Review: NAPO 2010 in Columbus, Ohio
Having been to the LA Organizing Awards in January, I knew that professional organizers could throw one heck of a party.
Me and Cliff Brahm (franchise owner) at the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? booth at NAPO 2010
After attending the National Association of Professional Organizers Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition in Columbus, Ohio last week, I know that they can pull off a phenomenal conference too.
Not that it comes as a surprise at all, but I was really impressed with how…well…organized the entire event was from start to finish.
Being in the same room as hundreds of the most organized people in the country can be a little intimidating. This is why I obsessively stacked and re-stacked the now famous boxes of mints that many took from the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? table.
That feeling was quickly swept away by the participants of The Amazing Race, one of the conference games.
Teams raced from booth to booth collecting items from vendors while learning a little about each of the companies.
Here is how ours went down. Each team had to answer a question:
1-800-GOT-JUNK? has taken away A or B – one is true, one is false!
A: Clark Gable`s piano
B: Bill Clinton`s saxaphone
The right answer was awarded with one of our famous blue wigs.
Now the conference offered a lot more than games. At our booth there were many fruitful discussions about a whole host of issues, and the hot topics turned out to be Hoarders and our environmental program.
I was truly amazed at the positive feedback I got from many of the organizers who have used 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and even some from those who haven`t. More than anything else, I was moved by how welcoming they were for this newcomer to the NAPO party.
My NAPO conference experience peaked at the Hoarders meet-and greet on Friday night. This gave the organizers who have worked on the show a chance to mingle with the fans (and feast on some very tasty snacks). Little did I know that I would soon be signing autographs and posing for pictures! You have to be a serious fan to recognize me from the 4.7 seconds my mug has been visible.
Standing next to all of the organizers: Geralin Thomas, Dorothy Breininger, Standolyn Robertson, Sara Bereika, Brenden McDaniel and Matt Paxton, was a proud moment for me indeed.
To all who visited the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? booth, to everyone who shook our hands and shared stories: THANK YOU!
Looking forward to next year in San Diego!
