Just for Fun: What's your favorite bbcon memory from the past?

Crystal Bruce

Was it a session? A speaker that really made an impact? The friends you made along the way? Pick a year from past bbcons and let us know your favorite memory!

Joshua Bekerman bCLO, bCRE

@Crystal Bruce Nashville, 2014, when I presented three sessions. Good times.

Marie Stark

@Crystal Bruce I think Orlando, when I was selected as a Community blogger.

Crystal Bruce

@Marie Stark:

@Crystal Bruce I think Orlando, when I was selected as a Community blogger.

That was so great! Thank you for doing that. We need to revive that!!

Crystal Bruce

@Joshua Bekerman bCLO bCRE:

@Crystal Bruce Nashville, 2014, when presented three sessions. Good times.

Oooh nice. I had just entered Blackbaud in 2014. What were your sessions? Was that the “stump the community” session?

Karen Stuhlfeier

@Crystal Bruce Austin 2015, when I met up with a former colleague. He is no longer with us so I think about that bbcon often. Good memories.

Marie Stark

@Joshua Bekerman bCLO bCRE That was my first BBCON. I think I attended 2 of those sessions.

Karen Hartt

@Crystal Bruce I've been to so many, and they all have one great moment, but probably the best was when I presented for the first time, in 2012 I believe…so long ago

Dan Snyder

@Crystal Bruce Baltimore, 2017 I think. My first #bbcon and sitting in a sea of new faces, none other than @Elizabeth Johnson ended up sitting right behind me! Our institutions are only about 80 minutes apart, but it was great to see a familiar face to navigate the new world of #bbcon with.

Crystal Bruce

@Dan Snyder:

@Crystal Bruce Baltimore, 2017 I think. My first #bbcon and sitting in a sea of new faces, none other than @Elizabeth Johnson ended up sitting right behind me! Our institutions are only about 80 minutes apart, but it was great to see a familiar face to navigate the new world of #bbcon with.

Elizabeth Johnson is the brightest ray of sunshine ever! I'm so lucky to have met her and you in Nashville!

Elaine Tucker

@Crystal Bruce I don't remember the exact year, but it was when BBCON was still held on campus at Daniel Island; the weather turned very very cold and us “Southern Attendees” were NOT prepared! Thankfully some people had extra outer wear and were more than happy to share. Met some wonderful people there who I think of often. This is where I also learned how to play the card game FLUX

Barbara Kunkel

@Crystal Bruce

I am going back 8 or 9 years to my first BBCON in Baltimore. I was just amazed at how well run the event was. I am shy so I didn't meet face to face all of these amazing people in this community.

Joanne Felci

@Crystal Bruce my favorite BBCON memory was the last one I got to attend in person (I think it was 2015 or 2016). First meeting up with some community folks the night before the event started and then being one of the first group to win the Robert Hernandez award.

Aldera Chisholm

@Crystal Bruce My tongue in cheek answer is BBCon Austen when a bunch of us got trapped in the airport due to a Tornado - and I was able to meet up with a BBCon connection to have supper and pass the (stressful) time!

At that same one (2017?), I remember a hands-on seminar where the leader realized no one in the room had ever renamed the output headers in exports before and he promptly changed focus to demonstrate it, and the whole room erupted in Ooohs and Aaaahs. That small trick has saved me literally hours of cumulated time since.

Marie Stark

@Aldera Chisholm I think that was the year of the secret sauce fiasco.

Jennifer Vincent

@Crystal Bruce the Baltimore after-parties were fantastic. That dueling piano bar was a lot of fun!

Spring Velazquez

@Crystal Bruce It has to be the 2nd bbcon I went to (still held in Charleston) but the 1st one most of our team also got to attend (I was in university advancement). While we were a pretty laid back group to begin with - at the conference there were no “grown-ups” ie senior staff attending - just all of us directors - and honestly, no one can let loose like a bunch of fundraisers with no supervision.

I remember a vendor sponsored open bar happy hour…

I remember finding other attendees while barhopping and our group got bigger bit by bit…

I remember doing the Coyote Ugly with my colleagues and newfound friends at a bar downtown…

I remember the cab driver having so much fun with us going back to the hotel that he gave us his card and became our personal service for the conference….

I remember going down for breakfast the next morning with very dark glasses on because everything was just so darn bright…

I don't remember a lot in between…

I do remember that no conference before or since ever equaled it

#aintnopartylikeadevelopmentparty

Amy Dana

@Marie Stark I remember just sitting there by security, watching the bottles pile up

Amy Barker

@Crystal Bruce my favorite memories are when it was live, and Carlene and I would gang up and talk to every single vendor there! We'd take turns going to sessions too, and share what we learned, so it was like going to twice as many! She's my bbcon bestie.