I know I am stating the obvious when I say “2020 was a pretty stressful year”.
From the perspective of UXPA organizationally, it was also a year where we all had to wear many hats and be super flexible. Postponing our annual in-person conference (set to take place in June 2020) was the first of many hurdles our Board had to work through. We had to come up with a Plan B quickly, and we did. UXPA 2020 At Home, our first online conference event, was a success, thanks to our members, our volunteers, and our dedicated Board of Directors. We added more webinars and short courses to help everyone stay connected to the world of UX and we moved full steam ahead on publishing our magazine and journal.
The task I am most proud of though, is that we all stayed connected as a UX community. Whether it was on social media, on our members only Slack channel, or via attendance at one of our online events, our UXPA International Board, our Chapter Leaders, and our members kept the love for all things UX alive.
This year also was the last year on the Board of Directors for two of our members. Michael Bechinie, who served as our wonderful European Regional Director, stepped down. Michael was integral in helping UXPA International reach our European audience, and we are grateful for all of the work he has done for the organization.
Alain Robillard-Bastien, who served as the most amazing Director of Volunteers, finished his 3-year term. Alain has been an invaluable member of our team and while it’s very sad to see him move on, we are excited to announce that Ginny Hong will be our new Director of Volunteers.
So, what do we have planned for this year? To start, under the assumption that everyone will have the opportunity to be immunized from COVID-19 by late spring, we are moving ahead with our in-person annual conference this August 31 – Sept 2,2021 in Baltimore. More details to come soon, but you can expect the same great content and networking opportunities as past conferences.
We are also lining up some new short courses and webinars, and we will update our calendar with the lineup soon. If you have any ideas on content you would like to see, or any additional thoughts you would like to share with the UXPA International Board, we would love to hear from you. Email office@uxpa.org and share with us!
We are hopeful that 2021 will be a much better year for the world, and we are looking forward to new ways to engage and include.
Here’s to a happy AND HEALTHY New Year!
Sara Mastro, UXPA International President
