by Layci Clifford

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If you’ve attended BGAV’s Annual Meeting before, you know the moments you’ll remember probably won’t be the registration line or the hotel reservation. They’ll be the conversations over coffee, a meaningful worship service, the idea you scribbled down during a Learning Lab, or the encouragement you received from someone who understood exactly what your church is facing.

Those moments don’t just happen. A little preparation now makes it easier to enjoy everything Annual Meeting has to offer later.

The next page contains details you need to begin making plans. You’ll find a basic schedule, Learning Lab information, hotel options, registration details, and more. And while all this may still feel far away, November You will enjoy the experience a whole lot more if August You takes care of a few ordinary details now.

So before the dates sneak up on you, here are five simple ways August You can be kind to November You.

1. Don’t be that person who “meant to register.”

Registration is now open! Register online now.

Yes, you can register on site. But November You will thank August You for skipping the line and getting straight to the good stuff.

2. Be the person who already knows what’s happening.

Download the Whova app as soon as you register. It will be one of the best ways to stay connected before and during the event.

This is where you’ll find schedule updates, explore sessions, connect with other attendees, and begin planning your experience. Think of Whova as your personal meeting assistant. It keeps everything you need in one place, so you can spend less time figuring things out and more time enjoying the experience.

3. Don’t be that person choosing Learning Labs in the hallway.

Take a few minutes now to look through the Learning Lab options and think about what would be most helpful for you, your church, or your ministry team.

Do you need something practical you can take home and use right away? Something that stretches your imagination? Something that helps you think differently about leadership, discipleship, outreach, creativity, or mission?

One of the best parts of BGAV’s Annual Meeting is discovering ideas you’ll carry home with you.

Looking through the options ahead of time will help you make the most of those opportunities once registration opens, and you can begin building your schedule.

4. Be the person who’s ready to go.

Now is the time to book your hotel, request time off, mark the dates on your calendar, and make sure Annual Meeting is officially part of your November plans.

We’ve reserved three hotel blocks with special pricing, and each offers something a little different. Are you a free breakfast person? A free parking person? An “I want to walk out of my door and be there” person? Choose the option that fits you best and make your plans early.

November You does not want to be scrambling for a room, realizing the calendar was never blocked, or trying to explain why you forgot to ask off.

5. Don’t be the person who says, “I should have invited them.”

Annual Meeting is always better when we experience it with others. Think about the pastors, ministry leaders, church staff, volunteers, and friends who would benefit from being there with you.

Send the link. Share the post. Forward the email. Text the friend who always says, “I meant to go this year.”

Some of the best conversations happen between sessions, over meals, or on the drive home as you process what you’ve experienced together. Those moments are even better when you have someone to share them with.

Annual Meeting isn’t just another event to put on the calendar. It’s a chance to worship together, learn from one another, reconnect with friends, build new relationships, and return home encouraged for the work ahead.

So get August You to register early, download the app, explore the Learning Labs, book the room, request the time off, and invite a friend.

November You will be glad you did.

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Rev. Layci Clifford is the event planner for BGAV’s annual meeting.

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