destination continuing education, CE, article banner

30 Years of Destination CE, An Interview with Irene Lamonde

After more than 32 years as the Clinician’s Choice Continuing Education and Events Manager, Irene Lamonde is retiring this Spring. For the thousands of clinicians and practice staff across North America who have attended one of the company’s hugely popular destination events over the years, rest assured: her legacy of delivering intimate, fun, and highly educational meetings will continue. In this interview, we sit down with Irene and explore over 30 years of events from her perspective – and why, if you’ve never been to a Clinician’s Choice destination event, you should consider it for 2024.

Question

What makes a great destination event?

1 answer

Answer

Location, location, location! The location of our destination events are selected specifically to enhance learning, personal and group entertainment so every attendee can experience the local area and enjoy the event from a cultural perspective. As well, the smaller, more intimate nature of our events allow attendees direct access to speakers for the all-important networking opportunities. And of course, we cannot forget our attendees…we’ve had so many wonderful dentists from across North America who have come back year after year. The 2023 Aruba Dental Conference had over 80 attendees returning from past years and we are always so excited to see our returning VIPs.

 

Aruba 2023 KOL speakers dentists

 

Question

Of all the events you’ve been involved in, which has been your favorite?

1 answer

Answer

Bermuda will always rank up there as it is such a beautiful island. It was definitely the best locale for forming great relationships with our guests and speakers. A specific moment from past events that stands out in my mind are the Bermuda cruises we took around the island. One year we rented a yacht…wow what an experience that was! We had 70 guests and the food and beverage was outstanding. It was a bonding experience for our speakers, attendees and staff – and there is never a dull moment with our CEO and Founder, Peter Jordan! But we have gone to other great destinations – all equally amazing – Atlantis in the Bahamas, Las Vegas, Napa Valley, Aruba, and Banff, Canada.

Question

What activities, networking, or social events do you see as the most beneficial for the doctor/clinical team?

1 answer

Answer

The schedule is built so there is the perfect mix of learning, networking and personal downtime. With two courses held in the morning and a half-hour break between, many dentists stay in the meeting space to talk and meet with like-minded peers, guest speakers and other Key Opinion Leaders on the roster. You can find yourself speaking with the likes of Bob Margeas, Marcos Vargas, David Chan, and David Clark, to name a few. We also have our welcome cocktail party that all of the Key Opinion Leaders attend and mingle at, it’s a great atmosphere that lends itself to expanding professional and personal relationships.

Question

Is it mostly dentists attending or do these events draw staff as well?

1 answer

Answer

Generally, it’s mostly dentists but we do have an average of 20–30 staff members at each event. This is a great opportunity for a team getaway or team-building event, and we do have some practices that build the event into their benefits and book team time together in the unscheduled hours.

Question

How are the speakers selected for your events? Do they have to check specific boxes to be considered?

1 answer

Answer

Each speaker is definitely scouted and/or referred by one of our Key Opinion Leaders that has spoken at one of our conferences. Topics play an important role in this as well as academia. We always get complimented on our lineup of speakers. For example, the past 2023 Aruba Dental Conference had 6 speakers, all of whom are AACD Accredited dentists…that speaks volumes.

Question

How is it working with the Key Opinion Leaders?

1 answer

Answer

Great! Our Key Opinion Leaders have such a passion for dentistry and when you put them in a room together, they all become so animated and excited to be speaking and learning from one another. There is such respect amongst them. And because we choose to run a smaller event, our attendees get unprecedented access to these top Key Opinion Leaders which is unlike many of the larger events out there.

Share This Article! Choose Your Platform

Related Articles

  • The Protocol Live article banner

The Protocol: A Roadmap to Excellence

With Dr. Rob Ritter & Dr. Christopher Ramsey

With over 46 years of combined dental experience, Dr. Robert Ritter and Dr. Christopher Ramsey are paying it forward by sharing their “tried and true” results with the next generation of dentists.

  • Dental Digest Podcast article image

Stay Ahead of the Pack with The Dental Digest Podcast

With Dr. Melissa Seibert

The Dental Digest podcast is a clinical dental podcast with a mission of helping dentists stay on the cutting edge of evidence-based dentistry. Host and creator Dr. Melissa Seibert has a passion for following evidence-based dentistry, continuing education, and sharing what she has learned with others.

  • Full Mouth Rehabilitation program article banner

Master the Art of Occlusion While Building Confidence

With Dr. Dean Vafiadis

For the past 15 years, the Full Mouth Rehabilitation program at NYU has delivered on their mission to train general dentists from around the country in a philosophy that centers around patient care with comprehensive treatment plans to increase confidence and deliver more predictable results.

  • imPRES-dental-education-article-banner

imP.R.E.S. Dental Education Redefined

With Dr. Amanda Seay and Dr. Adamo Notarantonio

When a combined forty+ years of hands-on clinical experience, an uncompromising dedication to advanced training (with the AACD and Kois Center, to name a few), and a passion for excellence in cosmetic dentistry come together, the result is a successful business partnership and the creartion of imP.R.E.S Dental Education.