CWA Blog Archive-Oh Canada My Experience At The First CWA Meeting In Calgary

Oh Canada My Experience At The First CWA Meeting In Calgary

Pdf Summary

This first-person reflection captures the author's experience attending the first-ever CWA Meetings event in Calgary, framed by a personal philosophy of continuous professional development. The author states they've always believed the most successful people in any industry focus on consistent professional development, and that grow through constant learning is one of their company's core values. They describe learning in many diverse ways: reading daily, listening to podcasts while driving or working out, following thought leaders on social media, using apps like Blinkist and TED Talks, and subscribing to relevant blogs and newsletters, methods that let them learn different things, in different ways, at different times. But the reflection's central argument is that despite all these fantastic modalities, live events are the most effective method of learning. Live events provide a level of energy and engagement that cannot be found anywhere else and allow you to build relationships with other industry professionals, and the author insists you simply can't beat a well-executed live event. Having been part of the climbing industry for several years, including workshops and keynotes at the annual CWA Summit (the text continues into their specific Calgary experience). The throughline is that while professional development can happen through many channels, reading, podcasts, social media, apps, newsletters, live events like CWA Meetings offer uniquely powerful learning through their unmatched energy, engagement, and relationship-building, making them the most effective development method. The author, a devoted lifelong learner who uses every available modality, nonetheless singles out live events as irreplaceable, because they deliver an energy and engagement no solo or digital method can match, and because they enable the face-to-face relationship-building with industry peers that strengthens both individuals and the industry. Their enthusiasm for the first Calgary CWA Meetings event exemplifies this conviction. For the industry and for the CWA, the reflection makes a compelling case for the value of in-person professional development events: even in an age of abundant digital learning resources, the live event remains the gold standard, offering the energy, engagement, and human connection that drive both effective learning and lasting professional relationships, precisely what CWA Meetings aims to provide.

Asset Caption

A reflection on the first CWA Meetings event in Calgary from a devoted lifelong learner who uses podcasts, apps, and newsletters, yet argues live events are the most effective learning method. Their unmatched energy, engagement, and relationship-building with industry peers make well-executed live events irreplaceable even amid abundant digital resources.