The "Off-Season"

The late fall and winter serve as our official "off-season." I use that term loosely since the only part of it we have "off" is from the actual production of the events. Many people ask us what we do this time of year. While we usually dedicate much of our time to the evaluation and planning for each event, this year we are looking at organizational changes; decisions that aren't easy to make.

After we had the chance to take a deep breath following our last event in mid-October, we spent quite a bit of time reading through event surveys and participant comments, spending time on what they liked about the events, but more importantly what they didn't like or would like to see in the future. We also listened to what our crew was telling us, since they are such a vital role in what we do. All of this resulted in a plan of action for each of the events and the ensuing months is dedicated to the implementation of these plans. This winter however, it is even more important the planning gets done. Our 2011 season is more daunting than the 2010 season. Once we get rolling, there won't be much time for the planning aspect, so we need to have our bigger plans in place so that as we move closer, our time is spent more on the implementation of these plans.

Now, from a big picture point of view. VEM saw many changes during the year, so following the 2010 event season, there was a lot to discuss and plan for as we move into 2011. During 2010, VEM hired another full-time staff member, added another part-time staffer, and added five new events to our lineup, with three of them being first-time events. It was a fun year....and a long year. As I alluded to earlier, we are looking at many organizational changes in an effort to improve our overall operational plan. First, we are looking at the possibility of an actual office accompanied by the potential for a true warehouse. Making the commitment to actually having "brick and mortar" could be the toughest decision of all. Secondly, we are looking at adding an additional staff member, helping to take the event load off of Andrew and myself…or so we think. Adding this new person though is probably the easiest decision because we need the help. The final aspect is our ever-expanding lineup of events. Again, this is not an easy decision or process. It involves a lot of time exploring the options; some of which will be viable and some that will be dead-ends. None-the-less, it’s a process that must be done.

Not only will this winter help give a clearer direction for our events in 2011, it will provide VEM with a direction for the future. A future that is not only promising, but daunting as well. It’s an exciting process and we are enjoying the ride.

Thanks for taking time to read, please feel free to share your comments.