Searching for a Conference Venue
I’ve been out of town this weekend. I went on the hunt for an exciting and interesting venue to use for P4².
You heard me right! P4²! We’re gonna go for it!
P4²!! P4²!! P4²!! P4²!!
For me, and for many others, the P4 DID Conference 2020 was a wonderful experience, and one that I will not forget. In fact, P4 2020 was such an exciting time that we’ve already actively begun the planning and preparation process for P4². There are a million different pieces to putting a conference together, and there is no such thing as starting too early. Selecting the location, the venue, and securing the dates is the place to start. We can build from there.
For months, we’ve been talking about WHERE to have the second P4 DID Conference. Everything builds from this very basic grounding place, and this year, we decided to go big. I want a place that will encourage the BEST from people. A place that will lift your spirits, just being there. A place that will inspire. A place that says you too, can overcome, even the hardest of troubles.
With that in mind, we started our search.
I learned from all the complications last year that international Conference planning, building, preparation, task execution, and follow up for both an in-person live experience, plus a zoom experience feels as complicated and layered as a few years of the DID healing process. As soon as you have one thing done, there are 10 (or 100) more issues that still need to be addressed, and in even greater detail. It’s overwhelming. Exciting. Heavy. Intense. Wonderful. Exhausting. Worth the work. I haven’t even finished putting together the after-care needed for P4 2020, and here we are, needing to start with P4².
Conference creation. What a great metaphor for creating empathy and compassion for dissociative survivors and their overwhelming task-list of healing as I sit here grappling with the complexity of P4² tasks that will need my time and attention, yet again, and again. But hey…. Time is of the essence here. The days pass quickly, and while there is much to be done, there is no time to waste. The foundations for P4² have to get started now, whether I’m ready for that or not!
Hence the hunt for the perfect venue began….
WHEN is P4²?
To give the world a little more time to address the pandemic effectively, we are scooting our date back a few months. From August to October.
We’re looking at 22-24 October. This hasn’t yet been fully secured, but plan on those dates for now. This weekend is the goal.
Why that weekend? Well…. P4² is all about 2’s and 4’s, so picking a date that is also about 2’s and 4’s seemed appropriate. And potentially, easier to remember.
Hopefully, by the second half of October 2021, more people will be able and ready to travel again. Hopefully, more people who want to be immunized and vaccinated from COVID-19 will have had ample time to do so. Hopefully, many of the travel restrictions and limitations will be lifted by October 2021. And hopefully, more and more safety and freedoms will be available to us all. That might sound like a lot of hope, but yes… I’m hoping with a lot of hope!
I’m writing this article while sitting on an airplane that is 100% full. Yep! Filled to the brim. Every single seat is taken. That tells me that we are starting to get back out there…..
So yes, one of the main reasons we chose a later October date was to give more people the opportunity beat the pandemic limitations and have the opportunity to join us LIVE in our venue of choice this year. Travel needs to be a safe, viable option.
I know, I know… pandemic or no pandemic…..October? Really, Kathy? October? Isn’t that a rough month for a lot of dissociative survivors? Yes, of course, it most certainly is. October is often a month full of triggers and hard days.
What better time to have a conference and a place of fun for your whole system, positive learning, helpful experiences, and great information than to have a DID conference in the middle of a rough time?! Need something to focus on besides your old memories and triggers? Come to P4². Need a different focus than your fears and anxieties? Come to P4². Need a corrective emotional experience for October? Come to P4²!
Maybe just maybe having a place to go where you know you’ll be able to smile, laugh, giggle, have fun, and enjoy good company is the prefect opportunity for October.
WHERE is P4²?
By the request of many of the 2020 attendees, we’ve chosen a location closer to the northwest USA. This city is still somewhat central USA, but not as far to the southwest corner as Phoenix Arizona.
This year, for P4² 2021, we’re headed to Chicago. Yep, we’re gonna be Chicago Bears. Hope the Hiddenton Bears don’t mind!
Have you ever been to Chicago? It’s so much prettier than I ever knew it was. The buildings, the architecture, the art, the flowers, the river, the lake, the lights…. I had an absolutely wonderful experience this weekend while doing the “work” of finding our venue. What an exciting city! There was so much more depth and interesting history to Chicago, and I really enjoyed every minute there.
