I am freshly back in D.C. from CASE’s Asia-Pacific Advancement Conference in Hong Kong, where more than 200 delegates gathered to share, learn, and build community. I always return from CASE conferences inspired. The exchange of ideas and time with fellow advancement people leaves me buzzing with new things to try and a renewed energy for our craft. 

During APAC, I was also particularly inspired by the awards. At the opening of the conference, CASE recognized two members for their outstanding contributions to the profession. Jo Agnew received The John Lippincott Award for Global Advancement and Support of Education and Mark Bentley received the Asia-Pacific Distinguished Service Award. Agnew (Director, Agnew Associates) and Bentley (Director, Alumni Relations and Development, University of Auckland) were both introduced at APAC by friends and colleagues who had nominated them. They shared stories of commitment, creativity, and the ability to form deep and lasting relationships. Most importantly, the remarks described a profession that is honorable and focused on supporting others. As I sat amongst my 200 newest friends, I could tell that others in attendance were also moved by this description of advancement and the acknowledgement of our profession’s core values. 

On our campuses, the end of term is often filled with awards and ceremonies. Recognition can be more than a certificate or beautiful object. These ceremonies can be opportunities to create a feeling of connectedness and pride for your entire community. I encourage you to harness the power of these awards and the feelings they can create for your school community.

As part of APAC, I was happy to host a Schools Forum specifically to discuss challenges and issues surrounding advancement in schools. We explored the nuances of cultivating gifts from donors in China, advancement’s role in parent engagement, and ways to streamline communication for our campuses. Though this forum was hosted in Hong Kong, these topics are relevant for many of our teams and delegates from as far as Canada and as close as a few kilometers away. Schools across the globe wrestle with similar challenges and issues in advancement. With this in mind, CASE has crafted opportunities for the schools community to gather in every region. I encourage you to consider the schools offerings from CASE below as you plan your professional development and your travel. Pair up your alumni event or donor visit with one of our programmes. 

I am excited to announce a new offering coming this November, the Global Schools Summit. This gathering of school advancement professionals will be held as part of the CASE Europe Advancement Conference in England. The GSS will rotate between our Europe and Asia-Pacific conferences. Learn more on the GSS on our website.

I hope I will see you at many of these gatherings in 2025-2026. Please reach out to me if I can be helpful in planning your journey.

Crickett