Our biennial conferences have been the cornerstone of our training experience and something our membership as well as others have come to love.  However in 2004, reality has altered our course. What do we mean by "reality"?  Most of our conference planners are also busy Directors or leaders in their centers and their communities.  Conference planning is a multi-month intensive in which few of us afford to fully participate.  There is also the reality of tight budgets, with precious few training dollars and even less for travel and accommodations.   And lastly, as much as we love our weekend conferences, Monday morning comes all too soon and we must face a work week without break. In an effort to be more responsive to our membership's needs and still be kind to ourselves, this year will feature a "mini-conference" format.  We've planned for an evening of networking, for those who can leave early from their jobs.  There's only one overnight stay, so hopefully it will remain affordable enough for several staff from each center to attend.  Please refer to the workshop and training page for additional information.