10 Things you may not hear at an AMTA Conference

I attended my first AMTA conference in 2017. I was newly licensed and nervous to be attending solo. What I found at the conference was beyond my expectations! A friendly, vibrant atmosphere filled with warm chatter and bright smiles. Everyone was so welcoming and pleasant, it felt great being among so many like-minded people and also humbling in the presence of so much wisdom. I left the conference of 2017 with a full brain and heart.

2018 was just as great; saying hello to familiar faces, meeting even more awesome people, soaking up all the knowledge I possibly could. Around the massage tables in class the talk is always interesting from troubleshooting issues, becoming aware of new modalities, new tools and different executions of techniques. Around the eating tables you here about business; what is working and what hasn’t worked. You get updates on legislation intentions, research, and changing school of thoughts on massage application. Gathering around the table promotes spontaneous mentoring moments, peer to peer interaction and new friendships.  News from the tables can be at times shocking, funny, sad and unbelievable. One never knows what they will hear at the table… which has me contemplating what one will probably never hear from the tables at the AMTA conference:

1. “We have plenty of room! Everyone spread out!”
2. “Nobody wants to get on the table to be the demo body?”
3. “Well, we got through everything; everyone knows all the material….talk amongst yourselves.”
4. “Everybody brought a table!!”
5. “And we will do this a total of FOUR times.”
6. “So many volunteers and nothing for them to do.”
7. “Not one thing has interested me here.”
8. “At this time there are no legislative worries in Springfield.”
9. “This year’s conference went off without a hitch!!”
10. “Sorry I didn’t shave my legs.”