A Look Back at the 2018 ICE Exchange

From the ICE Editor

Each year, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) hosts its seminal event, the ICE Exchange. It’s an opportunity for those in the credentialing community – new or tenured – to gather, network, step outside of their daily routines and exchange knowledge and best practices.

This year’s ICE Exchange, held in Austin, Texas, from Nov. 6-9, was the most highly attended in ICE history. Session rooms were held with captive attention, while in between, hallways were buzzing with conversation and the exchange of ideas.

"The ICE Exchange conference is a great opportunity for professionals in the field to network, learn, and share. In addition to learning from the presenters, questions from the participants elevate the level of learning to actual practice and experience,” Elisa Kahn, ICE member and volunteer, remarked. “It's amazing to realize that no matter how much you think you know, there's still so much to learn.”

Sessions focused on a range of the most sought-after topics in credentialing, from six unique tracks which included a new track focused on Innovation. Presenters shared trends affecting the business of certification, presented innovative item formats to incorporate in to exams, and introduced inventive concepts like scrum – a set of principles, values and practices that helps teams to work in a more agile manner. 

The Innovations track was introduced this year to showcase new formats and techniques and promoted networking among attendees. “As a first time attendee and a relatively new addition to the credentialing industry, I appreciated making face-to-face connections with new and current colleagues,” noted Carissa Homme, ICE member and volunteer. “I also gained valuable perspective on progressive methods for evaluating continued competence.” Hours spent in ICE Exchange sessions were eligible toward CAE Application or renewal of professional development requirements.  

The opening event, featuring Megan Alrutz, professor of theater and drama at the University of Texas at Austin, got attendees engaged from the start. Through an interactive presentation, attendees were asked to participate through storytelling, improvisation and other creative strategies to learn how to better foster innovation and collaboration within their own organizations and among their peers. ICE also experimented with new learning formats to encourage peer collaboration, including expert consultations, film fest, innovative games, and speed networking.

Thursday’s keynote presentation was led by Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and focused on the science of leadership. Chamorro-Premuzic touched on how leadership originates, how leaders develop, why do leaders derail, the role of culture and other thought-provoking questions. Attendees walked away being challenged to look for and encourage leadership skills of commitment, dedication and thoughtfulness. 

On the last day of the ICE Exchange, the association recognized several of its outstanding thought-leaders during the Awards and Recognition Breakfast. Included were Cary List, CPA, CA, CFP for the Credentialing Industry Award; John C. Wickett, PhD for the ICE Service Award; Cynthia C. Durley, Med, MBA, for the Lifetime Achievement Award; the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. for the new ICE Innovator Award; and Cynthia Kusorgbor-Narh, MPH, MCHES^®, for the new ICE Next Gen Professional Award.  In addition to the awards celebration, the four members of the ICE community in varying stages of their career shared insights into their career paths. Each given four minutes, the presenters shared their inspiration, challenges, and dedication to credentialing.

Next year’s ICE Exchange will be held in San Diego, California, from Monday, Nov. 18 – Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. Be sure to save the date and check the ICE Exchange website for updates.