At WFX Dallas 2011, you will not experience the same old, same old. This year's event represents a culmination of knowledge gained over a seven-year span of Worship Facilities Conference & Expo tradeshows, presented by Church Production and Worship Facilities magazines, and produced by EH Events of Framingham, Mass.
“We haven't wavered from our focus on bringing together the entire church team, from pastors and executive pastors to tech directors, worship pastors, facilities managers, administration and volunteers that help a church get out the Word each week,” says Brian Blackmore, publisher and editor in chief of Church Production, Worship Facilities, and WF DESIGNER magazines and founder of Raleigh, N.C.-based publisher Production Media Inc. and WFX. “Yet each year we've fine-tuned WFX to better tackle the issues church staff request and to help each church hone its vision and mission.”
As an example of the fine-tuning of WFX, a new association sponsor was brought on for the Dallas show—the National Council of Acoustical Consultants—a leader in the advancement of sound engineering principles, and contributor to the work of church sound techs nationwide.
BROAD-BASED HANDS-ON TRAINING
Another example of a component that's seen refinement over the years is hands-on training (HOT). At WFX 2011, church tech members will find HOT classes on Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, all the way through Friday, Nov. 11—a total of 56 HOT classes for the 2011 event. Also new for 2011, each HOT class is designated “Advanced,” “Intermediate,” and “Beginner” to help techs better choose a class that's tailored for their specific needs.
HOT class titles include “Advanced Audio: Live Recording Techniques,” “Advanced Video: Live Production Techniques,” to “Video: Camera Techniques for Production,” and “Audio: Advanced Digital Mixing,” and many more. In the camera techniques class, for example, each attendee will have their hands on a high-end Panasonic camera while learning and practicing under the guidance of a world-class professional instructor.
Dennis Choy, production pastor at North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., and WFX presenter explains his perspective on tech attendees' WFX and HOT takeaways. “WFX offers such a variety of tools to help you immediately impact your ministry back home,” he says. “From hands-on equipment workshops to leadership and management tips—it's hard to leave the WFX conference without taking something home you can apply immediately.”
TECH LEADERS' RETREAT
In another great takeaway this year—broken up into two convenient half-day sessions—WFX features a Church Tech Leaders Retreat developed by leading technical directors (the Church Technical Leaders group) from progressive, influential churches around the country. The event's goal is to equip attendees with strategies, solutions, and support in the real-life issues that tech leaders and workers face—in both full- and part-time capacities. This retreat, like every other element of WFX Dallas 2011, is geared toward helping attendees clarify their church's vision and reinforce its mission.
“WFX has attracted and hosted tech directors since its inception…. We have seen technical people who are struggling to keep their passion to serve and who are less effective [than] they want to be in their roles,” says Jim Wagner, general manager of EH Events. “They spend countless hours serving in their churches but their development and support is unfortunately overlooked. Church Technical Leaders will fill the support and development gap that exists.”
The Church Technical Leaders group is led by Bill Swaringim (technical arts director, The Crossing, St. Louis, Mo.,) and supported by Jeff VanderGiessen (production technology director, Mars Hill, Seattle, Wash.,), as well as North Coast's Choy. ??
INFO & IDEA-RICH EXHIBIT HALL
No WFX conference is complete without the expo—giving attendees the chance to roam around and customize the fact-finding and information-gathering experience to meet their own church's individual needs.
The expo floor is packed with vendors showcasing products and services ranging from sound, video, lighting and acoustics to architecture, scheduling software, outdoor space design and amenities, and much more. But most important for church tech professionals, the WFX expo floor delivers a concentration of leaders in the field of church technology—some 200+ total vendors.
For more information on WFX Dallas 2011, visit www.wfxweb.com.
