Buffets are awesome. There’s nothing like an all you can eat buffet, especially when the food is top notch fare. This weekend I’m being treated to a buffet of excellent presenters at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. This year the conference is at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis. Group Publishing, where I once worked, hosts this annual event for youth workers that draws nearly 3000 participants.

Yesterday the volunteers were prepping for everyone to arrive. We got our instructions and true to their standard of excellence those of us serving as room hosts were instructed to make sure everyone was encouraged to complete an evaluation. Not only that, but we were told to stay in the room the entire time, participate in the presentation and give the presenter a letter grade score.

That’s when you know an organization is serious about holding presenters accountable for excellence. If you present at SYMC and get invited back again, you know you did well. In fact you can be certain you’re among the best of the best. So it’s a real treat for me to spend time with some of the best presenters in the world. I’ll be watching and learning along with the other participants. Next week I’ll share my report on the conference and all the great experiences.