Blog - Page 56 of 64 - Retreat-in-a-Bag 56

Managing the Prices at Your Book Table

Posted by Debby on September 22, 2010

Managing the prices at your retreat book table is key to having a successful book table. It is not always possible to offer good deals if the books you wish to showcase are all new releases. But we like to have a variety of books, including older and classic books, as well as a variety of price ranges. Here are some of our ideas:

We try to make available small, quality books in the $3-$4 range. Sometimes you can find mass market paperback copies of classics that are available for a very low price, which can then be offered at a low price.
If possible, we try to offer books priced below their retail price. The two primary ways that we are able to do this is by shopping sales (both at retail stores and from online distributors) and by ordering through our church bookstore and passing their discount on to the women.
We keep the prices as low as possible after factoring in taxes and any applicable shipping charges. This is a service to our women, not a money-making venture. Our goal is to break even.
We always check Amazon.com to see if the books we want to order are available used. This is tricky, because the shipping costs can sometimes be prohibitive. However, if I do find books used (in very good condition only), I mark them clearly as “gently used” so no one is deceived into thinking that they are buying a new book.

One note: Even though it is tempting, we would advise that you DO NOT lower book prices at the end of the retreat just to get rid of books. This would be unfair to those who purchased the book at full price early in the retreat. If ladies find out that by waiting they may get a better price, you will lose a lot of early sales.The exception to this would be if you had sold no copies of a specific book and wanted to lower the price on that book only.

Posted in: Book Table, Retreat and Event Planning

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Ministering to Your Guest Speaker

Posted by Debby on September 20, 2010

Whenever we ask a guest speaker to speak at an event or retreat, there are obvious issues such as their transportation to and from the event and their meals and lodging for which arrangements must be made prior to the event. It is important that all of this information be communicated to the speaker prior to the event so she is secure in knowing that her needs will be met, particularly if she is totally dependent on your for those things (i.e. she does not have her car). She also needs to know other essential information such as what kind of dress is appropriate, what to bring, what her accommodations will be, schedule for the event (including how many times and how long she will speak) and even how many girls are expected to be in attendance. All of that information should be conveyed to the speaker well before the event.

But during the event, we assign someone to be the guest speaker’s “hostess.” The hostess’s job is to minister to our guest’s needs during the event. The hostess is introduced to the guest speaker upon her arrival and she either stays close to the guest speaker throughout the event, or checks in with her regularly during the event to see if there are any needs or issues needing to be resolved. The range of the hostess’ duties can be many and varied. Those duties can include:

Insuring that the speaker has water (or beverage of choice) at the podium for each session;
Running interference for the guest speaker whenever possible by acting as her “protector,” keeping the speaker from being overwhelmed by those who would demand her attention;
Acting a a “go-fer” should the speaker forget something in her room, need a sweater, or even need to relay a message to someone;
Acting as a liaison with the hotel to get any room problems resolved;
Meeting any personal needs that require attention during the event (special menu needs, mints, tissues, etc.);

The hostess stays attentive to the guest speaker, and does everything in her power to insure that the guest speaker is comfortable and free of unnecessary stress during the event.

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning, Your Guest Speaker

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No Need to Break the Piggy-Bank

Posted by Debby on September 17, 2010

“Your Retreat Savings Envelope”

This is a new idea for us, and I think it has had a very positive response. We have made this printed envelope available for anyone who is making an effort to save up for our November retreat. As our economy has worsened, the cost of the retreat has become prohibitive for some. And yet, we know that there are small ways that we all can cut back on a weekly basis, and those dollars can add up. This savings envelope is just a tool that some may find effective in helping them save up for the retreat. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder that there is a good reason to skip Starbucks or that fast food lunch.

We are glad to provide this if it can help even a couple of our ladies budget for the retreat. One of our ladies told me that she has been putting $10 a week in the envelope. By November, she will easily have enough to pay for the retreat and maybe even a fun meal with friends on the way to the retreat. “It’s awesome to have the retreat paid for without impact to the budget. It feels good!”

Posted in: Money-Saving Tips, Retreat and Event Planning

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Making Your Registration Card

Posted by Debby on September 16, 2010

We have used this template (found here) for our registration card for years, with very few changes. The main things that change from year to year are the rooming options and prices. When you make a registration card, it is most important that you obtain all possible contact information that you can, just in case you need to reach them for any reason. Besides a home phone, it is worth getting a cell phone number, work number and email address.

It is important that all rooming options and costs are clearly indicated. We also have spaces to request roommates on this form. When registrants choose their roommate(s), it really simplifies the rooming process. However, it is amazing how many times that requested roommate doesn’t even sign up for the retreat! Special needs (such as bringing a nursing infant, any sort of handicap, special dietary needs) should also be noted on the registration card.

You will note that our registration card has an area at the bottom “for office use only” to be used for recording deposits, payments and scholarships. As registrations come in, we carefully record the payment information. Several copies are made of each registration card. One copy is made on a 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper and put into a notebook. We also keep copies of any checks that are written for the retreat, just in case some payment is not applied correctly somewhere down the line.

Posted in: Registration, Retreat and Event Planning

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Registration at Church

Posted by Debby on September 13, 2010

Registration for the retreat at our church begins about 7-8 weeks out from the retreat. (Retreat registration packets are sent to sister churches about 10-12 weeks prior to the retreat.) We normally give ladies within the church about 4-6 weeks of opportunity to register for the retreat. No matter when we start registration, however, we can count on the majority of the women registering the last full week before the deadline. Our ladies seem to always wait until the last minute!

We set up a registration area at the Welcome Center, where the information sheets and registration cards can be picked up. Before we had a Welcome Center, we actually set up a small table in the church foyer where registration for the retreat would be convenient (and obvious!) after services.

At the retreat planning meeting, ladies can sign up to help with registration. We staff the registration area after each Sunday service during the weeks of registration. The ladies who staff it are available to answer questions and also to encourage women to come to the retreat. These ladies are also responsible for receiving the filled out registration cards and recording any deposits or monies paid up front for the retreat. As you will note on the registration card, there is a section to record every retreat payment.

Posted in: Registration, Retreat and Event Planning

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