Nurturing your international side: Coaching Conferences outside Spain

Although I had my first contact with coaching when I was working in Costa Rica, I have received my coaching training mainly here in Spain. I believe we have excellent schools, trainers and organizations that offer a great variety of models, methodologies and tools that help the continuous professional growth we need.

But when I have gone outside Spain to train, for example, to obtain the Supervising Coach Certification in the UK, I was struck by how a new world literally opened up to me: within the coaching world, my colleagues talked about other currents and methodologies, read other books, participated in other forums and admired other gurus. I found this connection with the profession at a global level so enriching that now I always try to include some international activity or conference in my training calendar.

My preference has gone first to virtual work with coaches outside Spain, an easy way to connect with the world from our office. I am a member of a Virtual Supervision Group, led by Alison Hodge, and the four of us are of different nationalities. And thanks to a Peer Supervision initiative, over the last year I have worked with coaches in Canada, New Zealand, the UK and Poland.

In terms of conferences, this year I have opted for the EMCC Annual Conference, the European Coaching and Mentoring Council, in Paris, also because I have become accredited with this organization in 2019.

For those of you who would also like to broaden your horizons and connect with the profession outside of Spain, I have compiled a list of international conferences taking place throughout 2020. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and if anyone knows of any international meetings that are worthwhile, feel free to share them in the comments!

In addition, it should be noted that there are more and more activities in Spanish.

Here is the list:

March 11, 2020
Virtual Supervision Conference - AOCS (Association of Coaching Supervisors)
This virtual conference will have several sessions in Spanish.

5 - 7 May 2021
Coaching Supervision Colloquium - Oxfordbrooks University - Oxford
The home of Tatiana Bachirova, an eminence in coaching and supervision, this university organizes a major conference every two years. As it was last year, this year it convenes a smaller version in the form of a colloquium (date modified due to the COVID-19 emergency).

May 4 - 10, 2020
ICF International Coaching Week (virtual and face-to-face)
All ICF chapters worldwide participate in this week and it is an excellent opportunity to attend an international webinar, in addition to the face-to-face and virtual workshops here in Spain.

May 7 - 8, 2020
America's Coaching Supervision Conference - America's Coaching Supervision Network - Mexico City (VIRTUAL)
In its third edition, this virtual conference promoted by Damian Goldvarg and Lily Seto, brings together coaches and supervisors from all over the Americas in a bilingual English-Spanish format.

June 1 - 3, 2020
EMCC Annual Mentoring, Coaching and Supervision Conference - Paris
In its 26th edition, this conference delves into Coaching, Coaching Supervision and Mentoring as sister but distinct professions, grouped under the same global code of ethics.

8 - 10 June 2020
Association of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO) - Alexandria (USA)
As the name says, ACTO is the reference organization for coaching schools around the world.

2 - 3 June 2020
10th Mentoring, Coaching and Supervision Research Conference - EMCC - London
Every year EMCC also organizes a Research Conference, which seeks to connect practice with the latest research.

18 - 20 September 2020
EASCCongress 2020 - European Association for Supervision and Coaching - Barcelona
Led by Susanne Rieger, this congress will be dedicated to Exploring Identity in Times of Change.