P.O.’s around the world, the story of APDO

As the head of external relations for APOI - Associazione Professional Organizers Italia, I have the privilege of meeting and engaging with the world of international professional organizing. One of the goals of the association is to have exchanges and comparisons with various P.O.'s around the world so as to increase the growth of the profession in different cultural contexts.

APDO, a fruitful meeting
My first significant meeting with an international professional organizer association happened in 2014 in London, at the annual conference of APDO.
During the event dedicated to British P.O.s, I clearly understood what an association offers its members. APDO members, in addition to having the opportunity to compare themselves with their colleagues, could listen to foreign professional organizers invited to give lectures on various topics related to the profession, and this allowed an exchange of views and experiences, starting from different cultures. APOI was taking its first steps, but to see APDO's work, always respecting cultural differences, was certainly a valuable opportunity, a new stimulus for the APOI board of directors who were shaping the future of Italy's premier association.

APDO- Association of Professional Duclutterers & Organizers was born in 2003, from the meeting of three women: Cassie Tillett, whom I had the pleasure of meeting, Sue Kay and Trudy Kelly. APOI was also born from the meeting of three women: Sabrina Toscani, Irene Novello and Silva Bucci!

The three P.O.s had met in a London restaurant to talk about decluttering and organizing and, in the wake of their enthusiasm, decided to create a nonprofit association for decluttering and organizing professionals; thus APDO was born with Cassie Tillett as president, a role she held for ten years, overseeing the development of the fledgling organization.

APDO's first steps
APDO's first conference was organized in 2011 in London, and, for the first time thirty people from all over the United Kingdom had the opportunity to network with other colleagues and discuss the nascent profession. The event was a real stepping stone, and before long the membership grew to eighty. Clare Parrack and Cherry Rudge, members of the association, became available to work with Cassie in running the association as commitments and responsibilities quickly increased, and thus the first APDO operations group took shape.

They were later joined by. Lesley Spellman, Juliet Landau-Pope, Bernadette Sarginson and Ingrid Jansen, a dear friend, and, in the spring of 2013, APDO's first constitution was agreed upon and signed, an important milestone. At the time APDO's only income came from membership dues, very limited funds that did not facilitate the development of the association, but through constant effort and work the association continued its evolution.

If the commitment is there, growth always comes
After a ten-year term as president, Cassie Tillett has decided to step down, and the position has been assigned to Cherry Rudge. At the APDO conference in March 2014, members were then invited to submit new nominations and Ingrid Jansen was elected president.

The years between 2014 and 2018, under the presidency of Ingrid Jansen, marked the growth and success of the association.

The valuable input of Ingrid and her team have been instrumental in identifying key points that are good to work on:

1. Increase the number of associates;
2. Provide a training program for association members;
3. increase relations with P.O.'s around the world;
   - In 2015, APDO became a member of IFPOA - International Federation of Professional Organizing Association. The first external relations officer was. Patty Cruz Fouchard, also a guest speaker at APOI's first National Conference in Bologna in 2014, then replaced in 2016 by Isabelle Lamy. With both Patty and Isabelle an immediate understanding was born with me! -
4. Create a mentoring system for members;
5. Keep the website updated;
6. Be present and increase visibility on all social channels;
7. To raise the value and prestige of annual conferences;
   Sue Darby, with five other volunteers, was designated as the annual conference manager;
8. Increase relationships with partners.

2017, Katherine Blackler, whom I had the pleasure of meeting, joined the APDO board as a volunteer and served as events and partner relations manager. She was then elected president in 2018, and her role was filled by Hannah Young.

Katherine Blackler, gave a major boost to the association with new, interesting initiatives. She has incorporated the "Donate Day" during the annual "NOW National Organizing Week" in which each member gives a gift of advice to a charity. APDO has so far helped over twelve charities from Scotland to Cornwall. Also since March 2018, it has launched the "Spring Clearing Week", the week during which it highlights the benefits of annual "space clearing" by eliminating everything superfluous.

Looking at the work of other associations can therefore be inspiring, but APOI in recent years, step by step, is also building a solid reality, which is being recognized internationally. Recent membership in IFPOA - International Federation of Professional Organizing Association. after just seven years of activity is proof of this, and the development of the manifesto beautifully tells about us, our certainties, our vision and the contribution we wish to make to Italian society, with the enthusiasm of those who still want to build a lot!