Canberra Chapter Reports on APAC Leadership Institute

How did you spend your weekend in Canberra? A little resting? Perhaps brunching in Braddon then chilling (and digesting) by the lake? Maybe even some climate-change marching?
I want to share with you some of what the IABC Canberra board was up to, because our weekends can be pretty special too!
We headed up to Sydney for an intensive 48 hours at the Asia-Pacific Region Leadership Institute (APAC LI).
WHAT IS IT?The APAC LI is an annual opportunity for leaders from chapters around the Asia Pacific region to get together to talk member value, chapter management and learn from each other’s successes (and challenges).
This year saw members of your Canberra Chapter board get together with representatives from Japan, India, Fiji (the APAC’s newest IABC chapter!), Singapore, New Zealand, Victoria, Sydney and Brisbane. Michael Ambjorn, IABC’s Global Chair, was also in attendance, paving the way for some spirited discussions.
WHY?IABC is a global community of communication professionals, but in our extremely geographically dispersed region, it can be challenging to bring those global community benefits back to our members in the Canberra Chapter. The APAC LI is our opportunity to share, strategise and coordinate ways in which we can really ensure our members get the most out of their membership. And with Michael in attendance, we had a direct line to the top of this global organisation.
WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?It means we had all the right people in the room to discuss the big issues: The strategic ones that define us as an organisation at a global level, as well as micro, board- and chapter-specific challenges.
SOME KEY THEMES REAPPEARED THROUGHOUT:

• IABC provides members opportunities to build some powerful global connections, but in our region, even connections between local chapters can be obstructed by geography. The international aspect is a fundamental part of being an IABC member, and a number of ideas to improve our regional – and global – engagement and networking were raised and will be discussed into the new year.
• How do we deliver the best value for members? It’s exceptionally important that we translate member value at a local level – taking the best of the best from IABC’s global resources as well the world-class, relevant resources we have available locally.
• In smaller chapters like ours, we’re working towards sustainable resourcing to bring world-class leaders to speak at events, to provide scholarships and financial assistance for members facing challenges in attending regional and global events, and to offer cost-effective learning and development opportunities to members.

WHAT NEXT?The Board is having a planning day this coming weekend to talk about our events schedule for 2016, and some of the ways we can help you get the most out of IABC Canberra next year. If there’s anything you’d like to see in our events schedule, ideas for member activities, or you’d like to get involved, please let us know at info@iabccanberra.com.
I’m going to write another post about what you can do to get the most out of your IABC membership. Because IABC can give you the resources, but it’s up to you to make the most of them!
THANK YOUAnd finally, such a productive weekend didn’t happen on its own. Thanks in particular go to:

• Our very own Leanne Joyce, Chair of IABC Canberra and also APAC Regional Chair, and her team Jonathan Champ & Lisa McNally for planning, organising and running a pretty sweet weekend.
• Randstad for the venue – it was a fantastic place to spend an extended period in hardworking lockdown!
• Michael Ambjorn for driving some strong discussions and challenging us to really consider how we can bring the global benefits of IABC home to our members.
• All the IABC leaders – communication professionals of the highest calibre from around the Asia Pacific Region – for bringing all your ideas and commitment to the weekend. It was inspiring to be around people who take communication, community and growth so seriously.