Chapter Leader Community (CLC)
Section Map

ATD Chapter Leader Conference (ALC) SOS

Best practices on utilizing ALC for chapter leader development.

New York City: ALC Takeaways for Chapter Improvement and Planning
SUMMARY: The New York Chapter wanted an easy way to capture remarkable ideas from as many sessions as possible and share what they learned from the ATD Chapter Leader Conference (ALC) with the entire board. Before the conference, the board strategizes on which sessions they want to attend to ensure there is no overlap in sessions. During the conference, board members input takeaways from each session into the organized spreadsheet. After the conference, the chapter held a review session to go over the spreadsheet and this allowed each board role to determine if any of the ideas can be incorporated into the next year’s planning and goals.

YEAR: 2021

HAWAII CHAPTER: Formula for Transforming Your Chapter = Strategic Planning + ALC Learning + Continuous Improvement Practices
SUMMARY: By combining a practical strategic planning framework, lessons learned at ALC 2017, and continuous improvement practices, the chapter increased board engagement, improved the member experience, increased program attendance and membership growth, and received national recognition. The chapter leveraged the Kano Model, a theory for product development and customer satisfaction, to establish consensus on the state of the chapter and identify areas for improvement. Over the course of a year, the chapter experienced a 58 percent increase in membership, a nearly 20 percent reduction in no-shows at events, improved financial stability, and stronger strategic partnerships.

YEAR: 2019

NEBRASKA CHAPTER: Process for ALC Sponsorship
SUMMARY: With more chapter leaders wanting to attend the ATD Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC), the chapter needed to determine a way to support its chapter leader development while staying within budget. As a result, the chapter created a process for chapter leaders to generate their own funding to attend. Interested chapter leaders were encouraged to ask their employer if it would be willing to cover all or a portion of the costs associated with conference registration and attendance. To further support the ask, the chapter created a template letter for the chapter leader. Should the employer not be able to cover some or all of the costs, the chapter leader can then apply to use chapter funds to support attendance. However, all chapter leaders applying to use chapter funds must also have submitted a proposal to facilitate a session at the conference whether accepted or not. Because session facilitators receive complimentary registration, this requirement is a great way to get exposure for the chapter and also further cut costs. Through this process, the chapter doubled the amount of chapter leaders it previously sent to the conference leading to more informed and engaged board members.

YEAR: 2018

CENTRAL INDIANA CHAPTER: Making Connections at ALC
SUMMARY: In 2017, the focus of the Indiana Chapter was to connect, learn, and grow. In staying true to its vision, the chapter wanted to ensure its new board members attending the ATD Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC) would take the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow from their peers. The president purchased stickers of the 50 states. The president provided each chapter leader with a set of stickers with directions to meet as many people as they could from different states and learn their names, roles, and their chapters’ focus. Following ALC, the chapter president awarded the leader with the most stickers distributed with a $5 Starbucks gift card. The Indiana Chapter walked away with new ideas and connections to help make the chapter’s vision a reality.

YEAR: 2018

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN CHAPTER: Key Takeaway From Chapter Leader's Conference
SUMMARY: The chapter’s current president attended the ATD Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC) as president-elect with the goal of learning how other chapters operate. The chapter leader attended a session covering board structure, and learned about a specific chapter’s board that was comprised of VPs who had voting rights and non-voting, director-level positions who reported to board members. The chapter desired to focus more on membership, programs, and communication, but felt this was too much for the board to handle it on its own. By creating these new director positions, the chapter created new volunteer opportunities, developed a leadership pipeline, and reduced the workload of the chapter board.

YEAR: 2016

View more Sharing Our Success submissions