by Laura Janusik

My Planning Committee and I are getting more and more excited about our 31^st Annual Convention that will be held in Albuquerque, NM, March 24-27, 2010, which is the perfect time to visit New Mexico. And true to the theme, some former ILA traditions will be “transformed” for 2010. These transformations will compliment traditional programming, so come to Albuquerque for both the old AND the new!

The first transformation is a twist on the former tradition of taking a half day off for group sight-seeing. Though we’ve previously discontinued that practice to ensure a full day of programming, we’ve thought long and hard for a way to enjoy both. And, what we came up with is a fabulous mixture of touring and listening learning!

On Friday afternoon, those who elect the special Santa Fe trip will board a bus from the hotel and take the hour drive to Museum Hill where we’ll visit the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Museum of International Folk Art, and Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Joyce Begay-Foss, director of education at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, is Navajo. She has agreed to run the docent-led tour at the museum through the perspective of a listening lens. Another guide will do the same at the Museum of International Folk Art. In addition, outside of the museum is a beautiful labyrinth, where our own Kay Lindahl will run a session on Contemplative Listening. This museum also has volunteered some space inside for other panels and presentations.

When the museums close at 5 PM, the bus will take us to the heart of Santa Fe where we’ll have an hour or two to stroll Antique Row, catch dinner, or otherwise enjoy the beauty of this capital city of New Mexico that ranked as the fifth most popular North American Travel City in Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2009 World’s Best Awards Readers Poll. You can then choose to return to Albuquerque on the ILA tour bus or to stay in Santa Fe and return later via the Rail Runner, a commuter train that cost less than $10.

Thus, this convention transformation integrates sessions with sight-seeing. Voilà! We CAN have the best of both worlds! Although you may find your own transportation, the low excursion price of $60 includes bus transportation, a box lunch, entry into two museums, and special programming at both museums. Note that family and friends joining you at the convention may sign up for this event as well! For those of you wishing to travel on your own, you can choose the Rail Runner, the high speed access train, and some transfer buses in Santa Fe. Or, you can consider renting a car, which is easy because there is an Enterprise branch on the first floor of the hotel. You can save parking costs by renting it for one day!

The ILA is a wonderfully rich organization, and we have so much to offer. Thus, the second transformation will take place on Saturday during which we’ve packaged two programs for special groups.

First, under the leadership of Margarete Imhof and Nadine Marsnik, the Education Committee is sponsoring a K-12 workshop—A Special Day of Interactive Listening and Learning: Teaching the World to Listen One Student at a Time. This all-day workshop, with a keynote by distinguished author, editor, teacher, and educational consultant Mary Renck Jalongo. Participants who stay for the entire program will earn continuing education credits. Since this special seminar is being held at the convention hotel, those attending the regular ILA program may attend the education workshop and/or drop in and out of individual sessions at no extra charge.

Included in this second transformational experience is a second training opportunity at the University of New Mexico (UNM), a short bus ride from the hotel. This half-day session, prepared for members from the New Mexico Mediator’s Association (NMMA), will focus on communicating effectively in mediation and legal settings, with an eye towards intercultural communication. Active ILA member Jennie Grau is delighted to co-lead the training with a new ILA member, Bob Berlin, who has trained over 4,000 mediators in his career. This second Saturday session also is open and free to those registered for the ILA conference that day. In addition, members of NMMA also will earn continuing education and certification credits.

The third transformation includes something special for everyone. Spotlight sessions identified throughout the convention program will highlight listening in specific contexts. In addition to the previously mentioned workshops by Mary Janlongo in Education, and Kay Lindahl in Contemplative Listening, Nagesh Rao, an intercultural scholar from UNM, will present research on how individuals from certain cultures listen even though they don’t ask questions. Also, Alan Erlich will present a special session on listening in mediated environments, and we’ll have the opportunity to listen to a Native American panel from the American Indian Research Institute at the UNM. Additionally, Carole Grau and Susan Timm, on behalf of the Business Committee, is organizing an interactive session that will include a visit “via technology” with Nancy Kline, author of Time to Think. Listening to Ignite the Mind.

The fourth transformation involves making the time to listen even more to each other. Consistent feedback on convention evaluations includes the desire for more time to network and enjoy old and new friends. Two twists will address this wish. First, we’re striving to have most meals as “speaker-free” zones. While most presenters we’ve had previously have been entertaining and informative, this new twist will allow us to get back to our roots and understand better why ILA is a unique convention that includes listening more to each other. Second, a sacred space will be provided at the convention for reflecting on what both the ILA and listening mean to each of us. 

The final convention transformation involves a Sip, Nip, and Nosh event, which will replace the formal awards dinner as the closing activity. The occasion will be more tapas-style with individuals moving freely from station to station. Award winners will be highlighted at different locations, and seating will be available for those who prefer it. This style allows for more free flow mingling and additional listening to each other.

You can see that we’ve worked hard to keep what works well for ILA and to add some new approaches to make the convention an even better listening event. What better place to do so then in Albuquerque—a city that has elements of the future while showcasing past traditions.

As you can see, the 31^st Annual Convention is one that you won’t want to miss. Come to enchanting New Mexico and be transformed!

Convention Deadlines to Remember:

• December 31 – Early-bird hotel registration ends. If you register before this deadline, you are eligible for a mountain-view upgrade AND a chance to win two nights at any future Hyatt stay! You can make your reservations with a secure system on-line at https://resweb.passkey.com/go/listen, or you can call 1-800-233-1234 to book your room today. Make sure that you tell them that you’re with the ILA.
• March 2 – Hotel Rooms and ILA Registration must be completed by this day to avoid late fee penalties and higher room rates.
• There will be limited seats on the bus to Santa Fe, so the sooner you register and confirm your intent to go to Santa Fe, the better you’ll rest assured you know you’ll be able to visit both great cities in New Mexico!

Direct questions to the Convention Chair, Laura Janusik, 1^st Vice President, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .