WEBVTT
00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:15.599
IRL from Estes Park with love.
00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.519
Welcome to season three of Curiously Driven.
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:24.160
We are so excited to be back.
00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:46.640
Subscribe to our Curiously Driven podcast to listen to this piece while sipping a Diet Coke, cleaning out your inbox, shifting your summer clothes to the back of the closet, sitting nervously in the passenger seat as your daughter practices parallel parking, or dreaming up your newest grilled pizza recipe.
00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:57.679
It might be surprising for someone outside the credit union movement to know that events have played an important role in financial cooperatives for years.
00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:04.959
One of the earliest was held in Estes Park, Colorado, on August 10th, 1934.
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:14.400
20 states were represented by 52 delegates, and what is now America's Credit Unions, formerly CUNA, was formed.
00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:39.280
According to American bankers, CUNA to recreate iconic photo where it all started, quote, the site was proposed by CU pioneer Claude Orchard, who suggested a national park in Colorado that was a favorite of his because many people would have to take vacation time to attend and because it would require travel from both coasts, unquote.
00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:43.760
From those early beginnings, gatherings have continued.
00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.840
Natural person credit unions host their annual meetings.
00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:55.200
While many host smaller or virtual annual meetings, some create incredibly special events.
00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:12.240
In fact, according to Summit Credit Union's 2025 annual report, the Wisconsin Credit Union hosted 2,878 people at their 2025 Summit Fest, described as both an annual membership meeting and appreciation event.
00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.199
My first credit union, best source credit union, served Macy's employees.
00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:23.280
I remember the stories of the annual meeting being hosted in downtown Detroit with dinner and dancing.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:32.000
The credit union had a bus that would stop at the department stores all around Metro Detroit and pick up members to converge at the annual meeting.
00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:39.280
This past week, I was reminded of why these in real life connections matter so deeply.
00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:54.159
Our Orsa Credit Union grand opening of our Novi Michigan branch brought together team members, members, board members, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, neighbors, family members, and friends.
00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:01.360
As I walked around the room and visited with those who joined us, the new branch buzzed with energy.
00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:05.199
With a DJ playing, people danced as they chatted.
00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:10.960
The food, especially desserts, drew people in for seconds and thirds.
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:17.039
The speeches elevated the story of Orsa and the experience of community.
00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:22.000
One member stopped and asked, why does the building look like this?
00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:23.919
I was so thrilled, he asked.
00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:29.120
I shared that our open concept is intended to be our living room.
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:37.120
I talked with him about how, for many people, using a financial institution can feel intimidating and even shame-inducing.
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:51.120
I explained that removing lines and physical barriers allows our team to connect on a human level with our members and the community and sends a signal that we put people first.
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.879
This member nodded and said, that made sense.
00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:01.599
He also told me that he'd been with us since the mid-1970s and he'd be sticking with us.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:08.319
During my remarks that evening, I shared that every Sunday in my house we host Pizza Night.
00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.840
We've been doing so since before my daughter Mackenzie was born.
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.319
So it's been over 16 years.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.759
I grow pizza.
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:20.560
While the pizza is so fun to create, and I look forward to eating it all week.
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.920
The pizza is not the centerpiece.
00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:28.399
The people are, especially since we've moved back to Michigan.
00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.439
My in-laws and my parents come nearly every weekend.
00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:35.040
We have friends, loved ones, and colleagues who join us.
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.560
Each quarter, I create a new playlist for Pizza Night.
00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.920
I curate songs from across genres and decades.
00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:47.199
Click here for a Pizza Night playlist from 2025 to get a sense.
00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:53.839
Often, when family or friends are with us, they'll remark about the playlist or songs that they enjoy.
00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:00.160
Similarly, as I make the pizza, our guests can count on one with pesto and mozzarella every week.
00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:14.959
Just as often, our guests can also count on a new creation like croque moucheur, Dijon mustard, gruyere, ham, and cornichants, or a barbecue pizza, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, pulled pork, and coleslaw.
00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.720
Pizza Night connects across the senses as the playlist comes to life.
