2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) main building. To celebrate, we will feature several guests who have been integral to the operation of this iconic facility over the last twenty years.
This third-anniversary episode features the two longest-tenured employees of both the Conference Center and all of IALR: Diana Parrish (Event Planner and Services Operations Coordinator) and Ellen Bass (Sales and Marketing Manager). From moving into the building and holding an event before it was fully completed to now hosting multi-day, international conferences, Diana and Ellen share their conference center story experiences and stories from the last twenty years. Throughout all those years, updates and technological improvements, Ellen and Diana highlight how the mission of the Conference Center remains the same: serve excellence and open IALR to the public.
- Background and early career (00:44)
- Nearing completion and moving in (02:51)
- The first event/getting the word out & educating the public (07:09)
- Catering challenges (10:24)
- Megabytes Café (14:15)
- Initial responsibilities and early events (18:20)
- Trading spaces – how the building has changed (24:27)
- Home to the Piedmont Governor’s School (29:18)
- Conferences, baby showers, birthday parties, radio dance parties, weddings, Old McDonald’s Farm, oh my! (30:02)
- Keeping up with the times (41:36)
- Service Excellence (44:02)
- Connecting the IALR Conference Center (48:01)
- Renovating in 2020 (49:51)
- Looking ahead twenty years (53:15)
- Closing thoughts (56:22)
For more history and information and to view photos of the construction of 150 Slayton, please visit https://www.ialr.org/history/.
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.
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