By Jim DeLa
Editor, The Southern Cross

Diocesan Council heard some uncomplicated advice from the expert brought in to evaluate DaySpring Conference Center: Stop the squabbling. Get a positive attitude. Agree on a direction for the 25-year-old camp and meeting center and then stick with it.

Dr. Charles Wallace told Council at its June 28 meeting that the disagreements in recent years over how much it actually costs the diocese to operate DaySpring are missing the point. “My sense is money is not the problem for DaySpring. Money is the symptom,” he said.

Wallace, a consultant and founding member of a professional association of conference center administrators, signed an 18-month contract to help the diocese determine a direction and vision for the 92-acre center along the Manatee River.

He likened the efforts to run the center to a child learning to ride a bicycle, who struggles to gain momentum and falls frequently. “If you wish,” Wallace said, “I can help you put training wheels on the bicycle and keep it going straight long enough to get the momentum we need to be a successful institution.”

Wallace won an official commitment from Council to pursue a course to develop DaySpring as a full-fledged, full-service, nonprofit conference center, catering to diocesan groups as well as other groups in the community. “There’s some heavy lifting ahead of us. There’s hard work that needs to be done,” Wallace told Council.

Wallace was also optimistic that with cost controls and a rise in fees, DaySpring could erase financial deficits by the end of 2009. “Can we break even this year? Probably not. Can we break even by the end of next year? Probably, yes.”

Changing attitudes
Wallace observed one of the major obstacles to success has been the perception that DaySpring is a burden rather than an asset. “The general consensus is that DaySpring is a financial albatross,” he said. During his two months on the job, Wallace said he has tried not to accept that premise.

“I’ve tried to rise above many of the comments because people keep putting their arm around my shoulders and saying ‘Oh you poor man.’ Some folks say “Do you think you can save the patient?’ And I’ve just tried to sidestep those because I don’t think the situation is that critical.”
Wallace said turning attitudes around is critical for success. “How far can we go to reverse the negative parts of our history? Just as far as we choose. If we want to stay heads-up, positive, moving forward with a plan, I think it’s very doable.”

Wallace urged diocesan leaders to forget the past and lose the negativity. “Stay positive. Stay hopeful. Say hopeful things about DaySpring,” he said. “Live in the present. Dream for the future.”

Turning it around
The other real challenges, in Wallace’s view, are understanding a clear direction and staying the course. He says he’s read the dozen or so evaluations of the conference center written over the years. “They all make sense,” he said. “It’s the sustained effort that’s been elusive.”

“This is a beautiful place in a unique location. Some 20,000 people a year come through DaySpring. It’s a place where good things happen in the lives of the people who are here. So let’s not lose sight of what a great place this is,” he urged.

To that end, Wallace said keeping expenses in line with revenues has been a challenge in the current economy. He noted in the last 12 months, food prices and vendors costs have skyrocketed. Insurance costs have gone up 350 percent in the last two years, he noted. And the slow economy has slowed reservations. “We saw $40,000 in cancellations in the last month,” he said. “Costs are working against us.”

Wallace said they’ve already started trimming their budget by reducing energy usage, finding a cheaper medial insurance provider and cutting many contracted services such as landscaping. He also said they need to reduce evening and night staff and raise prices. “We need to raise rates slightly,” and suggested doing away with a 50 percent discounted fee for diocesan groups that use DaySpring.

Drumming up new business is also a priority. Wallace intends to pursue an e-mail marketing plan to groups in Florida and North Georgia.
Council also discussed the possibility of creating an endowment for DaySpring with the realization that any large-scale fundraising attempt would likely have to wait until the financial horizon is brighter.