In Ridgecrest

Exciting things have been happening at Ridgecrest Conference Center.  Here staff and volunteers are working to paint our Spilman Auditorium.

Photograph provided by Randy Bagamary at Ridgecrest Conference Center

This past month we hosted a brand new event at Ridgecrest, Youth2Christ - The Urban Connection. It was a weekend event aimed at urban youth and was attended by over 200 youth and adults. From all accounts, it was a successful event. Everyone had a great time and more importantly, lives were changed by the Holy Spirit.

Plans are already under way for next year's event and details should be up on our website soon. In the meantime, please take a couple of minutes and watch the video below to experience a little of this year's event. You'll even get to enjoy a great Kirk Franklin soundtrack!

This past Sunday, October 25, there was a major rock slide that has closed I-40 in both directions. (click here for story) The slide occurred between mile markers 2 and 3 on the North Carolina side. Highway officials are estimating that it could take up to 3 months clear away the rock debris and reopen the road.

Until the highway is reopened, guests coming to Ridgecrest from the west should take I-40 East to I-81 North and then take I-26 East to Asheville where you can get back onto I-40 East. This route is the recommended detour and there should be plenty of signage to help along the way. The detour will add approximately 60-90 minutes to your drive time so please plan accordingly. One good note, the drive on I-26 from Erwin, TN to Asheville is absolutely beautiful and you will definitely enjoy the views.

We will keep updated highway information on our Ridgecrest website. Please check beck for the latest before hitting the road for Ridgecrest!

May 21-22, 2010
 

UNBOUND

THE BEAUTY WITHIN CONFERENCE

UNBOUND is a group of women that are searching for the truth and finding freedom in the midst of their struggles.  Every little girl wants to be a princess. All girls want to feel pretty and to be made whole.  True
beauty does exist. It starts within our hearts and radiates out. We want girls of all ages to know that God has a purpose for your lives and that He wants you to share your story and to know in the middle of truggling freedom does exist.

To help girls of all ages understand the truth about who we are in Christ, how we are to see ourselves in light of how the world views us.  We are to fight our struggle, share our story and offer hope and freedom through Jesus Christ.
   
LOCATION: RIDGECREST CONFERENCE CENTER
REGISTRATION COST:  $20

WHO: Girls Ages 12-19

Registration: Call Ridgecrest Conference Center
1-800-588-7222

Prices: Meals $18.75 per person

Accommodations
Royal gorge
($99 any occupancy)

Mountain Laurel
($99 single/double)
($109 Triple)
($119 Quad)
 
For more information on this event visit http://www.unboundministry.com/
 

One of the first marketing lessons I learned, early in my hotel career, was that it costs roughly five times more to get a new customer than to keep one you already have. While the ratio may have changed over the years, I think the basic premise remains true today. If you really want to grow your business, you must do everything you can to keep your guests coming back.

An effective way to keep your guests coming back is to provide them with a level of service that exceeds their expectations. In order to be successful doing this, you must have a good understanding of the level of service they expect and how well you’re doing in delivering that service.

The best way to gauge what your guests think of your service is to simply ask. In today’s wired, online world, your guests are already talking about you and your service. The key is to make sure they’re telling you as well. For that to happen, you need to ask them often, and in different ways. At Ridgecrest and Glorieta we take three steps to get a handle on what our guests think of our product and service.

In-room Surveys

In all of our adult guest rooms, we provide a simple, one-page guest survey. The questions are basic and designed to give us immediate, actionable feedback. By that I mean if there is a problem, we can hopefully find out about it and correct the problem while the guest is still on campus. If that’s not possible, we still have a chance to fix the problem before the next guest checks in.

This type of survey is considered to be unsolicited guest feedback. The survey is in the room and the guest chooses whether to complete it. As a result, the data collected is not always an accurate picture of the true level of service being provided. Typically this survey is only completed by guests who were either very satisfied or very unsatisfied.

Online Surveys

The most accurate measure of guest service is what is termed solicited feedback. This feedback comes from asking the guest to give it to you. The easiest way to do this today is online. We have designed a comprehensive online survey this is emailed weekly to every guest (for whom we have an email address) who stayed with us the prior week.

