Those who attend regularly state that they enjoy the intimate feel of the meeting and the philosophy of practical application that guides the content of the sessions. The Association encourages the attendance of Associate Deans as well as Deans, since much in the topics covered is relevant to their work.

Members tell me they enjoy the intimacy that our conference offers as we typically have 60 to 75 in attendance. Those numbers and the friendliness of the participants allow conference attendees to get to know each other well. One measure of success is the number of productive relationships forged between members who can share ideas, opinions, and data that help us all improve our B-schools.

What makes the Southwestern Business Deans' Association one of the best values for the money is the quality, relevance, and timeliness of the topics that are discussed at the annual meeting. Many of our members have also told me that what draws them to the SWBDA is its friendly, intimate, and close-knit community-like structure. Each year, participants comment on the value they derive from sharing ideas, data, opinions, and above all, friendships.