Community, collaboration, and the road ahead: What we learned from this year's User Conferences

This year’s Traction Rec User Conferences at the Greater Philadelphia YMCA and the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh were no different. In fact, they might’ve been our favorite ones yet. While we may build the tools, our customers are the ones using them to support teams, serve members, and strengthen your communities. Getting to watch and support you come together, collaborate, and learn from one another… that’s exactly why we do these conferences.

Turning a conference experience into a collaborative experience

We all know what typical conferences can be like. Long days, too many slides, and a crowd of glazed over eyes.

But this? This wasn’t that.

From day one at both conferences, the energy in the room was electric. Everyone was asking questions, sharing ideas, and jumping into conversations that felt less like meetings and more like brainstorms with old friends.

And we can’t forget about the stellar games of “boulder, parchment, shears” (rock, paper, scissors) that had everyone on their feet and a little competitive - in the best way. YMCAs and JCCs really do know how to have a good time.

Watching peer power in action and this community working together

One of the things we love most, and were lucky to see in action again this year,  is how much our customers show up for one another with curiosity and openness. We all have the same goals, to give back to our communities, and it was clear from every hallway conversation, breakout session and mid-break huddle that sharing is what makes everyone stronger. We saw teams sharing templates, personal best practices, and talking about how they make the Traction Rec CRM work for their teams.

One of the most powerful (and most shared) highlights of the week

We also want to shout out one of the most powerful tools we saw being used (and shared!) throughout both conferences: dashboards and reporting (to learn how our customers are making dashboards work for their communities)

Having accessible, visual data in front of your teams can be a game-changer, and it was incredible to see how each organization has customized their dashboards to fit the needs of their staff and communities. Not only did customers share these dashboard setups with each other, we witnessed teams walking others through their logic, their different layouts, and giving practical tips to make data more approachable across departments.

We can’t wait for what's to come: Agentforce, AI that puts members first

We were thrilled to recap a year's worth of exciting monthly releases and share what’s coming next for Traction Rec, and even more excited to hear customer feedback.

There was a lot of buzz around the upcoming new release,  which we built to bring you more efficiency, flexibility, and functionality, particularly in your finance departments. From automated billing enhancements to AgentForce and everything in between, the goal is never just to push out new features, it’s to build a better product. Our customers' input matters deeply to us, and these conferences are the perfect space for shaping what the future of Traction Rec looks like.

Hotly anticipated product sneak peak.

Agentforce is here. Smarter sign-ups, lightning-fast answers, and real-time, personalized help, anytime. Agentforce is designed to take the busywork off your plate, so your team can focus on what really matters. AI can be intimidating with all its capabilities, but Agentforce is created and tailored specifically for non-profits. You answered questions like; What repeatable tasks could be automated? What do your members need support on? And what tasks can you take off your front desk staff? Our team then takes your feedback and is able to offer the very best product to serve your community.

What we loved most

It’s hard to pick just one favorite moment. The friendships and collaborations that come out of this conference are invaluable.

The excitement around our newest release, Agentforce, and what it means for improving day-to-day operations was contagious. We could feel the energy in the room, everyone was curious, motivated, and ready to take what they learned back to their teams.

However, our biggest takeaway was that nothing beats being in a room together, face to face! While there are so many ways to stay connected and keep collaborating year round, the learning and laughter that came out of this year's user conferences are the true moments that fuel the future we’re building together.

We will see you soon!

If this year’s conferences reminded us of anything, it’s that collaboration doesn’t end when the sessions do. Whether you joined us in person or not, the conversations, ideas, and relationships sparked in those rooms are just the beginning.

We host monthly meetups where you choose the topics, and we dive into what matters most to your teams. Whether it’s workflows, reporting, integrations, or anything in between, we’re here to keep the conversation going. Stay connected and up to date on our Slack channels, and our Engagement Specialists are always here if you're stuck or want to learn more.  

Last but not least a HUGE thank you to our phenomenal hosts Greater Philadelphia YMCA and JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, and our partners Alaris, Camp Doc, Cascadia, EigenX, Quickscores, Soapbox, Traction Complete, Upace, WorldPay and Y 360 - we could not have done this without you.

We can’t wait to keep building, learning, and growing together, see you again soon.