Explore your potential at GCC’s annual Creativity Conference
Have you ever been asked to think of innovative ideas or use creativity in your workplace and wonder what that really means? This concept is more than just a cliché; it means to try to think of different solutions or new ways of accomplishing tasks. Officials at Genesee Community College are offering an upcoming event that will feature a variety of workshops designed to help people apply innovation in their workplace and in their personal life.
Genesee Community College (GCC) in Batavia, will offer a Creativity Conference on Wednesday, April 15 from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the second year GCC has offered this conference and, according to college officials, the goal for this conference is to inspire inventiveness and ingenuity.
Lina LaMattina, Ed.D, is the GCC Director of Business Programs, and is the catalyst for this conference.
“As we age, we begin to assimilate into the structure of conformity and often times, we continue on this path. By thinking creatively, we can tap into inherent opportunities and new ways of doing almost anything,” LaMattina explained.
Last year’s conference drew almost 75 people from a variety of businesses and the community. The hope is to attract attendees from across the region to come together to learn how to ‘think outside the box.’
“This conference is open to anyone who wishes think innovatively and problem solve resourcefully,” LaMattina said. “Our goal is to broaden the application of and to deepen the knowledge of creativeness and how it can be applied in many areas such as education, business, community and personal enrichment.”
Planning for this daylong event is ongoing. LaMattina and the conference committee are seeking presenters. “We are looking for people who have novel approaches to problem solving or can share their creative talents and tools. Our committee will review which presenters best align with our four focus areas,” LaMattina said.
Proposals must be submitted by March 23 and can be submitted online at the GCC website athttp://www.genesee.edu/home/events/creativity-conference/submit-your-proposal.
The conference kicks off with keynote speaker Peter Cumbo, a motivational speaker from the Buffalo, area. According to his Linkin profile, “Cumbo specializes in the effective communication of ideas and is an organizational consultant offering strategic advice, training and practical leadership to business.”
The one-day conference will consist of a variety of 50-minute workshops and will be held on the GCC Campus in the Conable Technology Building. The cost is $99 per person, which covers all of the conference fees, materials and includes a continental breakfast as well as lunch.
This event will also include an exhibit area open to attendees where student entrepreneurs will showcase their creations, inventions and businesses.
For information, visit the GCC website by following the link at http://www.genesee.edu/home/events/creativity-conference. Phone calls may be directed to Donna Rae Sutherland at 343-0055 ext. 6616 or email at dsutherland@genesee.edu.
“We all need healthy positive creative outlets for personal enrichment. We hope this conference can provide a stimulus for people to open their minds to become deliberately creative and use what they have learned to transform their world,” LaMattina said.
