Going Big in Texas: Irving Impresses at Emerge 2020
At the beginning of each year a large community of people connect for a one-of-a-kind event. No, it isn’t the Super Bowl, it's RCMA’s Emerge conference, an annual meeting of faith-based event professionals and suppliers. Irving, Texas was the home for this year’s gathering–which provided a Texas-sized version of an already great event! These short and fast three days in winter prove invaluable, and pay dividends both relationally and practically.
The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas held a festive and delicious Early Arriver's Reception at their in-house restaurant, Mesa Mezcal. Mexican-themed food stations, mocktails, and a mariachi band set the tone in a fun and delicious way for the week!
RCMA’s version of ‘Super Tuesday’ started bright and early, with over 200 early arrivers partaking in learning and serving opportunities. Attendees could participate in a Hands-On Experience provided by the Irving Convention Center, giving participants a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work, talent and attention to detail required to prepare a large-scale event with excellence. Tech guru Jim Spellos led an Attendee Experience Bootcamp, engaging in Today’s Technology From Exploration to Application. Jim said, "This conversation is not about technology. It is about your ability as planners to creatively integrate tools that help you to serve your guests and tell your story better. It is about creativity.”
An important value embedded in RCMA and present at every Emerge event is service. Partnerships are formed with local organizations that are providing direct help to people in need.
This year RCMA’s key partner was Impact Irving, who provided serving opportunities throughout the community. Participants served in various ways with the Irving Cares Food Pantry, Salvation Army Homeless Shelter, and the Thomas Haley Elementary School. Many of our attendees reflected about the joy and blessing they received from helping and serving at Emerge.
Each year at Emerge the host city also plan fun and memorable excursions for the early arriving meeting planners. Tours went to cities throughout the greater DFW area – Arlington, Fort Worth, Frisco, Grapevine, and Plano. One of the most exciting stops was a tour of the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys! Keep in mind, all these great experiences happen before the event officially begins!
Team Texas threw a great Opening Reception at the Toyota Music Factory to officially kick-off Emerge. This stunning new theater space has over 115,000 square feet of space and seats 4,000, with the capability to expand to 8,000 with open-air seating! The reception stayed true to the theme–everything is BIG in Texas! Attendees were greeted by two LARGE – and live – Texas longhorn cattle that they could mount for a fun photo opp. Even our fearless CEO, Dr. Harry Schmidt, braved the longhorn and saddled up for a picture! Inside, crowds were filled with laughter and awe at the armadillo races. Bold volunteers used persuasive breaths on the tail of their armadillo to urge their racer to victory! Only in Texas, right? The charm did not stop with the animals, as everyone was treated to a hearty buffet of brisket, corn bread, pecan pie, and peach cobbler, enjoyed while bopping along to the southern music by Three Fools on Three Stools. Thanks to Team Texas for putting together a memorable evening full of southern fun, food, music, and great connections.
Dr. Harry Schmidt opened the Wednesday morning session with this greeting, “We are a family. What a place to host a reunion!” The relationships, longstanding and new, are the fibers that hold RCMA together. They drive the desire for our family of planners and suppliers to want to be together for connection, friendship and meaningful work.
Internationally known speaker and author Dr. Tony Evans gave a powerful exhortation–especially raw and meaningful in light of the recent passing of his wife, Lois. Dr. Evans provided a faith-filled message that called us to explore, “What should my life be about? What is the rhyme and reason of my existence?...What is the impact I want to leave behind? What is the difference I want to make? How can I make a difference with my personality and gifts?” Dr. Evans provided the biblical example of David, who “did not detach God from his enterprises. He made sure he was making an impact in others’ lives.” He ended with this prompting, “Serve people at a higher level, because you aren’t just serving people–you are serving the purposes of God.”
Wednesday continued in force as educational breakout sessions commenced with a wide range of topics from branding, customer service, RFP’s, contracts, and mentoring. Sylvie di Giusto delivered an engaging talk
on the Image of Leadership. Sylvie challenged us to reflect on the top characteristics people look for in a working relationship – Care, Trust, Organization, and Reliability. She encouraged us by saying,“The moment you start taking care of yourself, people believe you can take care of them.” This was an important reminder for those of us who focus on taking care of others’ needs.
An abounding energy filled the morning and after- noon Expo times, initiated by a host of over 400 suppliers. With our largest planner attendance
in over 10 years, the Expo times provided opportunity for meaningful connections for planners looking to find the best fit for their program, and suppliers who are excited to showcase how their city or venue can creatively meet a group’s program needs. The expo also served as a great time for attendees to work on getting their steps in for the Step Challenge or work on the attendee favorite Scavenger Hunt!
Our last keynote speaker, Jia Jiang, had us all laughing at stories from his “100 Days of Rejection” experiment. He challenged himself, “Let me overdose on rejection and see what happens!” His wry presentation style engaged us in some bold ideas about overcoming the fear of rejection. “What if we don’t ask for things in life? Great things would not be created. Opportunities would be lost. The most important lesson I learned from my 100 Days of Rejection: JUST ASK!”
As Emerge 2020 came to a close, we celebrated with an exquisite and flavorful surf and turf meal, prepared by renown Executive Chef Eduard Alvarez from the Irving Convention Center. We were entertained by comedian-magician Dewayne Hill, and celebrate fun awards and prizes. We also gave a sentimental goodbye to longtime RCMA member Linville Johnson of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, who is set to retire this year. Based on the overwhelming response to the Step Challenge, with over 2 million steps being taken during Emerge, Meet Minneapolis President, Melvin Tennant doubled their donation from $1,000 to $2,000 to Many Helping Hands, a local organization that provides support to the homeless population around Irving.
Thank you to all who joined us for Emerge 2020. The community of professional planners and suppliers set a tone of warmth and openness that shaped EMERGE to be a great experience for all. So much good happens when people simply gather together. We know it – that is why we are in the meeting industry! Emerge serves as a reminder of why we do this important work of bringing people together.
As meeting planners, hoteliers, and city representatives, we know the great pleasure, and sometimes the great stress, of showcasing your city or organization. The hospitality and excellence exhibited by Team Texas and the host city of Irving didn’t go unnoticed – you affected our lives, and through us, thousands of lives, to which we will extend this hospitality. May we live out our 2020 planning with purpose, kindness and faith. We hope to see you this January in Charlotte!
Jennifer Schmidt is a Conference Planner and Church Executive from Chicagoland who loves traveling, crunching numbers, and her dog, Olive.
