Reconvene: Time to Plan an In-Person Board Retreat

Your organization was founded with a mission, and a specific purpose to fill a gap in your community. Given the fact that we’ve all officially spent an entire year—quarantining, masking up, and social distancing—it’s about time we come together in-person and regroup to plan for a bright future ahead.

Board retreats play an important role in maintaining the “health” of an organization. Board Members are an integral part of the makeup of an organization. They assist in establishing the organizational mission and prioritizing goals for the organization to reach each year as well as help with fundraising and organizational development. With vaccines becoming readily available and Zoom exhaustion setting in full force, it’s important to convene as a group and reconnect with the mission, vision, and purpose behind your organization.

Given the socially distant methods of communicating many of us had to endure during the pandemic, it is understandable that hosting an in-person board retreat may bring up a slew of emotions such as excitement and apprehension. However, there are ways you can host in person events safely and mitigate risks. Still unsure if a board retreat is necessary? Here are just a few reasons you should consider hosting an in-person board retreat for your members:

Boost team morale

Hosting a retreat is a fantastic way to welcome your board members back together after a year full of glitchy zoom meetings and wordy emails. There is power in being able to sit together in a space and make actual eye contact with one another after such a trying year. Remember that 2020 wasn’t easy for anyone, and it would be an opportunity missed to simply skim over the events of the past year. Take this time together to regroup and support one another as you ease into “business as usual.”

Reiterate the organization mission

After a year like 2020, many companies and brands have shifted their focus dramatically—whether voluntarily or otherwise—in order to meet the needs of their employees and/or consumers. Your organization is no different and might also be in need of a shift in focus. COVID-19 revealed major gaps and deficiencies in the way our society runs, and therefore, it may benefit your organization to come together with a fresh pair of eyes and give your mission statement and its goals a slight refresh.

Reprioritize goals for the agency

Speaking of goals, a board retreat is the perfect time to look at the goals of the organization, assess its priorities pre-COVID, and figure out what areas, once overlooked, may need more tending to. Having a board retreat allows members time to brainstorm new ideas for the growth of the organization and the expansion of its mission.

Encourage networking and socializing among team members

After a painstakingly long year of Zoom, it’s high time for the members of your board to come together for an in-person retreat. With COVID vaccines now available to adults across the country, there has never been a better time to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Better yet, with the weather warming up, the options for where to host your retreat can be expanded to include outdoor venues—helpful for those who are still (and understandably so) wary of being in enclosed spaces with others. Be sure to put your retreat goers’ minds at ease through closely following CDC protocols and having sanitizing stations and agents readily available (i.e. hand sanitizer, hand wipes, hand-washing stations, etc.).

Set the tone for the new fiscal year

With July 1st marking the start of a new fiscal year for many nonprofits, summer is the perfect time to think of hosting a board retreat. A retreat is a great way to start off the new fiscal year with a fresh perspective and renewed energy for the year ahead. Encourage members to reflect on what worked well in the past year, and ways to improve and move those goals forward, while also bringing new ones to light.

Does the task of planning a retreat sound daunting, but you feel its necessary to help your organization move forward? No problem! We are happy to help here at Pink Social Strategies. Feel free to reach out to me directly at april@pinksocialstratgies.com regarding your next board retreat.

Hello 2021, Buh-Bye 2020

We are very grateful that we remained busy and our tiny but mighty business continued to thrive. 2020 was quite the rollercoaster ride with unfortunate moments that thrusted the Black Lives Matter Movement to the forefront and COVID-19 turned all of our worlds upside down. As a black woman business owner, I had to make sure that I prioritized my mental health and found balance.

On the other hand, this year was full of wins for many of us. We took time to work on ourselves, enjoyed remote working, and many innovative businesses and ideas were born. We mastered how to make virtual events interactive and engaging and we also received over 5k in grant funding that we used to make some business improvements.

