Sometimes you just know what you do is cool.

As the Executive Director of TFEA, I have the privilege of getting to attend a lot of festivals and meet event planners from around the globe. This has been an amazing opportunity, but it can also make one a bit jaded at times. Because I am surrounded constantly by the brightest and best, I have become convinced that I am getting pretty darned hard to impress.

And then, right in my own hometown, I am reminded what it is all about. Today I attended the dedication and grand re-opening of the 33,000 SF George H.W. Bush Gallery of the Museum of the Pacific War, which is part of the ever-growing Admiral Nimitz Museum complex. I played no role in the production of the event. Rather I was there as a small sponsor and happy observer.



The event was very well done, but also had its small snafus. A low cloud deck forced the cancellation of the scheduled paratrooper landing and delayed the start of the ceremony when former President Bush's plane was redirected.

But what impressed me was not so much the considerable hoopla. Rather it was the impact of the activities that found me contemplating just how rewarding the job of an event planner can be. As I looked around I saw the weathered faces of survivors from Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima, undoubtedly some of the bravest men ever. I saw a tiny baby wrapped in blue, still unaware that war even exists. I saw school children, many of whom were about to gain their first glimpse and understanding of the battles that literally saved the world. I saw the proud and amazed smile of my 98-year-old grandmother who has lived across the street from the Nimitz complex for more than 75 years.

These combined images renewed the sense of pride I have in our industry, which exists largely to deliver unforgettable experiences to those we touch. I encourage each of you to take a different look at your next event. In addition to the watchful eye you place on the execution of each element of your event, take some time to simply watch the celebration unfold through the lens of your attendees. Listen to the music of their laughter. Renew in their spirit of wonder. Feel their rush of emotion. Then lay your head down at the end of the day (or early the next morning) knowing just how cool it all really is.