The year 2020 has been full of surprises. We’ve all had to regroup, rethink, reconsider many things that we have taken for granted for decades. It’s been inconvenient, true. But it has also been fruitful. New needs and inconveniences usually force us into innovative thinking. It has this year.
I’ve been attending and helping with the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference for four years in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Always enjoyed the fellowship and learned great new things. But, like hundreds of other gatherings, we had to rethink our Conference this year. We met in June, 2020. In early May we decided to do the Conference online. Lots of Planning Team members had to go into overdrive to make it happen. But what an incredible experience it was.
We usually have fewer than 100 people at the KCWC in-person. Our Online Conference had 394 registrees! We usually need to charge about $150 for the three-day event. Last year God blessed us with extra money. So, this year we shared that blessing by charging a ridiculously low fee of $20.20 for Registration. This enabled people who could never afford $150 to attend our 2020 Write the Vision KCWC.
Our keynote sessions taught by Bob Hostetler were amazing, spirit-filled, encouraging beyond our needs. Many attendees have sent us emails praising those sessions.
Our workshops were varied and terrific. Again, we’ve received nothing but positive, encouraging remarks about our workshop topics and workshop leaders. And, yes, it IS possible to divide up into small groups using Zoom.
We had a super informative Agent/Editor Panel. I think it was the best Panel I’ve ever attended.
We even had lunch time social hours via Zoom. I got to know a couple of new people and am building new writer-to-writer relationships with them. That’s a plus for any Conference.
And, as you can see, we took photos!
Oh, and the recordings of the sessions are available to us registrees online for months!
If you get an opportunity to attend an online conference in 2020 I hope it’s half as great as the KCWC was. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
BTW-we’re in the midst of praying about a decision concerning our Write2Ignite September 19, 2020 Master Class on Writing Fiction for Children and YAs with Joyce Hostetter. We’re deciding whether or not to make that a virtual event using Zoom. Will you pray with us?
And, if you live anywhere near Kentucky please consider attending our Conference in 2021 whether it’s virtual or live. Hope to see you there!