I want to thank everyone who supported us throughout this year because we couldn't have done it without you. And last but not least, I invite you to check out our beautiful illustrations created by Chrissie Bonner of Illustrating Progress that illustrate our powerhouse year.

XOXO and Happy New Year,

April Burks

Founder and CEO

Must the Show Go on? How to Avoid a Coronavirus Event Catastrophe

Major events such as SXSW, TED Conference and the physical portion of the Adobe Summit have been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Companies are instructing employees to stay local and in some cases and not attend events with more than 100 attendees. At Pink Social Strategies, we have been working with our clients to make the best decisions for their conferences, events, and large meetings. Based on our many conversations, we’d like to share with you a few actions you can take if you have an upcoming event that is likely to be impacted by COVID-19.

Educate yourself-- Check the CDC website and your local government sites to get the latest and accurate information. You do not want to get caught up in the mass hysteria.  Without the proper information, you can’t make a rational and informed decision.

Not only do you need to educate your self on the outbreak, but familiarize your self with your insurance plans.  Did you buy an a la carte event insurance policy? What does that cover and what needs to happen in order for you to file a successful claim? In many instances, you won’t be able to claim the insurance unless your city or state declares a state of emergency.

Weigh your options— Can your event be easily converted into a virtual event? This may not be possible for all events.  For example, imagine a virtual networking event. A virtual event probably is not the way to go unless perhaps your audience is a tech crowd that would enjoy this as an option. Working with your team can help you to determine the best course of action. 

Can you reschedule your event? Before giving rescheduling the greenlight, think about the impact the date change may have on the venue, speakers, and other contractor schedules.  Another factor to consider with rescheduling the event is, ‘how far out do you push it?’ We don’t really know when this outbreak will be cleared up. To be on the safe side you should probably push the event until at least the fall.

Should you cancel the event? Well, the bigger question is, can you afford to cancel? As I said earlier in this post, you need to familiarize yourself with your insurance plan.  For many of us, we simply cannot afford to cancel the event, we don't have the funds to return and we’ve paid all of our vendors, etc. Perhaps you just have to go on with the show, if that is the case, take extra precautions and utilize a “no handshake” policy or “touchless greetings.”

The fear of the unknown is real! So be transparent and direct. 

-April Burks

Get ahead of it— Inform attendees of your plans.  Do not wait for them to ask you! Let them know how changes or cancellations will be communicated to them.  If you’re going to move forward with your event, let them know what steps you are going to take to prevent the spread of germs. If you decide to cancel the event, be very clear about the refund policy.  The fear of the unknown is real! So be transparent and direct. 

At the end of the day, you need to have a plan. You cannot approach this with a “whatever happens happens” attitude because that could be a costly and irresponsible mistake. Educate yourself, figure out what are your options and then craft a positive, clear and concise message to your attendees.

If you are interested in speaking with a member of the Pink Social Strategies team about a COVID-19 strategy for an event your organization is hosting, contact us at april@pinksocialstrategies.com.

#EventRecap: The State of North Broad 2019

Photo taken by Jana Williams

The State of North Broad was held on Tuesday, December 17th, 2019 at the gorgeous and historic Met Philly. Pink Social Strategies (PSS) worked with the North Broad Renaissance (NBR)  to create a truly memorable experience for guests. The North Broad Renaissance  is a non-profit organization that serves as a Special Service District (SSD) that serves the North Broad Street corridor from City Hall to Erie Ave.

“In partnership with community stakeholders, the North Broad Renaissance is looking to revitalize the community, create opportunities, and improve the economic power and overall quality of life along one of Philadelphia’s most prominent corridors

– North Broad Street”

Shalimar Thomas, Executive Director of NBR, cast and shared the vision and plan for North Broad as well as what has already been accomplished along with NBR Board Chair, Dr. Kenneth Scott. Jeff Guaracino (President & CEO, Visit Philly), Rob Wonderling (President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia) and Mark Harris (Managing Partner, Linebarger, Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP) all spoke during the program as well. The State of North Broad Report, full of exciting news and accomplishments, was distributed as well.

