by James Bond

Let me think. What did I come back with? The Napa Valley wine? Check. The pictures from Alcatraz? Check. Contact information for the colleagues I met? Check. Notes from the speeches of the President of the California Bar Association? Check. Nope… it doesn’t look like I left anything in San Francisco.

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to join us there for San Francisco Style, the CBABC’s 2nd Annual Conference, I thought I would take this opportunity to give you a quick recap of some of the highlights of the event, in the hope that I can entice you to start planning now for the 3rd Annual Conference.

Attendees in San Francisco seemed particularly pleased with the quality of the speakers and programs available again this year. While all of the speakers and programs were rated very highly, Burkey Belser, the professional services firm branding and marketing wizard from Washington, DC, was again a particular stand-out. In addition, Jeff Bleich, the current president of the California Bar received a standing ovation for his passionate and thought-provoking address to the crowd.

Everyone also seemed to enjoy the social aspects of the Conference a great deal. Attendees had a chance to meet and mingle with each other and with speakers and sponsors at a variety of events. The Napa Valley Wine Tasting, sponsored by the Frank Family vineyards, was not only informative, but extremely popular. The Honourable Wally Oppal was the featured speaker during the Saturday night dinner and was his usual entertaining self – and the formal program was topped off on Saturday night with a short trolley bus ride to Beach Blanket Babylon, a long-running theatrical comedy and musical revue that was quite simply, a blast.

Of course, it also didn’t hurt that the Conference was in the heart of the Union Square area of San Francisco – right in the middle of all of the best shopping, restaurants and nightlife that the city has to offer – and it is quite a city. While I didn’t leave my heart there, I can see how such things would be possible. Just ask Carla Courtenay, who (after a 17 year courtship) got engaged and married in San Francisco during the Conference. She is now back in Vancouver and brought her heart (husband) back with her.

I am pleased to report that 95 per cent of the respondents to our post-Conference survey rated the 2nd Annual Conference “Very Good” or “Excellent,” and 99 per cent of the respondents asked us to hold another one next year. We also asked where we should hold the 3rd Annual Conference, and a majority chose San Diego, California – so mark your calendars and start budgeting now. The 3rd Annual CBABC Conference will be November 20th to 22nd, 2008 in San Diego, California. I look forward to seeing you there!

James Bond, CBABC Secretary-Treasurer, San Francisco Style Conference Co-Chair

This article was published in the February 2008 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2008, all rights reserved.