We talked with Doug Lucas, President of Team Expansion, about their conference in July and why they chose Christian Conference Trust over 200 other venues.
What’s so important about getting away with your people?
Once a year we get together for what we call Connect Gathering. It's a time when all our workers from all over the world can come together in one place and be physically in the same room. Partly, this gathering is for training and encouragement; but our attendees leave feeling renewed, inspired and ready to take on their next chapter.
There’s absolutely nothing that compares to coming together in person. When we’re in the same room, we can connect and are able to process what’s being taught together. These in-person gatherings cannot be replaced.
What are your must-haves in a conference venue?
We look for several important factors when searching for a venue. We want a place that is affordable for us. The right venue must also be big enough because we bring several hundred attendees. We usually run 10 to 12 workshops simultaneously whilst needing 5 to 6 meeting rooms for our kids. So, a venue which has enough meeting rooms for us is crucial.
We also look for a place with some attractive, eye-popping grandeur. It has to have beauty! Lastly, since our attendees are flying in from 50 different countries, it has to be close to a major airport.
Finding all of this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. We looked at 200 other venues in the UK but High Leigh was beyond them all and definitely won the pick for us.
We’re delighted to serve churches and Christian groups across the country with our conference spaces. Find out more about our residential conferences at our Derbyshire or Hertfordshire centres.