00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:26.079
People chat about their week, the sense of pulled pork cooking all day long linger.
00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:36.879
Dogs get a pet behind the ears, hugs are exchanged, and quick snacks of bacon or cheese get snagged as the dough rises and the cheese bubbles.
00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:42.800
Typically, everyone huddles in the kitchen and I zip back and forth between the kitchen and the grill.
00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:50.240
My dad, Floyd, and my father-in-law Jeff often make sure the sliding patio door is open wide enough for me to get through with four pizzas.
00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:53.519
They've developed a fist bump that they start the evening with.
00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:57.920
Marge brings a salad and often has an update on our reading group's latest book.
00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:03.199
My mom, Liz, offers to chop veggies and bag the extras for McKenzie's lunches.
00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:07.680
All the grandparents are eager to hear about McKenzie's week.
00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:20.879
In a life that can feel heavy and lonely and too connected to my devices, on Sunday night, outside of starting and nudging my chosen playlist, my phone is removed from my hip.
00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.600
Life feels a little easier.
00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:29.920
The tradition brings me incredible peace because I belong.
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.600
Belonging matters today more than ever.
00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:44.399
The American Psychological Association found that half of adults in this country feel isolated, left out, or without companionship, often or some of the time.
00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:45.759
Half.
00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:48.879
That isolation doesn't stay in one lane.
00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.160
It shows up in how people feel about money.
00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:57.040
Shame keeps people away from the very institutions built to help them.
00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.720
Connection isn't a soft add-on to what we do.
00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:05.920
It's the front door that swings right open to our living room.
00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:12.399
As a financial cooperative, concern for community, the seventh cooperative principle, guides our impact.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:21.839
Quote, while focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities through policies and programs accepted by the members.
00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:28.879
The way that community grows is through connection, and events are a conduit to that connection.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:37.439
Credit unions have an opportunity to enhance relevance, grow, and create more impact through a strategic event strategy.
00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:55.199
Whether launching a strategic event strategy as part of your 2027 plan or enhancing a longstanding commitment to strategic events, here are five ways to enhance our activation of the seventh cooperative principle.
00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.639
One, connect to strategy.
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:02.959
More than four years ago, Orsa Credit Union launched HERD.
00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:26.319
With a strategic pillar to be a best friend to women and those who love them, creating a curated, intimate event highlighting the journeys of women across life's light and dark moments allows us to bring women together to activate learning, listen, and make sure the next generation of women sees an array of choices for their future.
00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:36.159
The experience of Herd creates the possibility for even stronger financial futures simply through enhanced choice and networks.
00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:40.399
Herd ties directly to our long-term vision.
00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:41.440
2.
00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:44.320
Engage outside in and inside out.
00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:50.000
Many credit unions have invested in an annual event for the full team to come together.
00:08:50.159 --> 00:09:03.600
At Orsa, with a diffuse team spread across the great state of Michigan and beyond, our annual C3 event, Community Connection and Collaboration, is the only time when our entire team has space together.
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:11.279
While we are big believers in the flexibility of remote work, human beings need other human beings.
00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.320
And time spent together creates connections that enable a stronger culture.
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:21.919
We also use this time for learning, collective volunteering, and celebration.
00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:27.279
This event is core to our commitment to shaping the future of work.
00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:31.120
Three, involve all five senses.
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:40.399
Just like on Sunday Pizza Night, one way to make an event unforgettable and memorable is to curate the experience across the senses.
00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:45.679
What will your attendees hear, feel, see, taste, and touch?
00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:52.240
For each of those senses, consider what might be a signature part of your strategic events.
00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:04.159
At the Stearns home, that includes our playlists and the Pesto Mozzarella pizza, and how you might infuse surprise and delight elements unique to each event.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:05.279
4.
00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:08.159
Be the bridge to belonging.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:20.720
Whether someone is attending one of your events for the first time or has been at many of your events, the warmth and connectivity that your organization creates will determine who returns.
