Closing the Books on 2020.

• Author: Kennedy, James
• Position: Tax Executives Institute

I want to take a moment to reflect on TEI's progress in the year just concluded to effectively advance the mission and goals of TEI. Without question, the Institute was challenged at every level within our organization to deliver value to our members in the face of COVID-19. How do you continue to deliver high-quality education, networking, and advocacy to members around the world when you are unable to travel or meet face-to-face due to the constraints imposed by the coronavirus?

To answer this question, we did our best to adapt, innovate, and experiment to identify ways to neutralize the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and to stay focused on the Institute's mission. A few points to bring to your attention:

* Almost on a dime, TEI transformed significant elements of its 2020 Midyear Conference into CPE-eligible educational content delivered entirely virtually. By teaming with a number of our sponsors, TEI kept its members informed and connected with their peers and the advisory community as we adjusted to the new mantra of "social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing." We learned a lot, did the best we could, and delivered value to members.

* With a moratorium on in-person meetings, TEI and its leaders innovated to design cross-chapter and cross-regional meetings to help make virtual networking a reality. By identifying common interests and topics, TEI leadership built meetings and educational programs around those topics, using existing virtual platforms to deliver value to our members.

* And finally, by the end of October, TEI designed, developed, and delivered an entirely virtual Annual Conference--its first ever. Committee chairs, TEI leaders, speakers, and staff worked collaboratively to deliver content designed specifically for the virtual medium. Sponsors hosted virtual exhibit spaces, and members engaged with one another in virtual lounges. Close coordination among technologists, members, speakers, sponsors, and staff resulted in an outstanding conference experience for our nearly 800 participants. We innovated to create a positive educational experience for our members--something that they have come to expect for over three quarters of a century, whether in the middle of a pandemic or not. Although it was...