I remember arriving at my first OLC conference in Nashville feeling three things at once: excited, nervous, and a little in over my head. I was eager to learn and meet people who cared about the same things I did, but walking into a conference for the first time can be overwhelming. Conversations are already happening, and it can feel like everyone already knows everyone else. 

Attending the first-timers meeting helped change that. It gave me a way to step out of my shell without having to figure out networking on my own. I started talking with people at the tables around me and, before I knew it, some of them became the people I spent much of the conference with. 

But there is another moment from that first conference that has stayed with me. 

I was sitting by myself at a table, surrounded by a sea of open tables. Someone walked over and asked, “Can I join you?” 

They could have sat anywhere. Instead, they chose my table. 

They introduced themselves, we started chatting, and that was it. There was no elaborate networking exercise. No carefully crafted icebreaker. Just one person deciding to connect with another person. 

I still chat with that person today. 

We are solidly in the era of AI. I’ll admit it: there are days when I realize I may have had more conversations with ChatGPT than I have with another human being. And I don’t think I’m alone. We work remotely, meet on Zoom, collaborate through digital platforms, and teach and learn online. AI has become part of how many of us brainstorm, create, solve problems, and get through our workdays. The digital world has become the norm, at least for me. 

For a community like OLC, embracing technology isn’t exactly new. Technology and human connection don’t have to be opposites. But I do think our increasingly digital world makes intentional human connection even more important. 

That is what we’re thinking about as we plan engagement for OLC Accelerate 2026. 

Yes, we want you to learn. Yes, we want you to come away with new ideas. But we also want you to leave saying: 

“I feel connected.” 

This year, the Engagement Team is focusing on human connection, and we’re planning to have some fun doing it. Our ’80s-themed Engagement Hub will give attendees opportunities to play, relax, laugh, and, most importantly, interact with one another. We’re talking giant Lite-Brite. Skee-Ball. ’80s trivia. Prizes. And probably a healthy dose of nostalgia. 

We’re also bringing people together through activities like Human Bingo, where the entire point is to get out there, meet someone new, and have a conversation. 

But here’s the secret: the games aren’t really the point. They’re the excuse. Laughter and fun have a wonderful way of bridging communication gaps. Sometimes all we need is a reason to say hello. 

When people hear “conference engagement,” they may picture a room full of extroverts enthusiastically introducing themselves to everyone they see. That is certainly one way to engage, but it isn’t the only way. Engagement is for introverts, too. You don’t have to be loud. You don’t have to work the room. And you certainly don’t have to meet 100 people before lunch. Maybe you participate in an activity for ten minutes and then take a break. Maybe you find a quieter way to connect with someone one-on-one. There isn’t one correct way to be part of this community. 

If you’re attending Accelerate for the first time and you’re excited, nervous, overstimulated, or all three at once, that’s okay. There will be places to seek guidance, places to take a break, and activities specifically designed to make meeting people a little easier. Come as you are. 

And if you’ve been coming to OLC conferences for 5, 10, or 15 years, engagement is for you, too. In fact, you may have one of the most important roles to play. 

You already know people. You have your conference friends. You know where to go and what to expect. Walking into Accelerate may feel a lot different for you than it does for someone wearing that first-timer badge. 

So, look outside your circle. 

If you see someone standing alone, say hello. If someone looks like they aren’t quite sure where to go, ask if they need help. If you see someone eating alone, consider asking to join them, they may say no thank you, but you never know what that small gesture might mean. 

When longtime members of the OLC community connect with new attendees, everyone benefits. You meet someone with a different experience and perspective, but you also show that new attendee what their own future in this community might look like. 

I know because I lived it. 

I started as the excited and nervous first-timer who needed a little help stepping outside of his shell. I watched the Engagement Chairs create programs that gave people shared experiences and brought them together. Over time, I found my place in this community. 

Now I have the privilege and, let’s be fair, the microphone, of serving as an Engagement Co-Chair and helping create those experiences for others. 

When Accelerate 2026 ends, I hope you leave with pages of notes, new ideas, and plenty of things you can’t wait to try when you get home. But I hope you leave with something else, too. 

I hope you can say: “I met someone who________” 

Someone you didn’t know before you arrived. Someone who made you laugh. Someone who challenged your thinking. Someone you might still be talking to years from now. 

That’s the community we’re trying to create. And the Engagement Team can’t create it alone. 

All of us create it. Sometimes building a community doesn’t require a big program or the perfect networking activity. Sometimes there is a sea of open tables. And you simply choose the occupied one.