Join us at Tech Forum 2021

You’re invited to join us for Tech Forum 2021 — from the comfort of your home! That’s right. You can keep your pyjamas on and still enjoy all the professional development opportunities offered as part of this year’s conference.

Since we can’t see you in person, we’ll be offering a series of webinars throughout March and April. There will be presentations, workshops, and panels featuring industry leaders who will be tackling topics ranging from HR management to COVID-driven initiatives to bookselling in a crisis, and more.

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the sessions you won't want to miss:

Humane resources: Managing your people systems with no HR department

Managing human resources without an HR department is challenging at the best of times but during a pandemic it’s vital to ensure your people systems are running smoothly.

Through discussion, real-world scenarios, and breakout rooms, Jeanne LeSage will cover:

• Arts HR 101 – including compliance and extended programs

• Managing people in a pandemic

• Creating and maintaining respectful workplaces

Come taste the difference good management can make in your crisis!

Business disruption can come from any direction (COVID-19, we see you!) and Melissa Mack knows that companies must prepare for any type of crisis, not every crisis. Learn how your team can remove obstacles before a crisis strikes and respond with internal and external stakeholders at the fore.

Join Mack for her highly anticipated second appearance at Tech Forum: A series of essential webinars with training and tabletop exercises on crisis management and incident management, with a keen eye on business continuity.

If we knew then what we know now: COVID-driven initiatives with staying power

“Necessity breeds innovation.” That well-worn phrase became marching orders during the COVID-19 pandemic as publishers and booksellers scrambled to respond to ever-changing market conditions and a strained supply chain. Learn from a panel of pros across the supply chain, including logistics, metadata, customer relations, and marketing — what they did to adapt and what they will be incorporating into their workflows going forward.

Serving communities in crisis: The bookseller’s role

Independent bookstores play a crucial role in supporting their communities and never have communities needed more support than over the past year. COVID brought job losses, children home from school, and a general increase in isolation and anxiety. Faced with unprecedented closures, bookstores still found ways to maintain connections with their patrons through virtual events, home delivery, curated lists, and personalized guidance. In this event, you’ll hear how four bookstores stayed connected in order to support their community and sell books.

So, head to the Tech Forum website to see all the sessions and to start registering for your favourites and don’t forget to subscribe to the Tech Forum newsletter. In it, we’ll update you about new sessions added to the programming, share tips and tricks to make your participation successful, and much more.