The results of these surveys are compiled on a monthly basis and give us a good picture of the overall level of guest satisfaction with our product and service. We look at both the current month’s results and the three month rolling average, then see how the scores compare with the same period the previous year. This allows us to reinforce the areas where we identify positive trends and to address those areas that reflect a negative trend.

Event Planner Evaluations

While the in-room and online surveys are targeting individual guests or attendees, our event planner evaluation targets the group leader. In most cases these are the people who made the decision to bring their group to Ridgecrest or Glorieta and, as a result, their feedback is critical to our future success. The questions on this evaluation are focused on the needs of the meeting planner and how well we met those needs. From these evaluations we are better able to make decisions that allow us to improve the way we serve our meeting planners and hopefully make their job easier.

By utilizing all three of these methods for gathering guest feedback, we are able to get a well-rounded picture of whether we’re meeting the service expectations of our guests. The good news is that when we do this well, the guests will come back. When more of our guests come back the following year, the pressure and costs associated with finding new customers is reduced and we’ll see our business grow.

Volunteers are key to Ridgecrest being able to effectively serve our guests. For much of Ridgecrest’s history, men and women of God have brought an incredible heart and passion to our volunteer ministry. Bringing a cheerful smile and helping hands to the various hospitality needs on campus, these volunteers have left a lasting impression on literally millions of guests.  I hope you enjoy this story from just one of them.

Fresh Peaches was written by Ridgecrest Volunteer - Ann Maniscalco

 
Edith weighed in at about 85 pounds, and her age probably wasn’t too far below that. She was one of the first energetic seniors I met when I began a two-week volunteer stint at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center*. Upon learning that I had arrived by plane, she eagerly volunteered to take me along whenever she drove into town for needed items. Somehow, she learned my name wrong, and occasionally from behind me, I’d hear her calling, “Hey, Betty”, as she scurried to catch up, checking on me and telling me of excursions she had planned.

As schedules for our volunteer responsibilities varied, I wasn’t always able to take advantage of Edith’s transportation offers, but she didn't forget about me. One afternoon as I walked down the hall to my room, I could see something on the floor by the door. As I approached, I found a huge, luscious fresh peach lying on a napkin. Later that evening, Edith sidled in next to me at dinner. “Betty, did you find the peach I left for you?” she asked, giving my arm a quick squeeze. She and some other volunteers had taken a trip to a nearby farmer’s market, and since the peaches looked so good, she decided to pick up some for her friends. Later that evening, as the copious sweet juice dripped down my chin, I savored the delicious fruit as well as thoughts of my tenderhearted new friend!

“Then the Lord said to him [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’” (Exodus 4:2)

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was
always doing good and helping the poor.” (Acts 9:36)

A peach - just one peach - but that simple act showed tender love and a desire to share, to brighten another’s day. Acts of kindness, so easy to do; they don’t have to cost much, nor need they be time-consuming to be valued. Even now, when I bite into a succulent, juicy peach, I recall Edith’s act of Christian caring, and pause to pray that I might have that same desire and willingness to serve others. Perhaps the “seeds” of the gospel can be spread through the seeds of some fresh fruit. “What is that in your hand?”

Related scriptures for further study: Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 12:9-13, Matthew 6:1-4, 2 Peter 1:3-8, Galatians 6:9-10

(*The facility is now known as LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. It is nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, not far from Asheville, NC. I wrote these devotional thoughts years ago when I first had the opportunity to experience the divine blessing of volunteering at the Center.)

As many of you probably know, the Southern Baptist Convention kicks off with the Pastor's Conference this Sunday in Louisville, KY. A big part of the convention is the exhibit area where SBC entities, colleges, seminaries and other assorted folks have displays set up to interact with the messengers attending the convention.

LifeWay Conference Centers and Camps are no exception. Below is a brief video showing a little of what goes on behind the scenes to get the exhibits ready. Enjoy and be sure to stop by and see us if you're going to be in Louisville next week!

Behind the Scenes at the SBC from Byron Hill on Vimeo.

As many of you who have stayed at Ridgecrest or Glorieta before already know, we send out an electronic guest survey to all of our guests for whom we have an email address. This survey asks for feedback on the entire guest experience and we are constantly utilizing this constructive feedback to improve our service. 

