Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

       

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Registration/Information Desk Open

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Reception Join us as we celebrate Volunteers in Action and recognize all our network volunteers with tokens of our appreciation. Enjoy a welcome reception with hearty hors d'oeuvres (make a meal out of it!). You will be treated to an electrifying performance of DRUM!, a heart-pumping fusion of music, dance, video, rhythm and song. DRUM! Uses musicians, dancers, drummers and singers to tell the story of Nova Scotia’s four founding cultures as seen through the lens of the First Nations experience. You don’t want to miss this!

Thursday, May 31st, 2012                                              

8:00 am – 5:00 pm	Registration/Information Desk Open
9:00 am – 9:45 am	Networking Breakfast
9:45 am – 10:45 am	Panel Discussion: The Future of Community Futures Funding Models Reviewed Over the past two years, the Community Futures Program has seen change in most areas of the country. This plenary session offers an opportunity to exchange ideas on how each association has dealt with these changes. Specifically, what change occurred? How did each association respond? How has each change affected CF members and the clients they serve? What has been the impact, either positive or negative, of implementing these changes?
10:45 am – 11:15 am	Nutrition Break
11:15 am – 1:00 pm	Workshops/Discussion Groups – Series #1
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm	Networking Lunch
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm	Energy is Everything!  Speaker: Janice Butler   Fabulous yet practical techniques to pull more energy into your life! Janice begins with the results of a study on the impact of positive thinking on your energy. Then she moves on to dynamic activities which will show how the effect of environment – what you see and hear affects your energy. She also touches on key ways to refresh your mind during a hectic day. Get ready to feel a big smile on your face as Janice’s orchestrated speech, music and visuals build your enthusiasm and provide practical tools for increasing your energy.
2:00 pm – 5:30 pm	Optional: Tour to Client Site - Acadian Maple & Peggy’s Cove Travel the beautiful Lighthouse Route to feast your eyes on the picture-perfect scenery of the South Shore. Enjoy a stop at Acadian Maple, the site of a CBDC client. Learn about the harvest, the making of the syrup and the romance of all things maple. Purchase some maple syrup or sugar to take home! Next, visit Peggy’s Cove, an artists’ and explorers’ paradise for over 150 years. The village of Peggy’s Cove is right on the rugged Atlantic shoreline, perched on solid rock above the crashing surf. The coastline is famous for pirates, shipwrecks, rum-running and sunsets. After the tour, you’ll have time to pick your way through the rocks and browse through the souvenir shops before returning to Halifax.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm	Optional Guest Tour: Titanic - the Halifax connection   Get a whole new perspective on the world’s most famous marine disaster! Stops on the tour will include the historic pier from where the cable ships were dispatched to pick up victims; the church where memorial services were held; the temporary morgue sites which housed the bodies of victims (including John Jacob Astor); and Fairview Cemetery, where row upon row of identical gravestones, laid out in the shape of a ship’s hull, mark the final resting place of 120 victims. You’ll hear the stories of two Haligonians who survived the Titanic and find out all about Unsinkable Molly Brown’s post-Titanic visit. You’ll also see the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic’s excellent permanent exhibit, which features the world’s largest collection of wooden Titanic artifacts – including a post from the famous grand staircase – and the world’s only intact deck chair from the doomed ship.
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm	Nutrition Break
3:30 pm – 5:15 pm	Workshops/Discussion Groups - Series #2
5:15 pm – 6:00 pm	Networking Reception Join us as we wrap up the day with some hors d'oeuvres and a chance to reflect on lessons learned with colleagues from across the network.  A good place to meet up with friends to make dinner plans.
6:00 pm onwards	Time to explore Halifax Take some time to enjoy this magnificent city! Maps and suggestions are available at the registration/information desk

Friday, June 1st, 2012 

7:30 am – 4:00 pm	Registration/Information Desk Open
8:00 am – 8:45 am	Networking Breakfast
8:45 am – 9:45 am	Panel Discussion: “Preliminary Results” - An overview of the performance measurement strategy and analysis to date   The Performance Measurement Strategy for the Community Futures Program measures the results of CF-funded and non-CF-funded firms across a broad spectrum of objective indicators. The agency has now completed its first study and the results have been very positive.   Come hear first-hand, from agency personnel, how the CF program actually impacts client performance indicators, such as sales growth, employment growth, employment growth variance and survival rate variance. Preliminary results will be presented to attendees during this plenary session.
9:45 am – 10:15 am	Nutrition Break
10:15 am – 12:00 pm	Workshops/Discussion Groups – series #3
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Networking Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm	Keynote Presentation: Leadership in Tough Times Speaker: General Rick Hillier (Ret.)   Enjoy an inspiring talk on leadership in tough times, based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. With his trademark passion and urgency, General Rick Hillier illustrates leadership lessons through the stories of the men and women who represent our country around the world, doing the toughest jobs imaginable. You’ll be entertained, astonished, and inspired. General Hillier has a tremendous ability to bring home lessons for every leader from the colourful stories he has to tell.
2:00 pm – 5:30 pm	Optional Guest Tour: Historical Halifax City Tour   Join your kilted guide for the most complete tour in Halifax! This fun-filled ride will immerse you in Halifax history and culture, including the war years and of the exploits of the citizens who lived through the devastating Halifax Explosion. Visit historic properties, the Titanic burial site, the beautiful Spring Garden Road area, Province House, the Old Town Clock, St. Paul's Church, City Hall, Grand Parade, Government House, the port, Point Pleasant Park, Citadel Hill National Historic Site and much more. From tales of disaster and triumph to remarkable stories of everyday life – discover the people and places that have made Halifax one of the most captivating cities in North America!
2:00 pm – 5:30 pm	Optional: Tour to Client Site - Acadian Maple & Peggy’s Cove Travel the beautiful Lighthouse Route to feast your eyes on the picture-perfect scenery of the South Shore. Enjoy a stop at Acadian Maple, the site of a CBDC client. Learn about the harvest, the making of the syrup and the romance of all things maple. Purchase some maple syrup or sugar to take home! Next, visit Peggy’s Cove, an artists’ and explorers’ paradise for over 150 years. The village of Peggy’s Cove is right on the rugged Atlantic shoreline, perched on solid rock above the crashing surf. The coastline is famous for pirates, shipwrecks, rum-running and sunsets. After the tour, you’ll have time to pick your way through the rocks and browse through the souvenir shops before returning to Halifax.
2:00 pm –2:30 pm	Nutrition Break
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Workshops/Discussion Groups - Series #4
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm	Free Time
6:30 pm onwards	East Coast Kitchen Party East-coasters know how to do a party proud! Join us as we celebrate the finest in east coast food and entertainment. Say goodbye till we meet again…