One of the joys of holding ClickerExpo in Stamford, Connecticut, is that a number of folks from the greater New York area attend. My own roots are completely in New England, and my sports team allegiances are clear. But, not only did I spend time working and living in New York, I married a woman whose family roots and friendships stretch long and deep in the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan; to Long Island and Westchester and Rockland counties; and, yes, even into New Jersey. To top it off, Karen Pryor grew up in New York City and her fondness for the city, like mine, is palpable.
There’s a lot to admire in New York and in New Yorkers. Perhaps that’s why in building ClickerExpo I can’t help but notice how the New York qualities I have grown to love over the years have been interwoven into the experience of ClickerExpo. So here are three reasons why ClickerExpo is for New Yorkers and why New Yorkers will feel at home at ClickerExpo.
At home, even in a crowd
Outside New York, the city’s reputation is that of ruthless competition, where the only survivors are the fittest. But, in my experience, New Yorkers, if gruff at all, are so on the exterior only. Start a conversation with a complete stranger and what you find is easy engagement. Ask for directions, and you get detailed, prideful understanding. Warm and humanistic in their approach to problems, neighborhoods, and institutions, people thrive because individuals care about one another. For all the potential isolation that a big city can bring, New Yorkers know the value of community. They look out for one another, and this concern includes animals.
So it is with ClickerExpo. Faculty members attend one another’s presentations, veteran attendees help newcomers get the most of their experiences, and it is simple but powerful to observe and emulate the kindness people extend to the dogs and their handlers. ClickerExpo is a place where attendees and their dogs feel at home, even in a crowd.
Greatness (not OK-ness)
“Good enough” is not the New York credo. The credo encompasses public spaces, public projects, revitalizations, and reformations that reflect a history that has produced beauty and rejected mediocrity. The renovation of the terminal at Grand Central Station, the elevated High Line walking trail, and the recently opened Second Avenue Subway extension with its beautifully adorned stations are, deservedly, points of civic pride. New Yorkers don't admire braggadocio; they admire excellence. Me too!
ClickerExpo always strives for excellence, and we’ve been largely successful. Our team doesn’t want anything less. That is why the ClickerExpo faculty is so selective, why the programming is extensive, and why the staff is so dedicated. We take pride in our production of the best educational conference, and the best experience that we can provide you, the attendees. Where we can improve, we do. And when we succeed, you let us and others know. Most new attendees at ClickerExpo hear about us from a friend, or from the social part of social media. So if you are thinking of coming, do the New York thing and ask around! Or, read what past attendees have told us. I’m confident you will find the conference to be great!
Fuggedaboutit
Made famous by the TV series The Sopranos, “fuggedaboutit” is a uniquely NY oxymoronic phrase. Its very construction of its instruction is contradictory! Forget About It. But, strung together, how can you forget about it?
The phase carries multiple, contradictory meanings. On the one hand, it can mean, “It was nothing... just a small matter” (as in “That favor? It was nothing. Fuggedaboutit”). On the other hand, it can mean “It was the best, most unforgettable thing” (as in “That slice of pizza was incredible, I’m telling you. Fuggedaboutit”).
No doubt I am short a few other meanings as well.
ClickerExpo courses are taught by trainers and teachers who are among the best and most innovative in their fields. People like Ken Ramirez, Kathy Sdao, Susan Friedman, and 17 others. They have trained more species of animals than most of us can name. Our faculty members are passionate, articulate, informative, entertaining, and committed to your learning. For many first-time attendees, the ClickerExpo experience is transformative. Come to ClickerExpo and experience the unforgettable. “I’m telling you. Fuggedaboutit!”
See who is teaching.
New Yorkers, at home or at heart, join us at ClickerExpo Stamford, March 31 - April 2.
Register now!
Aaron Clayton is President of Karen Pryor Clicker Training and TAGteach International, and a member of the ClickerExpo Faculty.
