Village Players’ Youth Theatre opens “Wizard of Oz” this Friday.  It is sure to be a wonderful journey filled with very talented young performers.  If you have been to a Youth Theatre performance in the past, you know that there is something special about the exuberance and enthusiasm of kids on stage that makes it a wonderful and life-affirming event.  Don’t miss it.  June 20 – 23 only!  Opening night is already sold out, but tickets are available for the Friday through Sunday performances. Buy your tickets on our website, today!

With the Wizard of Oz theme taking over the theater this week, I got to thinking about the “Journey to Oz” for the overall organization.  Where is “Oz” for us? Even if we know where we are going, do we know how to get there?  This is precisely the challenge that immediate past Board of Directors President Dale Feldpausch is taking on with the impending launch of the Strategic Planning Committee.  Dale has assembled a varied group of members as well as some professional leadership to take them (and us) on this exciting journey. We look forward to their report in about a year.

At the 90^th Anniversary Party, we  rolled out the final phase of the “On Our Way to 100” Campaign.”  This phase includes the establishment of the Village Players Centennial Endowment Fund.  Certainly, if we are successful in soliciting and securing a firm financial base  with a reserved and restricted endowment, we will continue to move towards a permanent and secure future for Village Players.

As the Board of Directors President, I plan to ask each Board member to identify and take on a specific improvement project within their sphere of supervision.  A few years back I attended a workshop at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida.  The message of the event was simple:  As far as your customers are concerned “everything counts.”  Workshop attendees regardless of their industry were invited to view their service or product from the eyes of the customer.  What can be done at every incremental step along the way to not just meet, but exceed customer expectations?

Don’t forget, when it comes to a membership organization such as VP, our customers are not only the ticket-buying public, but our individual members as well!  We need to start connecting with customers at the very first contact be it advertising, websites, posters, mailers. I can foresee a better advertising sales campaign building on our recent improvements to our web-site.  I know there is a way to partner with local restaurants so that when patrons visit our web-site to buy tickets, they are invited at the same time to make dinner reservations at the nearby bistros.  We could talk about parking (again!).  Would it be completely out of the question to offer our 39 spaces in our own lot to those patrons willing to pay an addition fee for these “premium” parking spaces?  How about a valet service for those who are interested? For “internal customers” how about a sophisticated inventory/bar code of costumes and props?  A new north entrance to the building… better storage… The list goes on and on.

What can we do, starting now, to exceed your expectations for the club?  I am waiting for your thoughts.