One of the greatest qualities we can possess in life is a thirst for knowledge. Learning and education have always been important to me, and I realized after graduating college my excitement for learning didn’t stop. I love learning new things, finding more efficient ways to do my job, and finding ways to refresh my creative flow. Luckily, I work for a great employer who values education just as much as I do. Ortho2 offers each employee an education budget each year to attend classes to learn new skills, purchase books to learn new developments in our field, and attend conferences.

This year’s Users Group Meeting party was Heroes vs. Villains, and I feel like it couldn’t have been more fitting for the occasion. This theme translated across the entire event by encouraging YOU to become your own office hero. As your choice of practice management software, we work hard to ensure you have the tools you need to keep your practice running smoothly. However, the day-to-day operations, challenges, and success of your practice rest on your shoulders.

For the second time in seven years, I was able to travel for work. The first time was in 2016 for the Ortho2 Users Group Meeting. I was the at-large winner chosen to attend to see what the meeting was all about. During the meeting, I helped Kim Barker, Ortho2 Meeting and Event Coordinator, with various tasks throughout the day to make sure everything ran smoothly. I assisted our customers with their questions during the meeting, and enjoyed the opening reception.

This year was my first year attending the annual Ortho2 Users Group Meeting and it didn’t disappoint! As the Multimedia Marketing Coordinator at Ortho2, I’ve spent a lot of time working on UGM email campaigns, posting on our social channels, and helping design various materials leading up to the event. It was exciting to see the hard work behind the scenes put into action.

I had heard many stories about the meeting from UGM veterans, and I was eager to experience the meeting for myself. Since returning home to Iowa, my brain is still rushing from all the excitement. For those of you who haven’t experienced a UGM yet, here are my top five reasons why you should consider going.

What’s that social media app all the millennials in your office are talking about? You know, the one where you receive a picture and frantically try to absorb it all in 10 seconds before it disappears into oblivion? This handy app is called Snapchat and it’s become a bit of a phenomenon. Forget the old days of clogging up your text message inbox with random pictures you received from a friend, and forget about having to email photos because they’re too large to send via text…you can now send photos quickly and efficiently through Snapchat. And thankfully this app has made some improvements recently that now allow you more time for viewing before the picture or video disappears into that black void in cyberspace. To make snapping even more fun, Snapchat has a variety of filters, text options, drawing tools, and stickers that help you create funny and more personal photos.

As I conclude my thirteenth year at the Ortho2 Users Group Meeting, I have to say that this year was amazing! So many great speakers, talented staff, and awesome attendees were brought together to share ideas and expertise on a variety of topics in the Ortho industry. There were so many great moments during our time in Orange County, but a few things definitely standout from this meeting.

The Ortho2 Users Group Meeting is a little over two months away, and we can’t wait to see you at the happiest place on Earth! The 2017 UGM takes place in Orange County, California, February 23-25. We have a great line up of consultants, doctors, and Ortho2 staff who will show you how to get your practice running in the best shape possible.

We're not done yet, there were too many photos to fill into one post so here's another serving of the best UGM photos of past parties.

The Users Group Meeting is only a few weeks away! Do you have your favorite pastel-colored jacket and leg warmers ready? Or maybe your can of hair spray needs some dusting off. No matter if you dress up or not, you’ll have a blast at the I ♥ the ‘80s party! Take a look at past parties to get inspired for this year!

Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m a planner. I need to have all the details for everything planned out in advance so there are minimal chances of something going wrong. So it’s no surprise to anyone in our office that I have already started my New Year’s resolution list. While it’s not yet complete, it looks something like this today:

1. Take a trip.
2. Save as much money as I can this year.
3. Learn. In any way. Something about my job, myself, others. Just learn.
4. Spend more time with friends.
5. Attend a costume party. Either one that I host or just attend. And go all out.
6. Say thank you more often.