Two Days of Learning and Connection at UnionWare University Fall 2026

On September 23 and 24, we welcomed UnionWare users to Vancouver for our Fall 2026 UnionWare University, hosted at the BC Teachers' Federation office.

With 36 attendees joining us over two days, this was one of our largest UnionWare University gatherings yet. It was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces come together, ready to learn ask questions, and share their experiences.

And while we had a full agenda of training sessions planned, some of the most valuable moments came from the conversations between the people in the room.

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Putting UnionWare Knowledge into Practice

UnionWare University is an opportunity for users to step away from their daily routines and spend dedicated time exploring what they can do with the system.

Across two days, our team guided attendees through practical sessions designed to help them work more efficiently and make better use of UnionWare's capabilities.

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

• ●    Smarter lists and workflows: Building dynamic and static lists to better segment and leverage your data.
• ●    Event management and online registration: Managing events, online registrations, and attendance through UnionWare and MemberLink.
• ●    Advanced searching and reporting: Exploring advanced search techniques, grid layouts, pivot tables, and data exports.
• ●    Tailoring your system: Diving into your system settings and configuration options to make UnionWare work exactly how you need.
• ●    Position management: Discovering how to easily track union roles and manage who sees what in MemberLink to give the right people access to the information they need.
• ●    Using extras: Creating custom fields to capture the data your union cares about.
• ●    Productivity and communication: Designing and scheduling automated email dashboards, notes & reminders, and document management.

One of the highlights was our Rapid-Fire Tips & Tricks session, where attendees explored useful features and shortcuts they might not have encountered in their everyday work.

Whether someone was relatively new to UnionWare or had been using it for years, we wanted everyone to leave with something useful they could bring back to their team.

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Learning from Each Other

One of our favourite things about UnionWare University is bringing together people who use the same system in different ways.

Every union has its own processes, priorities, and operational challenges. Having users from different organizations in one room creates opportunities to discover approaches they might never have considered otherwise.

That came through clearly in the feedback we received.

One attendee shared that hearing about other organizations' features, customizations, and approaches was among the things they enjoyed most about these sessions. As they explained:

Sometimes you don't know what's possible until you hear how someone else is using the system.

That observation captures something we value about these gatherings. A question from one attendee can introduce an idea that someone else takes back to their own organization.

Our open Q&A and peer exchange session gave attendees dedicated time to raise questions, discuss challenges, and exchange ideas. We also heard interest in creating even more opportunities for these conversations at future events.

We also made sure everyone was well taken care of, with meals, snacks, and refreshments available throughout both days.

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Your Feedback Helps Us Grow, Too

We were especially happy to hear from attendees after the event.

One participant told us:

I learnt a lot at UnionWare University and hope I to attend again in the future.

Another shared:

It was a pleasure learning and sharing ideas with everyone.

These messages mean a great deal to our team. We put a lot of care into preparing these sessions, and hearing that people found the experience worthwhile makes the effort rewarding.

We also appreciated the thoughtful suggestions for future training. Attendees expressed interest in more advanced, scenario-based sessions, client case studies, hands-on exercises, and structured peer discussions.

These are valuable ideas for us as we consider how UnionWare University can continue to evolve. We want future sessions to reflect what users are curious about, what challenges they're working through, and where they see opportunities to do more with UnionWare.

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Until Next Time!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Vancouver and to the BC Teachers' Federation for hosting us. Your participation and shared experiences made this gathering a memorable one.

We're exploring future UnionWare University sessions and training opportunities. Stay connected with us for updates on upcoming events and opportunities to learn together. We hope to see you again soon!