Matteo Callegari L3, Italy<\/p><\/div>
\nThere’s nothing more awesome than a Conference.<\/p>\n
Conferences are among\u00a0my favorite kind of judge gatherings. They have all the nice moments, the exchanges, the stories, the dinners, the traveling, without any stressful event to run in the background. They’re\u00a0like holidays with benefits.<\/p>\n
Way back in 2008, when Nationals still happened and dinosaurs scoured the lands, I went to my first-\u00adever judge Conference, and I absolutely loved it! We pioneered one of the first Conferences in the world with all the fear, uncertainties and doubts about how they would fit\u00a0in the Judge Program. The feedback we received from all the judges who attended was simply tremendous!<\/p>\n
And seven\u00a0years later, Conferences still make me as excited as I was back then. I strive\u00a0for the feeling of a group of judges gathering together to learn new tricks, to share experiences and to build and develop of the judge program. Meetings outside events bring judges closer together, and by socializing we become more friends than colleagues.<\/p>\n
Gotta Find \u2018em All<\/strong><\/h2>\nNowadays official judge Conferences happen weekly around the globe and you may find them listed on Judge Apps<\/a>. If you want to join one, follow the link to Judge Apps and submit\u00a0your application.<\/p>\nConferences may or may not be linked to an event:<\/p>\n
\n- Event Conferences<\/strong>\u200b: they are run the day before or after a multi-\u00adday event (typically a GP) and are a nice opportunity to bring together an international group of judges that may offer several different points of view on the topics. The location is often a nearby store or the same venue as\u00a0the event and they are usually 6-\u00ad8 hours long.<\/li>\n
- Standalone Conferences<\/strong>: \u200bthey are run independently of events, usually on weekends (Saturday and\/or Sunday). They are region based and may be of public access (i.e. all judges are invited) or of limited access (i.e. only for L2+ judges). Topics are usually more centered around regional needs and you have the opportunity to meet and spend quality time with the judges of your entire region. They are on average\u00a010-\u00ad12 hours long, divided on multiple days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are also many unofficial judge Conferences which tend to be more local\u00ad-based with judges not travelling from so far away<\/span>\u00a0and the Leadership Conferences which serve a particular region management purpose.<\/p>\nBefore Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>
\nOnce you locate a Conference you’re interested in attending, be sure\u00a0to apply in time through Judge Apps so that a slot may be reserved for you. You may have to answer\u00a0a few questions (e.g\u00a0topics you\u2019d like to be discussed, logistical details, \u2026) that will help the organizers tailor the experience on the needs of all the attendees. Applying in good time helps the organizers<\/span>\u00a0to locate a proper venue to accommodate all the judges.<\/p>\nWhen the application window closes and you\u2019re accepted to the conference, you\u2019ll need to plan\u00a0your travel\u00a0and where you’ll\u00a0spend the night(s) (if needed). Check if one of the attending judges lives close to you: you may be able to share a\u00a0car or join them on a train or a plane to spend the time together. You may also post a topic on the Conference forum asking for advice or looking for roommates.<\/p>\n
Make solid plans by few weeks before the Conference and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help!<\/p>\n
During Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\nYes, you made it to your first Conference! What should you expect from it?<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p><\/p>\n
- Learning<\/strong>\u200b: there will be several seminars presented during the Conference (usually 6 to 12) by judges who are experts on the topic. The range of topics may cover many judge areas, like rules, policy, tournament operations, certification process, judge community, personal improvement, reviews, \u2026 just to name a few! You may also find different seminars running at the same time aimed at judges of different experience, so that you may find the best topic for you. The full schedule of the seminars will be announced before the Conference and published on the JudgeApps event<\/span>, so take your time to select your best path.<\/li>\n
- Testing<\/strong>\u200b: Conferences are a good option for testing for L1 or L2, because you\u2019ll usually find at least one L3+ (attending, presenting,\u00a0organizing or all of the above!). Be sure to write in your application that you\u2019d like to test and get in contact soon with your mentors so that your preparation will\u00a0be as smooth as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Community<\/strong>\u200b: you\u2019ll be able to spend quality time with several judges you’ve never met and with some judges that you’ve spent some time with on the floor before. Expanding your network of contacts is an enormous opportunity to increase the amount of feedback\u00a0you receive, join projects, get in touch with different communities and make yourself known to possible future HJs for possible future events.<\/li>\n
- Social activities<\/strong>\u200b: do you like to have huge dinners with friends? Check! Do you like to draft with friends? Check! Are you an avid boardgamer? Check! Do you enjoy talking to friends while having a few beers? Check! Do you like sunbathing on the beach? Check! And these are only a few of the activities that happen at Conferences while you\u2019re waiting for the next day… or the next seminar!<\/li>\n
- Travelling<\/strong>\u200b: sometimes we say \u201cJudge the Game, See the World!\u201d But this applies to Conferences as well: many open regional Conferences happen at amazing locations (I heard of a Thailand conference in Phuket, for example!)… be sure not to miss\u00a0this chance!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Prizes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>
