Volume Number One: Spring 1999, pge 2

That's what we tell our clients, our economy-minded non-profit organizations such as yourself, when they've become so caught up in the details of staging an event that they lose track of their purpose, of the larger picture. When you have forgotten to say hello to your guests, to shake some hands. To get out of the back room and go have fun. To accomplish your mission. Believe us, we understand why. We've been dealing with non-profits for years, and loving it. We appreciate what gifts you confer on us all; we value your generous spirit. And we know your problems. Because you don't command the bountiful budgets of profit-making corporations, we understand that non-profits have a tradition of volunteerism and doing for themselves. So when event time rolls around, it's just natural for you to drift into the details – details that don't directly relate to your mission. We see you checking out the back room, making sure that registration is in order. We see your pacing by the door, making sure that an important speaker arrives and is escorted to the right place. We see you checking to see if the nametags are laid out. We see you hovering around the caterer, wondering if the food is warm and tasty. You want to make sure no detail is forgotten. Enough. This is not the way to run an event. Have you forgotten that you have bigger things to worry about than the rolls and butter? Have you forgotten about the people who need you and the services you provide? Have you forgotten that an event isn't an end in itself, but a way to realize your larger goals? Of turning a dream of a better society into reality? Understandably, non-profit event sponsors want to make a good impression. You want to create an atmosphere in which your guests will be comfortable and entertained, to learn and become enthused. And creating that atmosphere is the job of Michele and Company.  We have learned how to do this from our years of experience in working with and for non-profits. We, at Michele and Company, like to tell our clients: Look, we've got everything under control. Have the flowers arrived, we'll be asked? Yes they have. Do out-of-town guests know how to get to their hotel? Yes they do; we've told them. Do conference participants have access to a fax or a modem? Yes, we've arranged it. But we attend to more than the details. We provide creativity and humor; we open the door to new ways to look at your conference, fundraiser or other event. We see our job as a provider of Sundries. We are like the old drug stores that had signs proclaiming: Rx and Sundries. You come in with the prescription; we provide all the rest. Need to get the right speaker? We know how to find her. We'll go listen to her speech beforehand. We'll preview her qualifications, so that you know what you're getting. Need to keep track of how many people are coming to your conference or fundraiser? That's our job. Need to find a hall or a banquet room? Wonder if someone is manning the coat checkroom? You're in the business of making the world better, of improving the lives of the infirm or poor, of bringing the community together in a common cause, of fighting for victims, of establishing opportunity for the hopeless, or one of the thousands of other things that contribute to the health of our society. We're in the business of letting you go about your business. We'll be frank: You're not doing your job if you try to do ours too. You owe it to your guests to be with them, to be confident and friendly and, most importantly, to be focused on your mission. You owe it to your mission to be passionate about it and to stir passion in others. You can't serve up passion if you're looking to see if someone is serving the mashed potatoes. >Be warned; we're like the chef who doesn't like anyone hanging around her kitchen. You've ordered the soup and the entree; now leave us alone to make it. Go do good works. So what did you give me, without your even knowing it? What favor could I possibly be returning? Well, I've worked with and within non-profits and community-based organizations for a long time. From them I have learned about selflessness, caring, dedication and hard work. From them I have had my belief in virtue and goodness renewed and resurrected, in a world where sometimes you can be lead to believe that they no longer exist. Gifts that rekindle your faith are the most powerful of gifts. But as long as I have worked with non-profits, I know I can never meet them all – you all. But I do know this: That there are people out there like you who are giving and giving, every day, every week, all year long. I don't have to know you personally, but I know that you're there. And by your ceaseless efforts, you have given me and millions of Americans a lift. So, this newsletter is only a modest repayment, to those I know and to those I don't. I hope you'll find in here some tips and ideas from Michele and Company  that are useful. These are yours to keep or to pass along to your friends. What moves me is a spirit that I should do something in return, for what has been given to me. If it's helpful along the way, it is only an extra blessing, for you and for me. we'll address the relationship between adult learning and your event management responsibilities.

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Volume Number One, Spring 1999 pge 2

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