There are a couple important dates coming up I don’t want you to miss.

The first is Sept. 18, which is the deadline for submitting speaking proposals for next spring’s IAPP Global Privacy Summit. It’s by far the world’s largest privacy conference that will attract well over 5,000 people. We congregate in Washington, D.C., every year for stellar keynotes, amazing breakout sessions and, of course, tons of networking. Next year’s conference is at the very beginning of April and speaking gets you a conference pass. Do you have an idea that will suit a global audience? If yes, make sure to get your proposal in quickly because time’s running out.

The second date is a bit further away. Oct. 30 is the deadline for speaking proposals for the IAPP Canada Symposium at the end of May 2023 in Toronto. From the amount of engagement I’ve recently had with members asking me for feedback on their proposal ideas, I’m suspecting we will receive quite a few submissions. It’s never too early to start thinking about how YOU can contribute.

There’s no question many of us have benefited from the flexibility of online training and networking, but it was pretty clear to me when I attended a few conferences last spring that there’s nothing quite like an in-person gathering.

The IAPP has several other conferences coming up in the fall, so if it’s travel you're hankering for these next few months, I suggest checking them out. Here’s a link to the IAPP conferences page.

There are also a number of KnowledgeNet meetings. Sure, some are virtual, which means you can join from wherever you are. But others are in person and a great way to connect with local privacy colleagues. In my hometown, I’m hoping to go to a social KnowledgeNet next week at a pub in the famous ByWard Market. Here’s a link to the entire list of KnowledgeNets. Find one that suits you and get out there!

Have a great weekend.