We’ve been assisted by a professional Event Planner help us find a suitable venue, and with a city as big as Chicago, we had many choices of venues to look at. We’ve had a variety of offers, and my weekend in Chicago was all about checking these places out. Were they as good as they said they were? We went to go see! And the good news?
I think we found our spot! I certainly hope we found our spot! But before I announce our venue, we need to finalize a few contractual items via our broker. So watch this spot. You’ll hear more about THE VENUE NEWS another day.
Ever seen the Chicago flag? It flies high and proud all around the city.
Flowers, flowers, everywhere! So pretty to see the many colors of Spring. Oh, and notice the Chicago flag flying on both sides of that bridge? I’m telling you, they love their flag!
Chicago’s many treasures….
Did you know there are at least 24 beaches along the coast of Lake Michigan? What a great place to get out of the busy city center and get out to nature. The water was cool and cold, of course, but so blue and beautiful.
And… the lights at night. WOW. Everything sparkles and glistens.
WHAT is Happening Next?
Well. LOTS is happening, of course! We will start digging through our giant Conference Building / Conference Creation To Do List, and I hope you will start planning to come to Chicago in October. October 22, 23, 24, 2021. Schedule your time off work. Start budgeting for your expenses. Check out the flight prices to Chicago. Check with your therapist. Do work with your insiders to get everyone ready. Got a suitcase and some good walking shoes? It’s too early to pack yet, but you can be thinking ahead, that’s for sure.
I assume — HOPE — we will have the contract completed and finalized with the venue this week. Once that’s in place, we’ll release more details, etc, but in the meantime, you can know to plan ahead.
If you want to know how YOU can help in Conference Creation activities, please contact Awesome Email Alex.
WHO is Hosting P4² ?
Discussing Dissociation is once again partnering with Dr Amezcua-Patino / MetroNBI of Phoenix Arizona and The Serafin Project to bring this fantastic DID education event together. More details about Conference topics and the official agenda will be forthcoming, but you can be guaranteed to learn even more than before. We’ve learned more since last year, and you will too.
Hope to see you soon!
Of course, I wish you the very very best on your dissociative healing journey, and HOPEFULLY, that will take you right to the P4² DID Conference in Chicago!
Warmly,
Kathy
Copyright © 2008-2021 Kathy Broady MSW and Discussing Dissociation
We saw a comment that someone has booked their room for the conference in October. We’ve not seen registration or hotel info posted anywhere yet. Has this information been made public and We missed it? We are wanting to secure our room and registration. Thanks…
We finally have our plane ticket and our hotel room. It took us forever but we finally did it. We also already secured a substitute teacher for the days of work I will miss. Looking forward to it. Kathy is the BEST. We love listening to her talk. She is THE expert on DID and has helped us so much.
Hey! Have they released details and I missed it? I haven’t seen the hotel mentioned yet.
With the Delta variant being so bad, will you cancel this year? Or at least decide to return to Chicago next year? I hate to miss this conference but I have two young nephews who I see all the time that I cannot risk their health. If Delta is gone or at least is not as bad as now, it won’t be a problem. I hope that is true so can attend
I don’t know the direct answer to your question, but I do know that the conference is supposed to be online as well, so there’s that option too for you.
MultipleMe
8/13/2021
Hi Friends,
It is my understanding that Kathy is already working on the dedicated P4 conference website and she will make that available to us all as quickly as possible. I am sure that she is anxious to get that information out to us. We know that Kerry is already building this site!
But, what I know is yes, it is in Chicago at a great hotel (with a great conference rate available) in the heart of the city and within walking distance of a lot of sights, restaurants, fun things to do, etc. The conference is Saturday and Sunday (October 23/24) with activities on Friday night and Saturday night. For those who cannot travel to Chicago, there will be a Zoom option like last year.
I have not heard what the topics will be but I do recall Kathy saying that there will not be the designated professional vs DID folks day like last year. Everyone is invited for the whole event – this will prevent information from needed to be repeated. Knowing Kathy, there will be lots of time for questions and letting the discussions flow as they need to.