Councilwoman Cherelle Parker was presented the Think Broad Award by Shalimar Thomas and Brittany Forman — Photo taken by Britney Morgan

On top of having an exciting and insightful program, the event also featured music, cocktails, tasty treats and wow factors! This year LiveNation donated a pair of tickets to a show at the Met to each attendee and there was a gift card grab that featured tons of gift cards from the businesses along North Broad. And that's not it! We also raffled off two sets of tickets (donated by LiveNation) to the New Year’s Eve Dave Chappelle Performance at the Met. Purposeful Pops served up custom pops and Coffee, Cream and Dreams served hot chocolate and homemade cookies. Last but not least, we curated a custom playlist for this event, that features old school jams and some holiday classics. You can access the playlist HERE. So take a listen and check out the pics below, taken by the event photographers Jana Williams and Britney Morgan.

Keep Calm and Plan On

Can we be honest? Event planning can be both extremely rewarding and utterly stressful. From prioritizing attendees’ needs, to making sure the caterer is informed of any last-minute menu changes—running an event can oftentimes feel like a never-ending sprint. Factor in a bit of self-imposed pressure to ensure that your event is a success and goes off without a hitch and you’ve got quite the heavy load to carry. How does one stay calm and composed when all, but nothing is seemingly in utter chaos around you? 

Here are a few quick tips to keep in your back pocket the next time you’re tempted to take refuge in the nearest coat closet for a pre-planning meeting meltdown. 

Do a quick check in with your mind, body and soul.

Be honest with yourself. Have you had any food today? How much water have you gotten so far? Our guess is that you may have neglected some seriously important biological components while you were busy taking nonstop phone calls from anxious clients and stakeholders. Listen carefully. The world will not stop if you take a lunch break. Or if you step outside for a quick powerwalk in the fresh air. Remember that taking care of yourself is important during times of great stress and anxiety. If you want to give your best in your work—to your clients—you must be at your best. As the old saying goes, “You cannot pour from an empty cup.” 

Remind yourself to go with the flow. 

As a planner, your middle name should be F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E. To keep yourself (and your clients) sane, remember to take everything in stride. Keeping your cool when things get hectic can be difficult, especially when one more thing goes wrong.  Remind yourself that nothing and no one is perfect. Utilize your critical thinking skills and the resources around you and encourage your team to do the same. If the problem isn’t one that can be easily remedied—improvise.

Set firm boundaries and stick to them. 

When planning an event, conference, staff retreat—whatever the reason for gathering is—it can be easy to try to be everything for everyone. You might find yourself being the after-work hours therapist for a frenzied client or may look at the ten missed calls on your phone from your hovering supervisor asking for finalized event details. In this arena, it is crucial that you set and stick to your boundaries. If you need to set your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ from 6pm to 7am each day, do it. Don’t be afraid to set firm boundaries around what you can and what you cannot or are not willing to do. This self-care practice is a small but oh so important step. Set them and keep them—you’ll thank us for it later. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Prioritize. Delegate. Repeat. Don’t be afraid to lean on your team in times of mounting tension and stress. If you can’t do it, say so. The sooner you speak up about a task that needs doing that you just can’t add to your plate, the sooner you can find someone who is willing and able to tackle it on your behalf. Remember that you are only one person, but you don’t always have to go it alone. Release the reigns and allow yourself the space to ask for what you need. 

As much as you can, expect the unexpected.

This should be the universal motto for event planners across the globe. From keeping your phone charger handy, to remembering your to-do list—for an event planner, preparation is key. Set reminders on your phone or on a notepad of things to remember day-of. And for your own sanity, don’t forget to charge your phone ahead of time to make sure lines of communication are open and ready for any emergencies or last-minute changes.