A Little History Behind A Day in the Life (ADITL)

In late 2009 a group of dedicated volunteers, who shared a passion for seeing the design community in Baltimore come together and thrive, had a discussion about what charm city was missing. From this conversation stemmed the idea to produce a design conference. Initially the concept was presented to AIGA Baltimore to take on as a ground breaking event for the creative profession. As the volunteers became more involved in the planning process, it was necessary to break away in order to set up a strong foundation for the conference and meet target deadlines in a timely fashion. With nothing but an idea, a vision, and a lot of coffee, the original ADITL team produced A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference. Our goal was for students and professionals alike to rejuvenate their creative spirit, understand the industry, learn from leading talent, network with like-minded professionals and be inspired. We held it at Maryland Institute College of Art in April 2010 and we had no idea what to expect. The day flowed smoothly and the feedback was very positive. So we geared up for year 2.

In 2011 we sought to produce the event again with the goal of topping what we did in 2010. We sought out noteworthy, award-winning, published speakers, and found a way to maximize our time by offering repeat sessions. At the 2011 A Day in the Life Conference, we saw a 40% growth rate in attendance, which was fantastic in our economic climate. But in the midst of the planning process, and long after the event ended, there were several obstacles and financial hardships to overcome. We initially thought that with a successful 2010 event under our belt, finding sponsors for 2011 wouldn't be a problem. However, there were countless instances of being told "we don't have the funds right now" or "we'd rather put our money into something else instead." We also found it difficult to enlist the support of local industry organizations for funding and public relations efforts. Despite this and other setbacks, our team still pressed on and produced the 2011 ADITL Conference. The energy and vibe at the event was inspiring, and we witnessed first hand a need being fulfilled in the Baltimore community.

Nothing beats the feeling of witnessing this conference, it is one that cannot be explained in words, can maybe be captured in photographs, but ultimately you have to be present to truly understand what happens at ADITL. It's the energy that we all thrive on; it shows us that what we're doing is worthwhile. But even with this, the aforementioned setbacks loomed long after the event was over.

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Will there be A Day in the Life Conference 2012?

In late 2011, we tested the market by selecting a handful both national and local companies to inquire about their interest in sponsoring/exhibiting at the event for 2012. We wanted to get a good understanding of the environment we'd be working in and gain an understanding of what our next steps should be. Based on the results, we find it in best interest to hold off on producing a design conference for 2012. At this point we are extremely concerned about whether or not the funds, resources, and financial support will be there for us to create the event again. We know that there are several companies that are interested in being a part of the conference, but due to the current economic climate in our industry they are unable to do so.

With this in mind, we'd like to take a step back in 2012. Our goal is to restructure the way that the conference is produced so that we can offer better solutions for our team members, for the owner of the LLC, and also for those who want to support the continuance of this event.

What Happens Next?

Jessica Watson, Committee Chair for ADITL, along with selected members of the team, will take an analysis of how the conference is set up from an organizational standpoint and investigate ways to make it more sound so that ADITL stands on a stronger foundation moving forward. "I am a big believer in if you aren't going to do it right, you shouldn't do it at all," says Watson about the present state of the event. Is this good-bye? No, not at all. It's more like "see you later," or "let me go into my cocoon and reemerge a butterfly."

We'll be keeping in touch via our newsletter, facebook and twitter feeds with relevant information about our next steps.

Thank you to everyone who has attended, sponsored, and supported this event. And a very special thank you to the committee members and volunteers who made it possible.

Visit last year's website for ADITL 2011 videos, pictures and more.