Of all the questions the survey asks, this is my favorite:

"Beyond the facilities and service, it encourages us to hear how the Lord worked in your life during your stay at our conference center. Do you have a comment, testimony or experience you would like to share with us?"

Every month, when I'm reviewing our service scores, I love to take a few minutes and read how God worked in the lives of our guests. Below is a sampling of the responses we received for the month of May. I found these to be a blessing. Hopefully you will as well.

• I went to the prayer garden for the first time and really felt the presence of God there. I was able to open my heart, then to really "be still and know" He is God and was there.
• Whenever I come to Ridgecrest I find God's peace there. The surrounding mountains, the calm and the opportunity to hear from God without a whole lot of local traffic and people who have other priorities than Christ makes it a place I'll come to again and again.
• Being among friends with whom I worked in Africa was a highlight of this year. It refreshed my soul hear how God is working in difficult places around the world.
• It is very spiritual there. You can see and feel the Holy Spirit working in the staff. The Rally 2 Ridgecrest event was a life-changing event for me.
• My wife and I were extremely blessed by our stay. The atmosphere is conducive to prayer and meditation. The campus offers an environment that makes one feel that God is all around them. We simply loved our time spent there.
• Personally, it was good to have a facility that took care of my needs and allowed time to reflect on my relationship with God and appreciate the beauty around us and the friendly inviting atmosphere. I have not experienced that anywhere else and I have been to lots of retreats over the years.

What about you? Do you have a Ridgecrest or Glorieta story you'd like to share with us? If so, click here!

Whether your a seasoned planner or new to the job having a  stress free planning experience is always a goal.  When you have a meeting coming up and you need to request a proposal from a venue, here are 10 items you should always include with your request to make it as easy as possible for you and the venue to meet all of your needs.

1.  The Name and Address of your Ministry/Organization.
          *Be sure to include your contact info and how you prefer to be contacted.

2.  The Title of your Meeting.

3.  The Dates of your Meeting.
         *Include if your dates are flexible or set?

4.  What is the objective of your Meeting?

5.  How many Guest Rooms does your Meeting Require?
         *Do you have history you can include from past meeting?
         *What are the demographics of your attendees?
         *Are there trends your aware of?

6.  What is the Daily Schedule of Meetings?
          *Do you have any specific requirements?

7.  Do you require Exhibit Space?

8.  What are your Food and Beverage Requirements?

9.  What is your budget for Rooms, Meeting Space, Food and Beverage, etc.?

10.  Any additional information about your Ministry or this Meeting.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about submitting an RFP and as always if you have any suggestions or something that has worked for you in the past, please share it with us in the comments.

This past Christmas, my present to myself was a new Nikon D-60 digital camera. For the past several years I've wanted to pick up photography as a new hobby, but just never did anything about it. Now that I have a pretty cool camera, I really have no more excuses. I just have to get out there and start taking some photos!

So, to help myself (and maybe you) take better photos this summer, here are 10 tips for better vacation photos (courtesy of The Society of American Travel Writers):

1. Shoot early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Midday, the sun is overhead and light is flat.
2. Get close, and then get closer. Fill the frame with your subject.
3. Don't shoot every photo at eye level.
4. Pay attention to details and distractions behind the heads of your subjects.
5. Shoot lots of photos; edit and erase at night. (Don't you just love digital cameras!)
6. Always show a sense of place as to where you are. (Photo above was taken on a trip to the Nashville Zoo.)
7. Shoot subjects from different angles and vantage points and with different lenses and exposures. (Think I'll probably have to watch the DVD for this one...)
8. Wait before you click. Wait for the clouds to clear or the truck to move away.
9. Put people in your photos to give a sense of size and scale.
10. Use fill-flash, even outdoors, to "fill-in" shadows.

 Don't worry if you can't remember all of these tips. I plan on focusing on 2-3 of them until they become routine. Then I'll move on to some other tips. To me, that's the allure of photography. Trying new things and seeing how the photos turn out. Remember, it doesn't cost anything to delete the goofs!

What about you? Any photo tips you'd like to share with us?