What’s New at CCMA?

Conferences use a surprising amount of paper. With the onset of virtual and hybrid events, new digital options are available to lower the amount of paper materials required at CCMA 2022.

What is different?

There will not be printed conference programs made available to attendees. The agenda, speaker bios, session information, evaluations, floor plans, etc. will be available on the conference platform WHOVA. The WHOVA platform can be accessed through a mobile app or via a web portal on a laptop. We will have have a limited number of printed agendas available at the registration desk for attendees who do not have a smart phone or laptop with them at the conference. We will also have a limited number of printed evaluation forms for breakout sessions.

Badges will be printed and available for attendees on site.

CCMA is built on relationships and knowledge sharing, so we have created many ways for attendees to engage with their cooperative peers:

• Community Board – The Community Board postings let you connect and share information with other CCMA attendees. Share a job posting or a new tool your co-op is implementing, find cooperators in your role (front end managers unite!), etc.
• Affinity Groups and Meet-Ups* – Find attendees with similar interests and backgrounds. The CCMA team will create a few meet ups, but attendees are encouraged to organize on their own within the conference platform.
  • In person attendees will have the option of reserving tables in our Atrium Space or our outside patio to meet up with other cooperators on different topics
  • Virtual attendees will be able to create Virtual Meet up to visit with cooperators on different topics
• Direct Connect – You can also connect one-on-one with other attendees! Send direct messages or set up video chats with one another.

*Please be aware this space may not have prepared content. There is no pre-set expectation for how many people come, who those people are, what they may want to discuss, or how they may want to discuss it.

At the UW Center for Cooperatives, we strive to produce conferences that reflect our social, environmental, and economic values. Sometimes that means making difficult decisions. We are once again foregoing the conference tote bag at CCMA. Food cooperatives are at the forefront of sustainability initiatives and we want to live out those values when we come together as a community.

A study by Britain’s Environment Agency found that “an avid shopper would have to reuse his or her cotton bag 131 times before it had a smaller global warming impact than a lightweight plastic bag used only once.” 131 times. That is an astonishing number.

To help CCMA attendees work toward meeting those 131 uses, we are encouraging attendees to bring a bag from their co-op or from a previous CCMA conference.

After many years of being a staple at CCMA, the Silent Auction has been retired with the Howard Bowers Fund.  Read more about this change.