Sunday, March 24, 2013

Five Things I Learned from the Called Woman Conference 2013

I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the Called Woman Conference 2013. I know that most of the participants were as well because they told me so! As always I learn something from every experience and this year's conference was no different. Here's the five things I learned:

  • Dream BIG--Last year was our first conference and our goal was just to make it happen! This year my goal was to at least double the number of participants. We did that and more. We TRIPLED the number.


  • Provide Quality--A conference isn't just about numbers. It is about providing excellent quality and value. My goal this year was to bring in lots of speakers with an inspiring and empowering message. Did we do that? Yes, we did! We had a total of FIFTEEN speakers and the feedback I got from all the participants was that it was one of the most amazing and meaningful events they had ever been too.


  • Ask for what you need--I'll be honest-I'm pretty good at giving but terrible at asking. I had several people ask me how I got so many great speakers at one event. The answer is simple: I asked for it. I put out a call for proposals and was literally overwhelmed with the response. We turned down as many people as we accepted.

  • Provide opportunities for networking--I attend or speak at a lot of conferences and while I love learning and sharing my message, what I enjoy the most about conferences is the opportunity to meet new people who have a similar mission. The best conferences I've attended have been ones where I could get personally involved with speakers and participants. At the Called Woman Conference, we provided numerous opportunities to network including a speakers reception (very popular and fun) at my house on Friday night.

  • Maintain a support group--Creating and coordinating a conference can seem like a daunting task. I have the wonderful support of Kathy Brunner and Kim Wiggins. Without them, the conference would still be a dream. It takes the encouragement, hard work and support of a team to make it happen.

A very big THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of making the Called Woman Conference 2013 a huge success!
 
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5 comments:

  1. I agree wholeheartedly, Lynne and will be sharing this post as a link on my blog. We all did learn as much as the participants and without such a wonderful team, I too, would still be dreaming and maybe even having nightmares as I know I could never have done this alone.
    What's coming is even bigger!
    Thanks for being a part that makes me better.

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  2. I'm so glad your conference went so well! It's obvious you value everyone who attends, from the speakers to the guests. Hosting a speakers reception on Friday night is a terrific idea, too, as the day of the event gets so busy. Well done!!

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  3. Congratulations, Lynne and Kathy! Wow! You have developed something invaluable here. May it continue to grow!
    Blessings always!

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