5 Reasons We’re Looking Forward to AFP National 2013

We’re excited to be attending the AFP 2013 International Conference on Fundraising for the first time since Bloomerang was founded. While Jay and myself have attended in the past, it will be a first-time visit for Melissa, Rob and Amy. Hear are the five things we’re most excited about:

1. Jay Love: “What I’m most looking forward to is networking! I can’t wait to see current customers and other familiar faces. Listening to our own Adrian Sargeant and Tom Ahern speak will be a treat, as well as attending the AFP International Board meeting. The most rewarding part of the event will be donating all of our booth furniture to a San Diego homeless shelter!”

2. Melissa Signorelli: “Naturally, I’m looking forward to the sessions on Engagement & Relationship Building! But also the sessions on Events and Websites (Events That Work for Your Organization, Know When to Sunset or Expand Events, Better Nonprofit Websites: 52 Tweaks in 52 Weeks). And I’m really looking forward to talking with the NPOs that attend and seeing how they feel about their own engagement-building practices and retention levels. I’m hoping to come away with a better understanding of what the people who are on the “nonprofit frontlines” actually think about the retention rates we’re seeing in the industry and their ideas for how to boost those rates. You never know what cool ideas we might pick up for our product.”

3. Wayne Robbins: “I’m most excited to see the ‘state of the sector’ since I’ve been out of the sector for five years. It will be fun to reconnect with old colleagues, see what is new in the fundraising database software world and to see all of the exhibitor’s booths and how they are helping nonprofits raise money. Can’t wait to hit the streets of San Diego with my current colleagues!”

4. Rob Signorelli: “Since this is my first AFP conference I’m not really sure what to expect but one of the things that I’m most excited for is simply having the chance to talk with fundraisers one on one about the work that they do. Aside from just getting to hear about all of the amazing things these people do, these types of conversations are a great way to better insights into how they operate and what sorts of things we could be doing to help them be more effective on the fundraising side. It’s tough to get this fire hose of information and experience anywhere else.”

5. Amy Sermersheim: “I am looking forward to introducing Bloomerang to a whole new group of fundraisers and seeing their reaction when they realize how powerful, yet simple to use it is. Catching up with old colleagues and meeting in person people I’ve only spoken with on the phone will also be very fun for me. And, I really hope San Diego offers the warm weather that Indianapolis has yet to provide this spring!”

We hope to see you in San Diego! Stop by booth 1209 to say hi to us and our friends from Firespring, get a demo of the Bloomerang software and score some free giveaways!