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2019 Conference

5 ways to up your conference ROI with an academy

Interested in a HighEdWeb Academy but unsure of how to sell it to your boss?

Our academies provide deep dives into one of three topic areas – leadership, technical/development, or content strategy + user experience. Held immediately before the annual conference, the programming features cohorts of no more than 30, hands-on learning and opportunities to build deep network connections.

Photo showing academy attendees seated in a conference room style while a speaker is presenting.

Here are five reasons your boss will want to add an academy to your HighEdWeb experience.

Academies can help you absorb more during sessions.

Conferences can be an information overload (in a good way!). An academy can prepare you to better collect session takeaways by introducing you to terminology and practices that will be highlighted in case studies in main conference sessions.

Learn from industry leaders both in and outside higher education.

We know it’s important to learn from our peers and from innovative industries outside of higher education. This year features speakers from companies such as Adobe, UX Booth,and Microsoft, alongside presenters from Vanderbilt, Allegheny College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and others.

Learn skills to be more effective at your job.

You’ll return with tangible skills to put into action right away. We often talk about the “golden nuggets” you’ll take home from our main conference sessions. Academies are more like gold mines. Each piece of the curriculum is designed to teach tangible skills you can implement immediately. You won’t have to consider how to adapt a nugget to your institution or situation.

academy participants listen as a fellow participant talks while looking at a hand-drawn notes.

Get individual attention in a small-group setting.

Academies provide the chance to discuss issues specific to your position or institution and receive guidance from both the presenters and the cohort of peers. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with speakers and hash out solutions to real challenges you’re facing.

Make contacts you can reach out to for questions and advice.

During the academy weekend, you’ll network with attendees from all three HighEdWeb Academies, and your cohort becomes an invaluable resource. Stick around for the annual conference, and you’ll be invited to attend our alumni reception for past year Academy grads. Build relationships with peers and industry experts that last long past HighEdWeb.

Seats are limited so add an academy to your conference registration today!

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