2011 Fall Conference in Review
Thank you Savannah!
With a near full-house in attendance for the awards luncheon GPA closed out its 2011 Fall Conference on Friday, September 30, bidding a fond farewell to Georgia’s coastal jewel, the fabulous city of Savannah. After 3 days of insightful sessions and discussion everyone fittingly took some time to celebrate some of the many special projects and people that have raised the craft of planning and helped their communities grow stronger and more beautiful. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and we hope you will all take the time to review these projects and see how GPA members are working to serve Georgia and its hometowns.
The weather during the conference was wonderful and more than 240 GPA members had the chance to not only enjoy the actual conference but to also sample early previews of the Octoberfest celebrations setting up around the city. Professor Douglas Allen, speaking to more than 125 people, opened the event with a witty and in-depth look at the history of Savannah and how it influenced urban form in Georgia. From there attendees had their pick of several tracks and mobile workshop options that showcased the best ideas and most current issues facing planners today. Our mobile workshops enjoyed fantastic turnouts and strong reviews across the board, with special praise for the tour of the ports facilities. We also heard the latest from DCA staff and others about the current political climate and potential changes and challenges facing community planning in Georgia. We also began the final day of the conference with record participation levels in meetings for each of GPA’s four committees as we plotted our work plan for the coming year.
All in all this was a great conference for GPA and we hope everyone learned something new and enjoyed their time in Savannah. Despite the tough times enough people came out to support GPA that the conference covered its costs, due also in large part to tremendous support from our sponsors. If you were one of those fortunate enough to join us, thank you for coming! If you couldn’t make it this year we will be sure to save you a seat for the 2012 Annual Conference!
Special Kudos and Thank You to:
- Our hosts at the Marriott Savannah Riverside
- All our gracious and wonderful sponsors
- Jack Butler and the Local Host Committee for pulling together mobile workshops, promotional material and nominating sessions
- The Programs Committee members for coordinating the sessions
- All our volunteer session presenters and speakers
- All our students and other volunteers who helped with daily activities
- Jessica Gibson, GPA executive Director, for doing practically everything to make this event a success
Presentations
Presentations are available as PDF downloads below.