00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:32.799
Make sure that leaders and people across your team talk to those who are not yet engaged, ask questions, and find ways to connect people who have never connected.
00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:38.240
In the spring, the Backbone Coalition hosted a semi-annual collaborative event.
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:54.960
One attendee shared that his experience meant so much because it was one of the few opportunities in our movement for creative and marketing executives to spend significant time with credit union CEOs who see storytelling as a business amplifier.
00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:00.480
This moment of connection will extend to more connections and more learning over time.
00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:06.799
And it started because of the sense of belonging that began in that meeting.
00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:13.440
When your organization is the bridge for connection, you bring to life concern for community.
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:19.440
You also create an experience that attendees will rave about to their friends.
00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:20.480
5.
00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.840
The details are never small.
00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.360
Events thrive when the details matter.
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:32.879
Strategic events play an imperative role in bringing purpose and vision to life.
00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:37.200
They also falter when the small elements of experience are missed.
00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:51.840
For example, at the recent National Credit Union Foundation inaugural Financial Wellbeing Exchange, FWBX, with experiential sessions, each table had a microphone that could engage breakout groups.
00:11:52.080 --> 00:12:00.159
While this seems like a tiny measure, the strategic impact of the flow of the session was enormous for two reasons.
00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.919
First, everyone in the room could hear one another.
00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:09.759
Secondly, the meeting did not lag as Micrunner zipped and ran across a large ballroom.
00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:18.639
Over time, your strategic events team can create playbooks that capture these details that elevate experiences consistently.
00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:28.720
As we continue to share the story of credit unions and live the seventh cooperative principle, strategic events can play a role in magnifying our momentum.
00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:36.000
At a time when our devices make us feel more connected than ever, we continue to feel even more isolated.
00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:43.200
As community leaders, in real life experiences curated to nurture belonging can change that.
00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:53.759
The founders of our movement traveled across our country to share time together, and that connection sparked organizations that serve us to this day.
00:12:54.240 --> 00:13:02.480
Their example and commitment shine, creating a path to inspire event experiences well into the future.
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:10.000
How might your leadership team integrate a strategic event strategy into your 2027 plan?
00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.799
This concludes today's reading.
00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:15.599
IRL from Estes Park with love.
00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.519
Welcome to season three of Curiously Driven.
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:24.160
We are so excited to be back.
00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:46.640
Subscribe to our Curiously Driven podcast to listen to this piece while sipping a Diet Coke, cleaning out your inbox, shifting your summer clothes to the back of the closet, sitting nervously in the passenger seat as your daughter practices parallel parking, or dreaming up your newest grilled pizza recipe.
00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:57.679
It might be surprising for someone outside the credit union movement to know that events have played an important role in financial cooperatives for years.
00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:04.959
One of the earliest was held in Estes Park, Colorado, on August 10th, 1934.
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:14.400
20 states were represented by 52 delegates, and what is now America's Credit Unions, formerly CUNA, was formed.
00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:39.280
According to American bankers, CUNA to recreate iconic photo where it all started, quote, the site was proposed by CU pioneer Claude Orchard, who suggested a national park in Colorado that was a favorite of his because many people would have to take vacation time to attend and because it would require travel from both coasts, unquote.
00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:43.760
From those early beginnings, gatherings have continued.
00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.840
Natural person credit unions host their annual meetings.
00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:55.200
While many host smaller or virtual annual meetings, some create incredibly special events.
00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:12.240
In fact, according to Summit Credit Union's 2025 annual report, the Wisconsin Credit Union hosted 2,878 people at their 2025 Summit Fest, described as both an annual membership meeting and appreciation event.
00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.199
My first credit union, best source credit union, served Macy's employees.
00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:23.280
I remember the stories of the annual meeting being hosted in downtown Detroit with dinner and dancing.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:32.000
The credit union had a bus that would stop at the department stores all around Metro Detroit and pick up members to converge at the annual meeting.
00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:39.280
This past week, I was reminded of why these in real life connections matter so deeply.
