CFX 2024 will focus on church AVL, church building projects, church safety, and facility stewardship — all under the same roof
CFX Conference Manager
Church Executive: Who is the target audience for the educational offerings at CFX? And for new attendees, what kind of experience can they expect to have at the event?
Stephanie Lippi: At CFX, our biggest desire is to create a community where people who hold similar roles in their churches can come together and learn from each other. They can grow their skills base and knowledge from other church leaders, as well as from companies that are really skilled in helping them overcome the different, specific challenges they face.
The networking aspect is huge, also; because we cover a broad range of topics, we really encourage a church leadership team to attend — especially if they’re planning any sort of building project or upgrade in the next few years, whether it’s new construction or just upgrading their AVL technology. CFX is a really great opportunity for the people who are the influencers — the tech directors, the facilities managers, the safety directors, basically all the people using the equipment day in and day out and know what would be best for the space — to attend with the decision-makers — the pastors, the executive pastors, and anyone who approves the purchases. They can talk to the companies, together, to make the best decisions as they steward their funds and their buildings.
CE: Likewise, for returning attendees, how might this year’s CFX Expo present a different experience?
Lippi: In the past, we’ve had all sessions open to everybody. As a result, a lot of topics got covered, but not in depth.
This year, we decided to take a more solutions-based approach by offering four conferences at one event. There are four big areas where we feel like churches really need the most support: one is tech arts, or worship production technology; the other three (Church Buildings, Church Safety, and Facility Stewardship) are focused on the ‘buildings side’ of the church, on the facilities themselves.
We want to help people go deeper in their educational levels by covering more topics. We want to help attendees learn more in the areas of any church building project that they’re planning to do, and to help them maintain their facilities and plan for future maintenance repairs — those types of things.
We also want to focus on church safety and security — how to create an environment where people feel safe when they show up, but also how to protect the people who are on the property seven days a week.
CE: Related to this, are there enduring offerings that attendees can expect to enjoy again this year?
Lippi: One of the things we started last year — with a lot of really great feedback — are the leadership collectives. This year, we have three offerings: one for pastors and executive pastors; one for facilities managers and safety directors; and one for worship and tech leaders.
The goal of these collectives is to give people an opportunity to come and sit with people who have similar roles to theirs. They can discuss some of the biggest leadership challenges they’re dealing with in their roles and then brainstorm solutions through the course of the conference. In the end, they’ll write out an action plan to take home and implement in their churches. Moving forward, they’ll also have a new collective of people who can provide support throughout the year as they stay connected.
Additionally, our networking reception on Tuesday evening has a new format. We’re working with some of our exhibitors to provide larger prize giveaways than we’ve offered in the past.
CE: As you mentioned, the Expo’s new format offers “multiple church-oriented conferences under one roof.” Can you expand on that?
Lippi: We really landed on four areas (Church AVL, Church Building Projects, Church Safety, and Facility Stewardship) because those are the ones for which we’re getting the most requests for help. That’s why we have separate conferences; attendees can register for an all-access pass and attend any session that’s happening at the Expo. But we also wanted to narrow it down for attendees so that it feels more personalized, like, OK, church safety: that’s my realm, and that’s what I most want to focus on. That person might purchase a pass to attend the church safety conference, and that’s all he or she would have access to. It makes it easier for people to ‘choose their own adventure.’ Instead of a smorgasbord, we’re offering attendees a seven-course meal.
CE: For attendees of the Church Safety track, what takeaways can they expect to gain?
Lippi: The aim of the church safety conference is to provide a holistic approach to safety. Acts or threats of violence are a big focus for churches right now. We have an amazing general session speaker who will be sharing a lot about how to prevent and prepare for an active shooter situation.
But there’s a lot more to church safety than this; a holistic safety approach includes understanding the emotional and spiritual elements of church safety, along with how to budget for safety. For example, are church leaders aware that there are grants available? If so, how do they prepare to write the grant?
A holistic safety approach includes the physical safety aspect, as well as preparing to respond to medical emergencies and natural disasters, and even just making sure that a church is providing a safe place. This is especially critical if a church has a daycare or school on its property, or even just ensuring a church is using safe practices in its kids and youth ministries.
CE: Same question regarding the Church Building track — what takeaways can attendees anticipate?
Lippi: We have some really great sponsors who will discuss different design ideas for both indoor and outdoor spaces where churches can engage their communities. Some will be talking about multi-site expansion — how to add a campus to a church in a successful manner. Others will be talking about green initiatives. Some will talk about how to understand financing options for a building project; how to avoid burnout in the process; how to work with construction teams; and so on.
CE: And what about the Facility Stewardship track — what are the key takeaways?
Lippi: We’ll be presenting a lot of information about team management, as well as sessions on how to successfully manage schools or daycares on church properties. How can a church and school manage these facilities while working closely together, without stepping on each other’s toes?
We will also offer sessions on orchestrating solid, facilities management-focused policies and documentation, as well as covering some IT networking topics.
CE: Are there other CFX educational opportunities to spotlight?
Lippi: I know the Church Executive audience is not necessarily made up of church technical directors, but we’re encouraging technical directors to be a part of CFX because we will be discussing AVL and IT integration. If you’re planning to upgrade your AVL equipment, make sure you don’t miss out!
Outside of this, we’re bringing back our keynote sessions.
Also, we’re starting to offer some general sessions, which we’ve never had before. While the keynote sessions are geared towards inspiring attendees in their unique roles, the general sessions are geared towards each particular conference, covering the trends, or ‘hot topics’, that need to be considered. These topics include creating a welcoming experience to encourage newcomers and members to keep coming back; preparing for an active assailant situation; learning from a large, well-known company how they’ve incorporated the importance of facility stewardship into their guest experience; and discovering how tech teams can push their own personal boundaries in their tech roles.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
For more information on CFX 2024, visit https://churchfacilitiesexpo.com.
