Thoroughly Engaging

In the end, we had 165 registrations (not counting staff). Of those, about 120 represented nonprofits, and the rest were from the companies and agencies that partner with nonprofits in their work (including our sponsors and some speakers). When we first conceived of Engage, the idea was to keep it small (capped around 150) so it would have a certain level of intimacy. We wanted folks to get their questions answered, to be able to dig in, and to be able to follow up with speakers in the hallway or over lunch or a cocktail, to encourage open communication among all parties. And attendees have told us — during the conference, in follow-up surveys and in unsolicited e-mails — that the intimacy and the camaraderie that grew out of it was one of their favorite things about Engage (along with its unique focus on case studies).