A few weeks ago I was in Dallas when the terrible storms and tornados swept through the area. I was to fly home to St. Louis but the storms had dumped hail and battered the aircraft with high winds. Every plane on the ground had to be inspected before it would be able to ferry passengers to their destination. Like thousands of other travelers my flight was cancelled and plans delayed significantly. American airlines and the entire team at DFW served all of the weary, stranded passengers very well...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Gas prices have been the buzz word for the last several months and I don't believe that it will leave the news anytime soon.  The prices are likely to fluctuate some and they will go up, and while I hope they will go down but am not banking on that happening.  For planners who are gearing up for ministry events this summer, be ready to hear the excuse, "gas is too expensive, we're not coming." I don't just want to be calloused and brush the statement off as an excuse there is no doubt that going to the gas pump is a burden. But the experience your event is offering must be prove itself as valuable to gain more registered attendees...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

In the early stages of planning an event you usually define your main goal for that event. You also decide who your target audience is – youth, women, couples, families, prospective church member, etc. Once you have determined the goal and the audience, then you start planning speakers, music, food, lodging, etc. From this point forward, as you are planning the event, you need to continuously consider wishes of the prospective attendees. If you want them to attend, you need to be able to answer "Why should I sign up, what's in it for me?...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Blue skies, warm temperatures, longer days...sounds like spring is near!  Spring is one of my favorite times of year.  The temperatures are warm enough to have the windows open but not too warm to have the air conditioner running.  Spring leaves me staring out the window of my office more and more...     Continue Reading | View Comments (1)

I am the kind of person that is very pleased when a project turns out well, however I also have learned all of the things that could have made it great. When a similar project circles back around just doing well again is falling short in my opinion. No matter what the project, event, or 'thing' maybe, there is always room for improvement...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

One of the first questions a host property will ask a planner is, "how many guests do you expect?" Whether an event planner formulates their response based on history, early interest, and slatted promotion activities or simply takes a guess. The estimated is based on the following: narrowing down the entire target population to potential attendees then determining the cross section who will actually register...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment