Measures of Success
FOF’s passion is “inspiring community conversations for sustainable change.” To that end, it helps build healthier communities through communication and collaboration among people from government, business, the nonprofit and academic sectors, students, and the general public. FOF uses community-based social marketing to kindle a fresh outlook at home, work, and play. Conference success, therefore, can only be measured in terms of actual behavior change. As indicated by the following evaluation results, conference attendees noted actual behavior change and commitment to future change based on their conference experience(s):
- 71% of survey respondents who attended BSC in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and/or 2013 have introduced new plans, policies, programs, projects, or partnerships AT WORK as a result of what they learned and/or who they met at the conference(s)
- 70% have adopted new behaviours AT HOME
- 57% have adopted new behaviours AT PLAY
Testimonials
- “BSC has become one of BC’s premier conferences that consistently attracts leading thinkers and practitioners on a wide range of sustainability issues. When the big names and serious players show up regularly, you know there is substance to the meetings.”
- “Most useful and inspiring conference I have attended.”
- “I felt like I was in the midst of a migration to open thinking and new ways of doing.”
- “Thank-you for your obvious efforts to make this a relevant and showpiece conference.”
- “Chock full of content!”
- “BSC offered a holistic program relating to key community issues and challenges from small scale to the large. The scope of the conference was both broad and deep offering “takeaways” for all who attended.”
- “I left BSC with tons of new ideas, feeling like I could accomplish anything!”
- “This is a must-attend event for those who wish to gain a broad understanding of the sustainability paradigm, or those who are experienced and seeking inspiration and current initiatives from industry leaders.”
- “I loved the format, with lots of opportunities for interaction and networking.”
- “It is difficult to say which is most valuable: the access to valuable, practical information or the professional networking opportunities with industry leaders. This event offered something for everyone.”
- “The breadth of topics, speakers, and delegates was outstanding. And it had a broad application across industries, sectors, and interests.”
- “I left feeling inspired, with new information and a new appreciation of what my region has to offer.”
- “This is a place where ideas are shared and spread.”
- “The speakers and panelists were insightful and delved into substantive, topical issues.”
- “BSC helps keep our community and particularly our local government staff motivated in our mission to become a more sustainable, green community.”
- “As a teacher, I hoped to jolt my students from the culture of distraction that blinds so many of us from the truly important. We received so much more. The stark reality is sobering. However, hope was provided, and a call to action made. This will resonate with me and my students. We cannot see the world as we did before. Education is not about learning what we did not know, but rather it’s about having us behave in new ways. We are on the move…watch for us!”
- “BSC encompassed exactly what the current environmental movement needs―a platform for people in power and those wanting to use that power to change the world to talk and create change.”
- “The Fresh Outlook Foundation consistently delivers a top-notch event that addresses the breadth of elements that lead to healthy and resilient communities. Delegates take away new ways of thinking and valuable connections for their work on sustainability.”
- “Thank-you for hosting such an amazing conference! It was a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from the sustainability champions in BC. I can’t wait until February 2015.”
- “BSC provides a great platform for building relationships and understanding across sectors, generations, and perspectives.”
- “A brilliant initiative that meshes ideas and perspectives from different fields. This can only continue to grow.”
- “The level of whole-person engagement at this conference was overwhelming. The mind, heart, and spirit were shaken, stirred, and dismantled. I came away changed, confused and committed. I have attended many sustainability conferences throughout North America, and was involved in organizing the GLOBE series for a number of years, but this conference topped my list in terms of productivity and positive outcomes.”
- “This model of convening people to move the agenda of human survival on planet earth needs to be replicated and distributed globally. Brilliant work!”
- “Thank-you for your effort to increase community capacity for building sustainable communities. I enjoyed the integration of technical, social, cultural, and practical speakers sharing their expertise and lessons learned. The idea-sharing and networking opportunities this conference provides are invaluable.”