\nThe Judge Program believes in Conferences as one of the best opportunities for improving the quality of the judges, both by mentoring and by building communities. As such, attendees at\u00a0the official Conferences receive a token of gratitude from WotC in form of Judge Foils for our willingness to continuously improve.<\/p>\n
Every region has the possibility to run three\u00a0official conferences during a year: two open ones (either for all certified judges or with some area or level criteria) and a leadership one (for the leaders of the region). Double check with your RC or your friendly neighborhood L3 about their yearly plans and don\u2019t forget to apply when you see the announcements on Judge Apps.<\/p>\n
After Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>
\nI\u2019m sure you enjoyed your first judge Conference: I hope\u00a0you learned something new, you made better connections with other judges and spent some time having fun with old and new friends. If so, feel free to share some of your experience with the judges that were not able to join you, by posting pictures on social media or by writing your notes in form of a report of the Conference. Remember that we become stronger by helping others become stronger!<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019d like to actively contribute to your next Conference (because we both know that Conferences are addictive!), start thinking about becoming a presenter yourself. Stay tuned on this blog because you may read a few articles<\/a> that will convince you that there is a presenter deep inside you that is just\u00a0waiting for his chance.<\/p>\nAnd of course, we have to talk together about our experiences from our first Conference the next time we meet\u2026 maybe on the floor, maybe at a party or maybe at\u00a0the next Conference!<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Is this an interesting read? Do you also have something to say about\u00a0slides and seminars? We are always looking for feedback, but even more\u00a0for collaborators! It doesn’t matter if you want to help writing\u00a0already scheduled articles, or share entirely new ideas. Contact\u00a0George <\/a>
<\/span><\/span>or Ivan<\/a>
<\/span><\/span>, and let the\u00a0Judge Community know what you think.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There’s nothing more awesome than a Conference. Conferences are among\u00a0my favorite kind of judge gatherings. They have all the nice moments, the exchanges, the stories, the dinners, the traveling, without any stressful event to run in the background. They’re\u00a0like holidays with benefits. Way back in 2008, when Nationals still happened and dinosaurs scoured the lands, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[],"language":[13],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-conference-presenters","language-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":334,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions\/334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Conferences may or may not be linked to an event:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Event Conferences<\/strong>\u200b: they are run the day before or after a multi-\u00adday event (typically a GP) and are a nice opportunity to bring together an international group of judges that may offer several different points of view on the topics. The location is often a nearby store or the same venue as\u00a0the event and they are usually 6-\u00ad8 hours long.<\/li>\n
- Standalone Conferences<\/strong>: \u200bthey are run independently of events, usually on weekends (Saturday and\/or Sunday). They are region based and may be of public access (i.e. all judges are invited) or of limited access (i.e. only for L2+ judges). Topics are usually more centered around regional needs and you have the opportunity to meet and spend quality time with the judges of your entire region. They are on average\u00a010-\u00ad12 hours long, divided on multiple days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are also many unofficial judge Conferences which tend to be more local\u00ad-based with judges not travelling from so far away<\/span>\u00a0and the Leadership Conferences which serve a particular region management purpose.<\/p>\n
Before Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nOnce you locate a Conference you’re interested in attending, be sure\u00a0to apply in time through Judge Apps so that a slot may be reserved for you. You may have to answer\u00a0a few questions (e.g\u00a0topics you\u2019d like to be discussed, logistical details, \u2026) that will help the organizers tailor the experience on the needs of all the attendees. Applying in good time helps the organizers<\/span>\u00a0to locate a proper venue to accommodate all the judges.<\/p>\nWhen the application window closes and you\u2019re accepted to the conference, you\u2019ll need to plan\u00a0your travel\u00a0and where you’ll\u00a0spend the night(s) (if needed). Check if one of the attending judges lives close to you: you may be able to share a\u00a0car or join them on a train or a plane to spend the time together. You may also post a topic on the Conference forum asking for advice or looking for roommates.<\/p>\n
Make solid plans by few weeks before the Conference and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help!<\/p>\n
During Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Yes, you made it to your first Conference! What should you expect from it?<\/p>\n
- \n
- Learning<\/strong>\u200b: there will be several seminars presented during the Conference (usually 6 to 12) by judges who are experts on the topic. The range of topics may cover many judge areas, like rules, policy, tournament operations, certification process, judge community, personal improvement, reviews, \u2026 just to name a few! You may also find different seminars running at the same time aimed at judges of different experience, so that you may find the best topic for you. The full schedule of the seminars will be announced before the Conference and published on the JudgeApps event<\/span>, so take your time to select your best path.<\/li>\n
