March 11, 2015
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the APDO-UK annual conference! For those of you going what the heck is “APDO”, it stands for “The Association of Professional Declutters & Organisers”. I have followed APDO’s newsletters and events before I even relocated to the UK. When the chance to attend the 2015 conference arrived I jumped to sign up hoping I would be able to meet some fellow organizers and also learn more about the business. I was able to do that and so much more!
I attended day one of the two day conference, which was the only day open to “non members” of the organization. The theme this year is “Vision Inspires Change: Seeing = Believing + Action”. When I arrived at the Resource for London where the event was taking place I was nervous seeing that a lot of the women had already grouped themselves at little tables in the cafe area. My nervousness quickly melted away when Zem and Sally, fellow organizers, kindly started chatting to me.
Throughout the day I got a chance to listen to some amazing speakers including Rivka Caroline from SoBeOrganized, Karen Kingston from Karen Kingston International Ltd, and Francesca Geens from Digital Dragonfly. I also got to take part in a special workshop on hoarding hosted by Cherry Rudge from Rainbowred. I learned so many interesting and useful things including tips on marketing, dealing with obstacles, technology, and running a business.
My absolute favorite part of the day were the delicious biscuits they had during our tea breaks. Ok yes I am joking, but as an American I’m still getting use to the sheer amount of tea and delicious cookies the English offer. My real favorite part of the day was just the one on one interaction I got to have with people who have the same passion as myself. Getting to meet inspiring people, learn so many tips, and experience being a part of a community of organizers was so worth it! I really bonded with a few women who I hope to build lasting relationships with.
Just to let you know a little more about the organization itself, APDO-UK is a growing organization that currently has around 125 members. They celebrated their 10 year anniversary this year! One of the amazing things about APDO is because it is still growing everyone has some involvement with the organization. It was amazing to see almost all of the members at the conference. On top of that it was so great to meet Ingrid who is the president of APDO, face to face. She is such a kind woman and I appreciated her making me feel so welcome. Patty who is in charge of international affairs also made a point to come by and ask me what I thought about the day. I am not a member of APDO-UK (yet) because I was living in the states but after the conference the appeal of joining is huge!
I am a member of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers which is a large organization based in the USA with thousands of members (including international members as well). An interesting topic that was brought up a couple times during the day was just how much more the USA is ahead of the UK when it comes to the organizing profession. People tend to be more receptive and open to getting help in the states, where as in UK it’s just not as common to reach out to an organizer or even know what one does. One of the speakers who now lives in Miami made quite a funny statement saying in the states everyone reaches out for help, you have a therapist, your dog has a therapist, and your dog’s therapist has a therapist! Having lived in Los Angeles that rang so true! But that’s not to say that the UK doesn’t have a need for organizers. After my hoarding workshop it was clear that disorganization is a very prevalent issue in the country. Even though the states might be a bit ahead, they better watch out because the UK is making large advances in the organizing community!
Overall I am so glad I went outside my bubble and went! I will leave APDO’s website link below, check them out!
PS: Special thanks to Alessandra Gerardi who was the photographer during the conference!
K xo