00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:54.159
Our Orsa Credit Union grand opening of our Novi Michigan branch brought together team members, members, board members, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, neighbors, family members, and friends.
00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:01.360
As I walked around the room and visited with those who joined us, the new branch buzzed with energy.
00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:05.199
With a DJ playing, people danced as they chatted.
00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:10.960
The food, especially desserts, drew people in for seconds and thirds.
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:17.039
The speeches elevated the story of Orsa and the experience of community.
00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:22.000
One member stopped and asked, why does the building look like this?
00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:23.919
I was so thrilled, he asked.
00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:29.120
I shared that our open concept is intended to be our living room.
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:37.120
I talked with him about how, for many people, using a financial institution can feel intimidating and even shame-inducing.
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:51.120
I explained that removing lines and physical barriers allows our team to connect on a human level with our members and the community and sends a signal that we put people first.
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.879
This member nodded and said, that made sense.
00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:01.599
He also told me that he'd been with us since the mid-1970s and he'd be sticking with us.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:08.319
During my remarks that evening, I shared that every Sunday in my house we host Pizza Night.
00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.840
We've been doing so since before my daughter Mackenzie was born.
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.319
So it's been over 16 years.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.759
I grow pizza.
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:20.560
While the pizza is so fun to create, and I look forward to eating it all week.
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.920
The pizza is not the centerpiece.
00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:28.399
The people are, especially since we've moved back to Michigan.
00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.439
My in-laws and my parents come nearly every weekend.
00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:35.040
We have friends, loved ones, and colleagues who join us.
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.560
Each quarter, I create a new playlist for Pizza Night.
00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.920
I curate songs from across genres and decades.
00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:47.199
Click here for a Pizza Night playlist from 2025 to get a sense.
00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:53.839
Often, when family or friends are with us, they'll remark about the playlist or songs that they enjoy.
00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:00.160
Similarly, as I make the pizza, our guests can count on one with pesto and mozzarella every week.
00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:14.959
Just as often, our guests can also count on a new creation like croque moucheur, Dijon mustard, gruyere, ham, and cornichants, or a barbecue pizza, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, pulled pork, and coleslaw.
00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.720
Pizza Night connects across the senses as the playlist comes to life.
00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:26.079
People chat about their week, the sense of pulled pork cooking all day long linger.
00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:36.879
Dogs get a pet behind the ears, hugs are exchanged, and quick snacks of bacon or cheese get snagged as the dough rises and the cheese bubbles.
00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:42.800
Typically, everyone huddles in the kitchen and I zip back and forth between the kitchen and the grill.
00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:50.240
My dad, Floyd, and my father-in-law Jeff often make sure the sliding patio door is open wide enough for me to get through with four pizzas.
00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:53.519
They've developed a fist bump that they start the evening with.
00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:57.920
Marge brings a salad and often has an update on our reading group's latest book.
00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:03.199
My mom, Liz, offers to chop veggies and bag the extras for McKenzie's lunches.
00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:07.680
All the grandparents are eager to hear about McKenzie's week.
00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:20.879
In a life that can feel heavy and lonely and too connected to my devices, on Sunday night, outside of starting and nudging my chosen playlist, my phone is removed from my hip.
00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.600
Life feels a little easier.
00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:29.920
The tradition brings me incredible peace because I belong.
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.600
Belonging matters today more than ever.
00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:44.399
The American Psychological Association found that half of adults in this country feel isolated, left out, or without companionship, often or some of the time.
00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:45.759
Half.
00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:48.879
That isolation doesn't stay in one lane.
00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.160
It shows up in how people feel about money.
00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:57.040
Shame keeps people away from the very institutions built to help them.
00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.720
Connection isn't a soft add-on to what we do.
00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:05.920
It's the front door that swings right open to our living room.
00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:12.399
As a financial cooperative, concern for community, the seventh cooperative principle, guides our impact.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:21.839
Quote, while focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities through policies and programs accepted by the members.
00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:28.879
The way that community grows is through connection, and events are a conduit to that connection.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:37.439
Credit unions have an opportunity to enhance relevance, grow, and create more impact through a strategic event strategy.
