Convention Programs
Some of the programs may not be the final draft; we apologize for any inconvenience. The ILA has printed, archived copies of ALL convention programs which can be scanned upon request. Contact the Executive Director at info@listen.org for assistance.
2020 Seattle, WA, convention cancelled; some programs will be scheduled for 2021, Bloomington, MN
2019 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2018 Dublin, Ireland and Presenters' Bios; Listening in Healthcare Settings Pre-Convention Program
2017 Omaha, NE and Presenters' Bios
2016 Tucson, AZ Program and Presenters' Bios
2015 Virginia Beach, VA Program and Presenters' Bios
2014 Minneapolis, Minnesota
2013 Montreal, Canada
2012 Bremerton, Washington
2011 Johnson City, Tennessee
2010 Albuquerque, New Mexico
2009 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2008 Portland, Maine Program at a Glance and ASTD Pre convention
2007 Frankfurt, Germany
2006 Salem, Oregon
2005 Minneapolis Minnesota
2004 Ft. Myers, Florida
2003 Haninge, Sweden
2002 Scottsdale, AZ
2001 Chicago, Illinois
2000 Virginia Beach, Virginia
1988 Scottsdale
1987 New Orleans
1987 Toronto Summer
ILA Convention History
The International Listening Association has met as a body every year since its founding in 1979.
On August 23-24, 1979, Lyman K. "Manny" Steil hosted the "Listening State-of-the-Art Symposium" in Minnesota. According to a letter sent to interested individuals, the meeting would serve as an opportunity to "share important information and experiences and to establish a network of professionals." Twenty-seven people met for the symposium and decided to establish the International Listening Association. Conventions have traditionally been held in February and March. The following have been locations for the annual meetings along with the presiding President and convention theme.
Read more: History of the ILA
Convention Planners, Themes, Venues
| Planner/President* | City | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Lyman K. "Manny" Steil | 1980 Atlanta, GA | Listening: 1980 and Beyond; Birth of the ILA |
| Lyman K. "Manny" Steil | 1981 Denver, CO | Rocky Mountain High |
| Sally Webb | 1982 Washington, DC | Washington Listens '82 |
| Bob Miller | 1983 St. Paul, MN | |
| Andrew D. Wolvin | 1984 Scottsdale, AZ | The Field of Listening: Directions in the 80's |
| Marguerita Lyle | 1985 Orlando, FL | Building Bridges Through Listening |
| Larry Baker | 1986 San Diego, CA | Conceptual Frontiers in Listening |
| Carolyn Coakley Hickerson | 1987 New Orleans, LA | Listening in an Age of High Tech - High Touch |
| William E. Arnold | 1988 Scottsdale, AZ | Listening Makes a Difference |
| Kittie W. Watson | 1989 Atlanta, GA | Listening: The Next Generation |
| Ethel C. Glenn | 1990 Indianapolis, IN | Centering Listening in an Oral Culture |
| Wayne Bond | 1991 Jacksonville, FL | Listening as an Agent of Change |
| Judi Brownell | 1992 Seattle, WA | A Listening Mosaic |
| Michael Gilbert | 1993 Memphis, TN | Listening as Empowerment |
| Sheila Bentley | 1994 Boston, MA | Listening: An Agent for Positive Change |
| Margaret Fitch-Hauser | 1995 Little Rock, AK | Listening in the Natural State |
| Phillip Emmert | 1996 Sacramento, CA | Listening: Building Foundations |
| Susan Ellen Bacon | 1997 Mobile, AL | Listening: Celebrate the Past, Prepare for the Future |
| Janet Cherry | 1998 Kansas City, KS | Listening: The Heart of Humanity |
| Charles Roberts | 1999 Albuquerque, NM | Listening Enchantment |
| Harvey Weiss | 2000 Virginia Beach, VA | The Listening Spirit |
| Dick Halley | 2001 Chicago, IL | 2001: An Odyssey Toward Effective Listening |
| Kimberly Batty-Herbert | 2002 Scottsdale, AZ | Listening: The Foundation of Community |
| Melissa Beall | 2003 Stockholm, Sweden | Touch the World: Listen |
| Ray McKelvy | 2004 Ft. Myers, FL | Listen to Bridge the Gulf |
| Barbara Nixon | 2005 Minneapolis, MN | The Power of Listening |
| Maria Roca | 2006 Salem, OR | Listening: The Language of Peace |
