention and attraction.  So – building toward that – the Summit is about getting the largest number of young people excited about these projects.  We’re going for the people who still wonder, “What’s in Dayton?” and “Should I move away?”  And about the projects – would an individual or government taking action implement it quicker, better, and bigger?  Maybe – but remember that we’re about the engagement process, and for that you need lots of people and group buy-in.  Hence the all-powerful dot voting (at least no clickers!).
2)  There’s been a lot of behind the scenes work happening in prep for the Summit, and for every survey, focus group, and session – we listen and actually keep the info people tell us (I hate going to sessions where you share your ideas and then all the work ends up in the trash).  So – if something was “magically unveiled” during your breakout session or if questions were pre-plugged into your workshop session, it’s because over the course of the last two years our participants have stated those concerns and asked for solutions.  Want to know more? Read some of our research here.

Now that you know the “why,” here are some general thoughts.  YEA!  Overall, we are really excited about the success of the Summit and happy with the outcome.  We just came out of a great town-hall where people were engaged and active, and community leaders were seeing young professionals stating their concerns about the region.  We aren’t asking for the government to solve our problems, but we’re letting them know our top concerns – and if they’re smart, they’ll remember what we need/want!  It was good.  And it went smoothly.  And it was fun.  And it’s only 5:20 PM. And as soon as I’m done with this, I’m going to the afterparty.  =)

So – going through the Summit session by session:

Registration went smoothly and participants had the opportunity to have some lunch and learn about some organizations (employers, resources, and YP groups) they might not have known about.  After a welcome from Scott Murphy, the project lead, participants headed off to break-out sessions to get the juices flowing and talk about their ideas for Dayton.  We tried to keep the sessions smaller this year to let the conversation flow and get some really good dialogue.  Still had about 15 people per room, but some great stuff came out of it.

After the break-outs we moved on to the skills workshops.  This was a new part of the Summit, and we’re pretty excited about it.  A lot of people from our 2009 action plans struggled with the actual implementation of their projects.  Kinda like when you’re an entrepreneur – you might be really good at your specialization, but you might not know how to run a business.  We wanted to provide some of the basics of community projects before we sent our participants out the door.  It was also a great way to highlight twelve of the local young professional organizations in the region.  Overall, it went smoothly – people provided the questions they wanted asked during online registration, so we didn’t have to waste time with people raising hands.   Some were exciting and fun – some were a little more “dry.”  The other challenge (con) is that so many people with different backgrounds are in the same session – we had development professionals and people who had never written a grant in their life sitting in the fundraising sessions.  So – there’s no way to meet all needs, but the workshops did what they were intended to do: give a crash course in the skills that people need to advance their projects.  And we are so grateful for our panelists – there are people in the top of their field who took the time to come and share their knowledge with the next generation of community and business leaders.

Then we get to the Town Hall.  Everyone coming back together with only about 25 minutes remaining.  Time to kick-it into high-speed.  Thanks to Andre Wilson (updayton vice-chair who’s responsible for everything starting in 2011), we got back, settled, and ready to go.  The new format seemed to work a lot better.  For those who don’t know (technical difficulties aside), last year EVERYONE got to vote on every project that came back to the town hall.  When devising this year’s Summit, it didn’t seem fair that a some projects didn’t get any love because people weren’t interested in that particular topic.  So, this year people split up in the Town Hall and picked one topic to discuss and make the final decision on.  Although it would have been cool to be in the discussions and hear what everyone else was up to, we wanted participants to know that one project out of their topic will be selected by the end of the day.  There are pros and cons, but overall, I think it led to better focus as well as making it go quicker.  Still ran a bit over, but 5:10 isn’t a problem, especially when the afterparty starts at 5:30.

To end the day, Adam Coatney, chair of one of the 2009 projects got up to talk a bit about how the process works.  Maybe we don’t offer a lot of money and maybe we’re not making a huge impact in highly-visual ways, but when 2009 participants of the Summit drive down Wayne Avenue, they know that it’s because of them that there are murals on those walls, the street is cleaner, and lights are going up to make it more walkable.  And people know that because they demanded an “online resource hub” that Billy and DMM worked with volunteers (and the cash we could provide) to make-over this site.  But it’s not just about the projects, it about the fact that 250 people came together to have their say in making the region more user-friendly – it’s about the involvement.  But project are GREAT.  Feasible projects do come out of the Summit and we’re excited for the ones we’ll be starting soon:

Communities – “Howdy Neighbor”  This group will partner with neighborhood associations and priority boards to recognize the good work that is being done by individuals in the neighborhoods.  They intend to highlight the people who are creating vibrant spaces and work to create a sense of community.  Using South Park (and other revitalized neighborhoods) s a model, they can create a weekly newsletter and format other ways to let neighbors know about the good work that’s being done.

At this point, the projects are a little nebulous, but that’s the way these things start.  (Also, I could have missed the point a little bit – there was a LOT going on.)  It’s at the action plan launch that the details will start to come together.  If you want to be a part of it – the launch is on Monday, May 3 at c{space starting at 6 PM.  Although our mission is to engage young creatives in the region, anyone who wants to be a part of the change is welcome to join us.

I know it wasn’t a perfect event – and we’ll make more improvements next year.  So, add your comments below or link to your blog where you can tell us your thoughts.  We can all stand to do a little better, but remember: updayton is a group of volunteers working to plug the brain drain, giving young people a say in the future of the region, and inviting young creatives to dig in and be part of the change that makes the region more vibrant and accessible to them.

And overall – thanks for coming!

(sorry I rambled – long day and off to that after-party now)