00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:55.199
Whether launching a strategic event strategy as part of your 2027 plan or enhancing a longstanding commitment to strategic events, here are five ways to enhance our activation of the seventh cooperative principle.
00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.639
One, connect to strategy.
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:02.959
More than four years ago, Orsa Credit Union launched HERD.
00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:26.319
With a strategic pillar to be a best friend to women and those who love them, creating a curated, intimate event highlighting the journeys of women across life's light and dark moments allows us to bring women together to activate learning, listen, and make sure the next generation of women sees an array of choices for their future.
00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:36.159
The experience of Herd creates the possibility for even stronger financial futures simply through enhanced choice and networks.
00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:40.399
Herd ties directly to our long-term vision.
00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:41.440
2.
00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:44.320
Engage outside in and inside out.
00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:50.000
Many credit unions have invested in an annual event for the full team to come together.
00:08:50.159 --> 00:09:03.600
At Orsa, with a diffuse team spread across the great state of Michigan and beyond, our annual C3 event, Community Connection and Collaboration, is the only time when our entire team has space together.
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:11.279
While we are big believers in the flexibility of remote work, human beings need other human beings.
00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.320
And time spent together creates connections that enable a stronger culture.
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:21.919
We also use this time for learning, collective volunteering, and celebration.
00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:27.279
This event is core to our commitment to shaping the future of work.
00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:31.120
Three, involve all five senses.
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:40.399
Just like on Sunday Pizza Night, one way to make an event unforgettable and memorable is to curate the experience across the senses.
00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:45.679
What will your attendees hear, feel, see, taste, and touch?
00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:52.240
For each of those senses, consider what might be a signature part of your strategic events.
00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:04.159
At the Stearns home, that includes our playlists and the Pesto Mozzarella pizza, and how you might infuse surprise and delight elements unique to each event.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:05.279
4.
00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:08.159
Be the bridge to belonging.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:20.720
Whether someone is attending one of your events for the first time or has been at many of your events, the warmth and connectivity that your organization creates will determine who returns.
00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:32.799
Make sure that leaders and people across your team talk to those who are not yet engaged, ask questions, and find ways to connect people who have never connected.
00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:38.240
In the spring, the Backbone Coalition hosted a semi-annual collaborative event.
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:54.960
One attendee shared that his experience meant so much because it was one of the few opportunities in our movement for creative and marketing executives to spend significant time with credit union CEOs who see storytelling as a business amplifier.
00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:00.480
This moment of connection will extend to more connections and more learning over time.
00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:06.799
And it started because of the sense of belonging that began in that meeting.
00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:13.440
When your organization is the bridge for connection, you bring to life concern for community.
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:19.440
You also create an experience that attendees will rave about to their friends.
00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:20.480
5.
00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.840
The details are never small.
00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.360
Events thrive when the details matter.
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:32.879
Strategic events play an imperative role in bringing purpose and vision to life.
00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:37.200
They also falter when the small elements of experience are missed.
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For example, at the recent National Credit Union Foundation inaugural Financial Wellbeing Exchange, FWBX, with experiential sessions, each table had a microphone that could engage breakout groups.
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While this seems like a tiny measure, the strategic impact of the flow of the session was enormous for two reasons.
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First, everyone in the room could hear one another.
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Secondly, the meeting did not lag as Micrunner zipped and ran across a large ballroom.
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Over time, your strategic events team can create playbooks that capture these details that elevate experiences consistently.
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As we continue to share the story of credit unions and live the seventh cooperative principle, strategic events can play a role in magnifying our momentum.
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At a time when our devices make us feel more connected than ever, we continue to feel even more isolated.
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As community leaders, in real life experiences curated to nurture belonging can change that.
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The founders of our movement traveled across our country to share time together, and that connection sparked organizations that serve us to this day.
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Their example and commitment shine, creating a path to inspire event experiences well into the future.
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How might your leadership team integrate a strategic event strategy into your 2027 plan?
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This concludes today's reading.