Oh, and this year Laura will at the conference so she will be actively involved. And, like last year, I believe that Dr Amezcua-Patino will be making a presentation as well.
I am thinking that just expect a lot of information, discussion and sharing.
ME+WE
08/08/21
Do you have an outline/brochure available that I could share with my therapist regarding what the conference entails? Also, what is the cost and what does that include?
Thanks!
wow! chicago, the windy city. we used to live closer, but now we will have to fly. we are seriously considering this trip and conference. we haven’t been very active lately, but miss talking to everyone.
We are so incredibly excited to hear this will be in Chicago!!!! We live in Illinois…so being near is a HUGE PLUS to our ability to be able to attend!!!!!!!
LOL…We check our email and your FB page multiple times everyday …JUST IN CASE.. the details and/or registration information pops up!!! Can’t wait!!!!!!
Yes, the P4-2 DID Conference will be held in Chicago! We have our Hotel Venue secured and I will be releasing the sign up / registration information as quickly as we can get it all assembled. Save the dates: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 22 – 24 October 2021.
We are a DEFINITE GO !!
So glad to see that you are excited about coming, Vickie.
It will be fantastic to meet you. 🙂
Shirley,
We follow your site as well as this one…and like you are SO EXCITED to learn this will be coming to Chicago….You are in or near [the area], we think we remember…we are in [Illnois too]!!!
Coulda taken a little vacay this summer, to visit friends, but after hearing about the conference being so near (WOOHOO) .. VACAY is on hold…WE would rather spend our money going to Kathy’s DID Conference!!!!
We’ve learned SO much from her blogs, videos, and articles…..AND all the response comments from others of US’S!!!
I’m so glad to see this I can’t begin to tell you. Is there a mailing list for the conference?
Hi Kathy ! We’re excited to hear about P4(2) updates. Do you have any news?
I live within driving distance of Chicago and am so excited! You’ve made no reference yet to the cost of the conference as far as admittance.
I have written several books about DID, are you accepting vendors? I live with DID myself.
This is wonderful!
Hey Shirley!
So I might finally get to meet you! That will be awesome. 🙂
We have recently secured a contract with our Chicago Hotel Venue, and I will be releasing all the details for the P4-2 DID Conference soon. There is lots to put together, but we had to secure the hotel contract first. YES, there will be room for vendors, and you would be welcome to come have a table for your books.
I will give your contact information to the person in charge of all that.
Thank you for your interest, and feel free to email in to the site here if you want or need a quicker reply. The CONTACT PAGE send a direct email to the Discussing Dissociation admin email, so we’ll get your request much quicker that way.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Warmly,
Kathy
I would appreciate being in the loop on this. I have been inactive for awhile. Recently trying to reconnect. Thank you kindly!
Thank you Kathy! I cannot wait to hear more about the venue that you have chosen (in particular) but the City of Chicago is already a great choice of locations — geographically central, a transportation hub and an exciting place to visit.
Oh, and did you notice that their flag is spot on in concert with P4-2? The four stars and two stripes are an omen that great things are in store for us there.
Last year’s P4 conference was incredible! This year’s P4-2 conference is shaping up to be twice the fun, inspiration, education and community fellowship — going with the twos and fours there … hahaha. 😉
Hope to see you all there!
i cant wait!
Based on our current restrictions, we probably won’t be in person again with our t. 😵
Is this for those with DID only or would therapists benefit too?
Hi Cd,
Great to hear from you again. 🙂 I hope you are doing well.
Yes, pandemic restrictions are still messing with lots of us — I hear you about that. I’m not sure who will have the opportunity to travel to Chicago, but we will also have the Zoom component available for anyone who wants to view the conference online.
And, this conference will be good for both DID survivors and/or their therapists. It won’t be heavy academic — that’s just not my style. But it will be filled with all kinds of ideas and topics that are relevant to the therapy healing process. So in that sense, both therapists and survivors would benefit from attending.
Thanks for your interest!
Warmly,
Kathy
Aww. I’m surprised you remembered me. That’s super sweet.
This past year+ has been super rough. Therapy has been in a holding place (if not a huge regression). Telehealth just doesn’t work. Lots of ruptures. But the idea of maybe going to this conference seems amazing…and gives a little bit of hope.