Languages are Everyone's Business

October 8 and 9, 2010

Conference at a glance [PDF] | Schedule [PDF] | Session Descriptions [PDF]

Keynote Speaker

David Williamson

David Williamson is an artist who works in a handmade house and studio in central Iowa. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa where he received BFA and MA degrees.   Mr. Williamson travels nationally as a creativity consultant to corporations, professional associations, and government agencies.  He is currently the collaborating artist with the Iowa DNR’s Project AWARE, where he interacts with canoeists to create public sculpture from trash salvaged from Iowa’s rivers.

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Conference News

Once again we are approaching the time for registration for the annual IWLA conference. It is both a pleasure and an honor to be working to organize this year’s conference. This is a chance for all of us to come together as a group, gather new ideas for the classroom, meet with friends and colleagues, and return energized to our schools. But just as important it is a time for us to discuss as an organization where we need to go and how we should get there. As I said in my formal remarks last fall, in the current globalized world, world languages should be of vital importance to everyone, even here in Iowa. But we are not valued for what we bring to the table in creating a sustainable Iowa for the coming decades. We have not made the allies that we need to make who can join us in our call for more language instruction and increased intercultural awareness. In our case, one critical ally is the business community, and therefore I am very excited that our upcoming conference has the theme “Languages Are Everyone’s Business.” Our keynote speaker, Iowa poet, sculptor, and creativity consultant David Williamson, bridges the gap between the artistic and business worlds. His remarks on the “creative economy” can help us to understand the role that we have to play and help us to forge the alliances that will make a stronger Iowa and a stronger world language community.

This year’s conference will be held on October 8- 9, 2010. We had overwhelmingly positive comments on our venue from last year and are pleased to say that we will meet once again at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott. Valet parking is available at a reduced rate to those staying at the hotel and parking is also available at the parking ramp adjacent to the event center at a rate of $10 per day with free parking on Saturday.

Many conference goers will be happy to note that we once again have scheduled our confer-ence on the same weekend as the US Cellular ® World Food Festival. This event is held in Des Moines’ East Village, just a few blocks from the hotel. Vendors are open from 11:00 am to 10:00 p.m. both Friday, October 8 and Saturday, Oc- tober 9. More information is available at the festival’ s website. Attendance is free, and the food and entertainment are sure to please.

Please remember to reserve your hotel room at the special conference rate no later than September 13, 2010. After that date, the special rate cannot be guaranteed. Reservations can be made here or by phone at 1.800.514.4681. Please be sure to ask for the “IWLA Conference Rate.” Finally, through our partnership with DMACC’s Urban Campus, we will again be able to offer our post-conference technology workshops. Whether you are a more advanced practitioner or a definite “digital immigrant” like me, you will be sure to find something at one of the workshops that will inspire you to do more to reach the “digital natives” who are our students.

Exhibitor Information

Registration

Invitation Letter

Vendor Letter

Useful Links

Des Moines Downtown Marriott | Directions

Valet Parking [PDF] | Parking Ramps [PDF]

Des Moines Downtown Maps

The City of Des Moines