Episode 14 - People Spotlight Wednesday: Our Conference Planner, Rhonda of Conference Architects скачать в хорошем качестве

Episode 14 - People Spotlight Wednesday: Our Conference Planner, Rhonda of Conference Architects

Hey family, it’s Maria and Berry. Welcome back to Vision to Venue, our weekday behind the scenes series where we show what it really takes to bring our vision for the 6th Annual Autism in Black Conference to the venue. Today is People Spotlight Wednesday, and we’re spotlighting someone who has been a game changer for our in person conference experience: Rhonda and her team at Conference Architects, our conference planner.  ⸻ Register for the 6th Annual Autism in Black Conference Get your ticket here: https://funnel.autisminblack.org/conf... Dates: April 17, 18, and 19, 2026 Attend: In person in West Palm Beach, Florida or virtually from anywhere If you’re coming in person, the registration page also includes hotel info so you can book your room and secure your ticket in one place. ⸻ Episode summary This episode is all about what happens when you stop trying to do everything yourself and bring in the right support. When we made the decision to move from virtual to an in person conference experience, we knew we needed a conference planner who actually understands conferences. Not weddings. Not birthdays. Not galas. Conferences. That’s where Rhonda came in. We talk about what it looked like finding the right planner, why Rhonda stood out right away, and how having her as a true partner changed the entire experience for us as founders and for you as attendees. From venue contracts and budget negotiations, to vendor relationships, AV and production coordination, run of show, speaker logistics, on site problem solving, and keeping things calm so we can stay present in community, Rhonda helps make the vision real. ⸻ What you’ll hear in Episode 14 • Why People Spotlight Wednesdays matter and why we highlight the team behind the scenes • What made us realize we needed an experienced conference planner • Why conference planning is different from other kinds of event planning • How Rhonda helps with venue contracts, budgets, vendor coordination, and the run of show • The real behind the scenes work most people never see (AV quotes, speaker logistics, room setup, timelines) • How having a planner let us actually enjoy the conference instead of putting out fires all weekend • Why we’re telling you now: get your tickets early before prices increase ⸻ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Autism in Black Life 00:40 Episode 14 kickoff and conference dates reminder 01:51 Church announcements: subscribe to YouTube and help us hit 1,000 03:16 People Spotlight Wednesday begins 04:02 Why we hired a conference planner for the in person experience 08:16 Working with the convention center and why contracts matter 09:34 The AV wake up call and why having a planner’s network helps 11:16 The “buffer” role and how she keeps founders focused on community 14:12 Adding breaks, adjusting the schedule in real time, and thinking ahead 18:06 Room setup, volunteer coordination, and why she won’t let us lift a finger 19:13 Register now and lock in your ticket and hotel 21:16 Tomorrow’s teaser: Marketing Thursday ⸻ Key takeaways • Going from virtual to in person requires a whole new level of logistics, and the right planner keeps it organized and on budget. • A great conference planner asks the questions you didn’t even know you needed to answer. • The goal is not just a smooth event. The goal is a better experience for attendees and less chaos for the team. • When you trust the right people, you get to be present in the moment and actually enjoy what you built. ⸻ Calls to action 1) Register for the conference https://funnel.autisminblack.org/conf... We’re telling you now: do not wait until the last minute. Prices increase as we get closer, and we don’t want you stressing. 2) Subscribe to the YouTube channel Help us hit 1,000 subscribers by the end of this Vision to Venue series. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don’t miss the weekday drops. 3) Drop a comment If you’ve ever planned an event, tell us what part stressed you out the most. And if you want us to spotlight another behind the scenes role, put it in the comments. We do read them. ⸻ What’s coming next Tomorrow is Marketing Thursday, and we’re continuing the conversation around how we’re promoting the Autism in Black Conference and what it takes to keep showing up consistently.