Loving the prep!

Put all this together and make me an Expo, Dave.World Expo time is here - so not a moment is unaccounted for in the office. And now some big chunks of my preparation are happening at home, too. We're baking videos, collecting and making music slices for Awards night, organizing Mentor roundtable meetings, getting set for a few guest appearances for new brands and their panel of experts... it's a vibrant mood. I have a main stage keynote style speech on Wednesday morning, a similar "tech specifics" update for EmbroidMe on Tuesday afternoon, and a nice piece I've found on the Internet to share with our Mentor Group Sunday afternoon to start the show. I'm making props for the opening session of Expo, arranging for a wonderful dinner out with the USA Mentor Chairpersons, which I hope goes as well as the one we did for the Aussie group while in Melbourne. This is really what I know well, getting things organized for the big event. I see event planning as a chess-type exercise. I'm trying to figure out what the attendees will like, what their mood will be, and how to send key points home in their memories. Everyone in our office is somehow involved. Some directly with things like signmaking, scheduling, calling franchisees to boost attendance, working with suppliers for the gi-normous trade show or logistics for our team once we hit Las Vegas. It is for me, the last piece of how we work together teamwise like we used to. I keep saying it to people at work, but only few understand. This effort, this working together, is what was normal with most projects. Now that we've grown, we're big. We have departments. We have layers. We have reports and we have more rules. Bring me back to where we once were, when success was based on all of our abilities combined. We do that now, but it's fragmented by brands and departments, likes and dislikes. I look forward to Expo because the winning formula we employ - direct interaction and teamwork isn't out of style. For our newbies, it's sometimes out of sight. Maybe this Expo will show them more of what I've been saying. It's tough, it's demanding work, but it definitely delivers dividends to franchisees and our company. Could there a better reason to prepare so earnestly?

Comments

[Michelle L]

I, too, Dave feel the excitement as Expo draws near. And that teamwork you speak so passionately of, has never been more evident for me. I am sure, as a company, as a team - our efforts will bring countless awards to all who are a part of this experience!