Honey, I Shrank the Conference Book!

Guests at the District 84 “Things to Come” Spring Conference probably noticed that the conference book shrank in size from previous years, going from an 81/2 x 11 inch format to a 6 x 9 inch format. However, the consensus was this was a change for good!

2012 Spring Conference Book Cover

The smaller books have two huge advantages for District 84 Conference Attendees. First, they are easier to carry around than the bigger books we have used in the past, making them a far more portable reference resource to keep handy throughout the event. Second, they allow the District to maintain a high quality, professional looking book at a price-point that doesn't break the bank. District 84 works very hard to keep the costs of attending District Conferences at a minimum, while delivering maximum value to our membership. The new, smaller conference book format delivers on all fronts!

Kudos to Dennis Wooldridge, DTM, Lt. Governor Education & Training and District 84 Governor-Elect for all his work pulling the Things to Come Conference Book together this year. Dennis was responsible for most of the graphic art (like that fabulous cover!) and page layout, which was no small task, particularly with everything else on his plate for the Spring Conference.

When asked to describe his experience compiling the book, Dennis laughs. “Other than mind-numbing?” In a more serious vein, he admits, “It took a solid week of work to get it ready to send to DiggyPod, our printer.”

However, he's quick to add that he had valuable help in his endeavors. “Jim Miller put together several pages for the book, which certainly took some of the pressure off me.”

Good thing for District 84 that our current LGET is not only multi-talented and apparently tireless; but also an unabashedly self-confessed SciFi Geek… the end product was out of this world!

This is the second year that we have used DiggyPod to print our books. Their production quality and turn around time was once again outstanding. Here's hoping this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

If you missed the conference, this year's “Things to Come” conference book was once again full colored, glossy-covered, and information-packed. The 56 pages included everything from welcoming remarks for our District and Conference leadership, to conference event location layouts, to Awards Recognition, to Conference Agendas. Ads were interspersed throughout the book, all in color.

“We always learn lessons, and already plan to make improvements for next year,” Dennis says. “Next year, we'll issue guidelines that should help advertisers understand how to design ads specifically for the smaller space.”

As we move forward, selling ads for future publications should become easier and easier. Clearly, potential advertisers will recognize we're selling space in a premium program: one that will undoubtedly become a permanent memento for most conference attendees.

This year's Things to Come Conference Book proves that some of the best things come in small packages!