| Margaret Imhof | 2007 Frankfurt, Germany | Listen and Make the Connection |
| Lisa Orick-Martinez | 2008 Portland, ME | Listening Lights the Way |
| Rick Bommelje | 2009 Milwaukee, WI | Growing our Listening Legacy: Treasuring Past, Embracing Present, Creating Future |
| Laura Janusik | 2020 Albuquerque, NM | Transformational Listening: Listening for Change |
| Chris Bond | 2011 Johnson City, TN | Listening for a Sustainable Future |
| Alan Ehrlich | 2012 Bremerton, WA | We ARE Listening: Advocate, Research, Educate |
| Debra Worthington | 2013 Montreal, Canada | Listening: The Art, the Science, the Joie de Vivre |
| Pamela Cooper | 2014 Minneapolis, MN | The Power of Storysharing |
| Philip Tirpak | 2015 Virginia Beach, VA | Listening: The Key to Life |
| Kent Zimmerman | 2016 Tucson, AZ | Listening: A Labor of Love! |
| Charles Veenstra | 2017 Omaha, NE | Listening for Healing |
| Helen Ralston | 2018 Dublin, Ireland | Listening Beyond Boundaries |
| Anita Dorczak | 2019 Vancouver, Canada | Listening to Conflict |
| Lori Joubert | 2020 Seattle, WA | Embrace the World: Listen to Build Relationships |
| Melissa Beall | 2021 Bloomington, MN | The Intersection of Teaching, Research, Service, and Practical Application in Listening |
Each Planner Inducted as President at Convention
Executive Directors of the ILA
Several Executive Directors have served the ILA over the years.
2007-Present Dr. Nanette Johnson-Curiskis, Belle Plaine, Minnesota
1999-2007 Dr. James Pratt, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, Wisconsin
1996-1999 Dr. Diana Corley Schnapp, Overland Park, Kansas
1995-1996 Kathy Thompson, Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1991-1994 Dr. Mary Wise Ball, State, Muncie, Indiana
1988-1991 Dr. Charles Roberts, Lake Charles, Lousiana
1985-1987 Dick Quianthy, Pompano Beach, Florida
1983-1985 Dr. Manny & Dee Steil with Chris Anderson, Admin. Secretary, Communication Development, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota
1981-1983 Geri Jwanousksos, Administrative Director, Telstar, St. Paul, Minnesota
Summer and Regional Venues
Conferences have been held when a particular goal or type of work is to be explored in depth by the members of the Association. Among the topics have been intercultural listening, healthcare, the state of listening research, and the creation of the official ILA endorsed definition of listening.
1984 Northwestern College, St. Paul, MN1985 Northwestern College, St. Paul, MN1987 King Edward Hotel, Toronto, Canada
1990 Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (Affiliated with International Communication Association)1995 Massanetta Springs, Harrisonburg, VA2000 Aomori, Japan2006 Fall Listening Forum, Kansas City, MO*2014 Nijmegen, The Netherlands**
Regional Conferences
In an effort to provide greater access to the information and fellowship of the ILA, conferences are occasionally held in various regions of the US and other countries. These conferences are organized and function independently of the annual meeting, with members in each geographical area taking the responsibility of conducting the conferences. The first regional conferences were held in the New York/New Jersey area at Montclair State University. Regional conferences also took place in Florida, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Nashville.
*"The Fall 2006 Listening Forum: Measuring the Effects of Listening on Learning, Earning, and Healing" was held in October, 2006. The Listening Forum was co-sponsored by the International Listening Association and Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri. The goals for the Listening Forum were (1) to develop practical instruments to measure the effects of listening in contexts and across contexts, and (2) to develop the listening research agenda for the next five years in the contexts of Business, Education, Healthcare, Religion/Spirituality, and Theory/Research.
**“Transforming Healthcare through the Power of Listening” in Nijmegen, The Netherlands