Exchange 2024

May 12th – 14th, Membertou Convention Center 

Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island)

We’re holding space for people to come together, rest, connect with each other, and share ideas with the intention of tapping into the creative energy and inspiration needed to break the status quo. We hear you: current systems and structures in the Community Impact (Nonprofit) Sector can make it hard to support our communities and ourselves; you’re feeling isolated, disconnected, and burnt out. You do the often undervalued yet critical work to make a positive impact in your communities – but where is the space to slow down, recharge, and get energized by what’s possible?

IONS Exchange is a two-day gathering that offers an opportunity for the people working and volunteering in the sector to be in community together, learn from Indigenous knowledge holders, gain new tools and ideas, and celebrate the work we are doing for our communities. 

Exchange speaks to the intentional design of the event, which will encourage relationship development and reciprocal knowledge sharing. This gathering is meant to give space to develop meaningful relationships within our network, learn about and offer promising practices and resources to support our work, and provide a sense of rest, unity, and empowerment to lift the spirit. IONS Exchange will offer a variety of ways and activities for people to learn, create, inspire, and connect. 

Reciprocity in Practice 

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Reciprocity in Practice.” We want this event to be different than a typical conference – we are hoping to create a space where people can feel engaged in both listening and speaking, connecting and introspecting, and giving and receiving.  

Our intent is for participants to walk away feeling cared for, with the energy of new relationships, and supported with tangible information, ideas, and tools for action in community impact work. We hope to enable a refreshed outlook on our shared challenges and successes, and inspiration from being able to fully engage in a space with like-minded others. 

As we are looking to care for you in reciprocity for all the great and hard work you put into our community, we seek to provide the following during the gathering: 

      • A comfortable space to be in together 
      • Thoughtful and engaging programming that meets the needs of multiples senses and learning styles 
      • Nourishment and refreshment in sharing food and drink throughout the day 
      • Plenty of information for awareness, accessibility, and a feeling of autonomy 
      • Enough spaciousness in the agenda to not feel rushed 
      • Facilitated opportunities for connection 
      • A positive atmosphere that uplifts celebrating the good work we are doing while encouraging challenging transformational thinking 
      • Opportunity to connect with the land, culture, and context of Membertou 

We know that in a post-pandemic world we are all craving meaningful connection, and a reimagining of what it means to be in place together. After some hard years for the Community Impact Sector, and navigating the unique challenges of the present, we feel a gathering like this can meet people where they are at and create space for connection and generating new ideas for action. We hope you will join us! 

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