- Testing<\/strong>\u200b: Conferences are a good option for testing for L1 or L2, because you\u2019ll usually find at least one L3+ (attending, presenting,\u00a0organizing or all of the above!). Be sure to write in your application that you\u2019d like to test and get in contact soon with your mentors so that your preparation will\u00a0be as smooth as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Community<\/strong>\u200b: you\u2019ll be able to spend quality time with several judges you’ve never met and with some judges that you’ve spent some time with on the floor before. Expanding your network of contacts is an enormous opportunity to increase the amount of feedback\u00a0you receive, join projects, get in touch with different communities and make yourself known to possible future HJs for possible future events.<\/li>\n
- Social activities<\/strong>\u200b: do you like to have huge dinners with friends? Check! Do you like to draft with friends? Check! Are you an avid boardgamer? Check! Do you enjoy talking to friends while having a few beers? Check! Do you like sunbathing on the beach? Check! And these are only a few of the activities that happen at Conferences while you\u2019re waiting for the next day… or the next seminar!<\/li>\n
- Travelling<\/strong>\u200b: sometimes we say \u201cJudge the Game, See the World!\u201d But this applies to Conferences as well: many open regional Conferences happen at amazing locations (I heard of a Thailand conference in Phuket, for example!)… be sure not to miss\u00a0this chance!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Prizes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nThe Judge Program believes in Conferences as one of the best opportunities for improving the quality of the judges, both by mentoring and by building communities. As such, attendees at\u00a0the official Conferences receive a token of gratitude from WotC in form of Judge Foils for our willingness to continuously improve.<\/p>\nEvery region has the possibility to run three\u00a0official conferences during a year: two open ones (either for all certified judges or with some area or level criteria) and a leadership one (for the leaders of the region). Double check with your RC or your friendly neighborhood L3 about their yearly plans and don\u2019t forget to apply when you see the announcements on Judge Apps.<\/p>\n
After Your First Conference<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nI\u2019m sure you enjoyed your first judge Conference: I hope\u00a0you learned something new, you made better connections with other judges and spent some time having fun with old and new friends. If so, feel free to share some of your experience with the judges that were not able to join you, by posting pictures on social media or by writing your notes in form of a report of the Conference. Remember that we become stronger by helping others become stronger!<\/p>\nAnd if you\u2019d like to actively contribute to your next Conference (because we both know that Conferences are addictive!), start thinking about becoming a presenter yourself. Stay tuned on this blog because you may read a few articles<\/a> that will convince you that there is a presenter deep inside you that is just\u00a0waiting for his chance.<\/p>\n
And of course, we have to talk together about our experiences from our first Conference the next time we meet\u2026 maybe on the floor, maybe at a party or maybe at\u00a0the next Conference!<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
Is this an interesting read? Do you also have something to say about\u00a0slides and seminars? We are always looking for feedback, but even more\u00a0for collaborators! It doesn’t matter if you want to help writing\u00a0already scheduled articles, or share entirely new ideas. Contact\u00a0George <\/a>
There’s nothing more awesome than a Conference. Conferences are among\u00a0my favorite kind of judge gatherings. They have all the nice moments, the exchanges, the stories, the dinners, the traveling, without any stressful event to run in the background. They’re\u00a0like holidays with benefits. Way back in 2008, when Nationals still happened and dinosaurs scoured the lands, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[],"language":[13],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-conference-presenters","language-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":334,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions\/334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Social activities<\/strong>\u200b: do you like to have huge dinners with friends? Check! Do you like to draft with friends? Check! Are you an avid boardgamer? Check! Do you enjoy talking to friends while having a few beers? Check! Do you like sunbathing on the beach? Check! And these are only a few of the activities that happen at Conferences while you\u2019re waiting for the next day… or the next seminar!<\/li>\n
- Testing<\/strong>\u200b: Conferences are a good option for testing for L1 or L2, because you\u2019ll usually find at least one L3+ (attending, presenting,\u00a0organizing or all of the above!). Be sure to write in your application that you\u2019d like to test and get in contact soon with your mentors so that your preparation will\u00a0be as smooth as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n
- Standalone Conferences<\/strong>: \u200bthey are run independently of events, usually on weekends (Saturday and\/or Sunday). They are region based and may be of public access (i.e. all judges are invited) or of limited access (i.e. only for L2+ judges). Topics are usually more centered around regional needs and you have the opportunity to meet and spend quality time with the judges of your entire region. They are on average\u00a010-\u00ad12 hours long, divided on multiple days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n