New this year!

NEW: After-Hours Networking Event

If your organization would like to make a donation to support the NENA Conference Raffles Prizes, please email the NENA Admin. These donations each year are such a fun way to support NENA and help to make the conference fun for those in attendance!

We appreciate your support!

What Happened in Vegas Did Not Remain in Vegas!

By Shelley Paquette, NENA Board Member

The idea behind hosting a conference originated from the initial board going back to 2010. Peter Mead reflected as NENA’s first ever board chair, "Some Board members wanted to build a hot bed of coals to advocate for further improvements to the Ticket Program, making it a more friendly operating environment for ENs. Other members wanted to promote excellence in EN operations, winning respect for the vulnerable Ticket Program among diverse internal “tribes” in the huge SSA organization. Both approaches have supported the success of individual ENs, the Ticket Program at large, and the courageous clients that we all love to serve.” And so began our annual journey to places new or familiar as we support each other and partners and clients alike.

In 2011, the first in-person NENA Annual National Training conference was held in Las Vegas. Following the first two conferences, NENA did not remain in Vegas, over time we traveled to many other locations. Four conferences were held in Vegas, including the upcoming 2025, twice in New Orleans and during the pandemic period we rallied to hold the conference virtually. Other years the conference was held once in Orlando, San Antonio, Kansas City MO, Baltimore, Louisville, and Nashville. In traveling, the conference, we enriched our networking opportunities and partner collaborations. It only seems fitting that we return to the original site as we now have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate NENA’s 20th Anniversary of the Association, but also the 15th Anniversary of the National Annual Training Conference.

What better way to consider and look back at our annual networking opportunity than to learn from someone who has been an attendee at each NENA conference. I reached out to NENA Board Director Amy Wallish, owner and CEO of Full Circle Employment Solutions. During an outreach event by the TPM, it was recommended to Full Circle to connect with NENA and its upcoming Las Vegas conference. Amy joined the Board in 2017, after looking to get more involved and leaned on her strength of training and helping others.

Amy shared she cannot name a favorite annual conference, noting that each holds memorable things for her. Elaborating further she shared a few take-aways, or little nuggets as she called them. First being an idea, she heard shared in a session, in which video bios were used on an agency website to introduce yourself to prospective clients. Amy took this idea back from conference and has implemented on her agency’s website. Second it was mentioned that unlike other conferences, she noticed how NENAs board and the other members in attendance were very open about sharing, which she summarized, “we’re all in this together to help people find employment and stay employed. I’m not competing with you; how can I help you and how can we help each other?” Another reflection was mentioned about the ability at conference to interact with TPM and SSA partner staff and talk with them directly, adding that these two partners in the Ticket program are typically involved in some way at every conference. During sessions with TPM and SSA, she mentioned having the ability to ask the tough questions publicly, often with the other attendees expressing agreement and support. Each conference has great memories and recollections for her.

In addition to the training opportunities, the “after-hours networking has changed colleagues to friends”. The peer-to-peer networking and engagement with others who hold the same goal has been invaluable in having connections outside of your agency. Amy continues to share that comparing other conferences, the ones NENA holds “feel different, there is such a good vibe. The speakers are not just speaking at you,

they are more engaging with those attendees in the room, it’s like learning together.” Learning from other NENA members and the board has increased Amy’s personal and agency growth by not only grow by connecting with others on a national level “who do benefits and remotes services” and learning from each other.

Nearly year-round planning and duties encompassing the development of the annual conference are certainly a monumental task which the NENA Board Conference committee works on. Amy is a long-time member of this committee. She hopes when all is said and done, that all attendees “learn something, taking something away from conference that you can bring back and try.” Continuing, as conference committee members in addition to the conference being memorable and educational, we “want it to be fun, to pepper little nuggets of joy” into the conference experience.

In closing, Amy would like to encourage “if you are able to come to conference, you should come to conference, because it is like no other conference. Just being able to be in a session and lean over and say ‘Hi, my name is Amy, I don’t know you, I see you’re from (enter city) tell me a little bit about what you do’. If you can’t come to conference, consider just getting involved in NENA, it’s member run and our whole mission is really around supporting EN. Pop on a call, you got confused on the National EN payments call? Well then call and get on the operations call or get on the ticket talk call and ask a question. It’s really just making a little bit of time to get involved, because the more time you make to get involved, you’ll realize how beneficial it is to your own organizations and growth as an EN.”

As you see, what happened in Vegas, many years ago, did not remain in Vegas. We have revisited, yes, but the journey NENA has forged across the states has left many fruitful recollections in its path. Our hope for you as members, if you can attend the conference that you find some little golden nuggets of knowledge to bring back and benefit your EN. Though regardless if you are not able to attend conference, that you look to see how you can share your experiences and knowledge with others in our member-led organization, whether it be expressing interest in joining the board (we are always looking for new board members), to asking that one question on an interest area call, which not only can provide you the answer, but allow others to benefit from your contribution as well. 

News to Know

Help Wanted Job Board

Does your member organization have an internal position available within your organization that you would like to post in the NENA E-News?

As a member courtesy, we will post your opening in our next E-News update one time.

Posting requirements:

• The posting must be for a specific, EN-related position within your organization (i.e., career specialist, career services provider)

• Email admin@nenaticket.org to submit your post

• Include the title, location, a brief description (25 words) and contact information on the form.

*Those interested in applying should contact the EN directly. NENA will have no further information about any posted positions.