The idea behind the exhibition was to bring a number of community service providers together so that families could enjoy "one-stop shopping" in locating programs for people with developmental disabilities and related special needs. There were also informative seminars running every hour.
The biggest disappointment in organizing the event was the reluctance of some of the government-funded organizations in the area to attend. There's more than enough work to go around for everyone in developmental services, so we certainly don't see other groups as "competition". I am sad to say that not everyone feels that way, but the disappointments were more than offset by the many positive experiences that took place!
For me, the best part about the event was actually having the time to talk with others who work in the field. I was a bit surprised to find that everyone was very upbeat and enthusiastic about their work. There are so many negative stories about cutbacks and other problems that I just assumed there would be a high level of "grumpiness" but this was not the case.
The most important thing I learned from the SNSE was that we don't really need an exhibition of services, we need an exhibition of issues! Most of the agencies involved did not have any spaces in their programs, so there wasn't really much to exhibit in that respect. However, members of the public who attended seemed genuinely interested in issues related to funding and the lack of programs and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Over 100 surveys were returned by attendees, and some 90% of those who completed the questionnaire said they wanted more events like SNSE.
We are hoping to host a bigger and better SNSE in 2000. This time it will be more akin to a conference than an exhibition, and we will work harder to ensure that more agencies are on board. If you have experience participating in or hosting a similar event, I would like to hear from you!
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