Texas Christmas Lights

Today we are proud to announce a lot of the details about the newly renamed Texas Christmas Light Work Shop!

Let’s start with the name.  After the April Mini held in Killeen, Annalisa, Bryce, Don and Jeff T. got together and talked about what the next step for PLUS and the Texas Mini PLUS should be.  They came up with the idea of having our own organization within Texas that would hold the semi-annual events but also would work to establish local chapters all over the state of Texas.

These local chapters would hopefully promote friendships and camaraderie within a local area where members could help each other out in person and not just via email or phone.  After hearing about the idea and knowing some of ideas that others outside the state wanted to enforce on Mini PLUS events, we decided the time was right to rename out event.  Outside of Planet Christmas, (and a lot of people on there don’t even know), does anyone know what a Mini PLUS is?  Even if the acronym was spelled out, PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium still doesn t really tell people what the event is.  But a Christmas Light Work Shop says what we are gathering for and might even elicit some questions from non-PC members as to what you talk about at a Christmas Light Work Shop.  So we had a name for the event but what about the organization?  We had lots of ideas that were catchy but I think it was Bryce that suggested we just go with something basic.  With that suggestion, TexasChristmasLights.com was born!  Don has done a great job of building the website and hosting it.  At the San Antonio Christmas Light Work Shop you will hear more about what TCL is about and how you can help grow the organization.  I have created some marketing materials for you to take away including full color business cards and post cards, and fliers that you can print out on your own computer to hand out to friends or visitors to your display that may be interested in TCL.

The Work Shop, why all the secrecy?  Well there really hasn’t been secrecy we just don’t have to post 300 messages on PC to promote our event.  If you have been to Texas Mini PLUS events in the past you know we just keep growing.  Right now we are the largest state for people who have updated their profiles on PC and that is translating into excitement for our events!  Would you believe that right now as of this email we have close to 60 confirmed attendees?  And all that with only 16 messages on PC!  If you have registered on TexasChristmasLights.com and gone to the forums, you have seen a lot of the info for the workshop for the last several weeks!

What are we going to learn about at the Work Shop?  Well if you were at the Spring Mini you remember voting for a two-day work shop instead of the single day format we have done at all previous events.  So you have to know you are going to be exposed to a lot in two days!  In addition to the fun, games, and impromptu presentations, the following presentations are planned:

Editing MP3 files
            EL Cord

            I know there are actually more than that but right now they are escaping my mind!  Anyone who knows me, knows I forget things easily!

I see vendors on the list!  Yes you do!  As many already know, we have the advantage of having one of the major new vendors in our community right here in the Lone Star state!  D-Light was formed after Dick and Darryl met in person at the first Texas Mini and starting talking about their own homegrown computer control.  Once again, D-Light will be at our event.  In addition, we will definitely have representatives from Chauvet and 1000Bulbs.com.  1000Bulbs.com is a relative newcomer to the Christmas Light market and is located in the Dallas area.  When I sent Kim Pedersen, the owner, an email about our event and the crazy people who were coming, he was instantly intrigued.  He and his wife will be at the Work Shop and is looking to learn more about what we are interested in so he can grow the Christmas Light portion of his multi-million dollar business!  We also might have other vendors in attendance but right now these three are confirmed!  As usual, door prizes will be available at the work shop but this time it is not the cast-offs from our inventory.  This year the door prizes will include brand new products and gift certificates from some of your favorite vendors!  It is exciting to know that many of our attendees will go home with great prizes, some valued at $200 or even more!

So this is going to be your first Christmas Light Work Shop or Mini-PLUS?  What can you expect?  You can expect to quickly find out that you are among friends who think about Christmas Lights throughout the year.  People that are crazy enough to scout out Target stores for the day after sales.  And even people who go beyond Christmas Lights to other holidays.  You can also expect for me to pull you into the conversations!  Several people have emailed me saying that they didn t have anything to teach others, especially seeing how some of our attendees are doing displays in excess of 100,000 lights.  To that I say poppy-kosh!  Everyone has something to add!

What else can we expect that we might not know about?  Even though I am on Weight Watchers, nothing says Christmas to me faster than Christmas goodies like fudge, sugar cookies, and peppermint bark!  What do you or your family make that says Christmas is upon us?  I am asking that everyone consider bringing some of your favorite goodies to share with others.  These will be great munchies for everyone to snack on and to make it more useful, I am asking that everyone email me their favorite Christmas recipes with directions for preparing before September 15^th so I can compile them into a booklet that all attendees will be able to take home with them.

So we are getting a recipe book?  Yes and no.  The booklet will contain recipes along with some Texas Christmas Trivia and Facts, advertisements from our vendors, and notes from some of the presentations along with a notes area so you can keep all your notes in one place!  All of this will be bound together for a professional keepsake!

What else you say?  How about a photographer that will be taking hundreds of high quality photos for us to remember the event.  And we are trying to work out the technical issues to record the entire event!

You want more?  How about a DVD that you can take away that has lots Christmas Light videos, clip art, midis, and wav files on it?  Yep you are also getting that!

More?  Man you guys want a lot for $20!  How about a lunch on Saturday?  You got it!

Even More?  Ok, there may be a special secret guest, I m not supposed to say who but you should be able to figure it out from the Chicago Mini this weekend when their secret guests are announced!

Is that all?  At this point, I’m not telling you anymore, you will just have to come to find out!

Are you on TexasChristmasLights.com yet?