The logistics of planning a national conference can sometimes be almost overwhelming. Committees of volunteers devote an incalculable number of hours to the program planning, site planning, advertising, sponsorship, registration, selection of speakers and all the accompanying details the process entails to ensure that the conference is a success. Preparation starts months, sometimes even years, in advance.

In the spring of 2009, Holland College will host the annual Association for Canadian Community Colleges Conference, and planning is already well-underway.
One of the first tasks for a conference committee is to identify a theme, or subject area, that will become the focus of planning for all committee members. Once it has been selected, guest speakers, presentations, and workshops that relate to the theme can be developed.

Charting the Course: Navigating the Seas of Change was selected as the theme for the 2009 ACCC conference following an internal competition. Dr. Audrey Penner, Director Adult Education, Learner Supports and Applied Research at Holland College and chair of the conference planning committee said the winning theme is particularly appropriate.

“This concept uses nautical elements such as wind, sea, islands, and ships to discuss the leadership role colleges have in helping Canadians chart a new course for the future. Shifting demographics, life-long learning, and global economies pose new challenges and opportunities for Canadian post-secondary institutions.”

With the theme chosen, the conference organizing committee invited students and alumni from the Graphic Design, Interactive Multimedia, Journalism, and Photography and Digital Imaging programs to design a logo that would depict the theme. Kelley Toombs, a 23-year-old student in the college’s Graphic Design program successfully incorporated the nautical theme with the national flavour of the conference.

Toombs’s winning design features a large maple leaf, which represents Canada, and a smaller maple leaf that symbolizes Prince Edward Island. The dotted lines represent the journey delegates from across the country will make to Prince Edward Island. The placement of the waves and the sail represent P.E.I’s location. The blue and green colors represent the land and sea, and reflect dominant colors of Island culture.

“The organizing committee was very impressed with the quality of all of the submissions,” Penner said. “Choosing the logo that best represented the spirit of the theme was difficult, but we were all very impressed with Kelley’s submission.”
Representatives from the organizing committee for Charting the Course will travel to Prince George, B.C. in the spring to attend this year’s conference, which is being hosted by the College of New Caledonia. 

In this picture: Holland College Graphic Design student Kelley Toombs proudly displays her winning logo for the 2009 Association for Canadian Community Colleges Conference, Charting the Course: Navigating the Seas of Change.