Page 16 - Languages Victoria December 2019

Languages Victoria
MLTAV 2019 Annual General Meeting - Professional Learning Reports
Conference Report
by Heather Brown, MLTAV Conference Convenor and Vice-President
The 2019 Conference was a dynamic combination of presenters, delegates and exhibitors. The Keynote and Plenary sessions were a highlight of the day’s program.
The post-Conference delegate feedback on both Keynote sessions was overwhelmingly positive. The following samples of descriptive words were offered by delegates when asked about these sessions: inspiring; fascinating; engaging; excellent; eye-opening; exciting; challenging; gripping; humorous; touching; emotional; refreshing; passionate; powerful; moving; genuine; committed; wonderful. In fact, this page could be filled with accolades about these two sessions! Not only did the speakers elicit such descriptive words of expression and emotion being expressed by delegates, but they were inspirational in how they shared important and thought-provoking knowledge and information about Indigenous Languages; the criticality of reviving Endangered Languages; as well as the Genius of Indigenous Languages and why they are important to us all.
The extensive depth and breadth of break-out sessions offered delegates a great deal of choice in the comprehensive program. The post-Conference online feedback data regarding those selections reinforced the perceived value of attendance in terms of exceptional professional learning and networking opportunities. The delegate feedback on the break-out sessions speaks for itself through descriptive words such as: hands-on; informative; practical; engaging; relevant; interesting and engaging discussion.
The venue has once again lived up to already high standards and received excellent feedback from all in attendance. It is an aesthetically lovely and modern space with its pleasant open spaces (indoor and outdoor), excellent facilities, central to public transport, and great food designed to allow delegates to make the most of their time in learning, and equally importantly, networking.
As a consequence of delegate feedback, a few things will be reviewed for the 2020 Conference, including: session titles and audience recommendation could be more descriptive and targeted; and allocation of larger rooms to overwhelmingly popular sessions (this can be tricky to pre- empt as we do not take pre-registrations as this process has not worked in the past, and our sessions and presenters change each year).
Page 16 Volume 23 Number 2