Dear Colleagues,
In December, the AWFS® staff and Board of Directors gathered in Dallas to hold our biennial planning meeting for the 2024-2025 budget cycle. This was my 11th planning meeting, since becoming an AWFS® staff member in 2003. During that time span, we have faced numerous scenarios. There was the optimism that followed the 2005 and 2007 events, which was immediately followed by uncertainty brought on by the economic crisis that began in the fall of 2008, which was heavily felt during our 2009 event. Our planning meeting in the fall of 2019 was also an optimistic one, only to discover that even the best plans will need modification when the unexpected happens as it did in March of 2020. If there is any lesson to be learned from those years is that even the best plans may need to be readjusted based on unforeseen external factors, even so, the Association’s core mission has remained fairly constant, regardless. 
The December meeting proved to be a great experience for our staff who were given the opportunity to reconnect with our most dedicated group of volunteers. It also afforded everyone the chance to assess the current state of our Association and Fair and establish goals for the immediate future of our organization.
The one thing that really stood out compared to past planning meetings was just how well the discussions flowed and how much territory we were able to cover in just two short days. It also reinforced that associations, such as AWFS®, greatly benefit from engagement from its members. In fact, our volunteers are vital and act as the eyes and ears of our exhibitors and collective membership. Industry volunteers not only provide helpful feedback on the current state of our association and trade show but also offer ideas to those of us that are tasked with carrying out the operational and strategic objectives for our organization. In short, their input is invaluable, and I cannot begin to express my appreciation to our board for their ongoing participation and support.
The one recurring theme that was covered in detail throughout our planning meeting was that of increasing member engagement across all areas of our organization. The recent planning meeting was a great example of just how important member engagement is for both our Association and Fair. That is why I highly encourage any AWFS® member interested in volunteering for AWFS® to apply for one or more of the committees that are now being established for the 2024-2025 timeframe. We have a lot of exciting plans that we will be continuing or setting in motion during the upcoming cycle and welcome your support in helping us fulfill our mission in serving our members and our industry.