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Communication, Facilitation Methods & Strategic Planning
We start by understanding your goals, challenges, and audience to create a customized facilitation experience that drives results. Whether in-person or virtual, we leverage a range of facilitation tools and methods specifically selected to meet the needs of your group and their identified discussion topics.
We partner with organizations of all sizes to design and guide structured conversations that foster clarity, alignment, and action.
Following are just a handful of examples describing how the Event Garde team can utilize our knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of you and your audience through facilitation methods and strategic planning:
Facilitate tough conversations - Guide a group through complex discussions (e.g., sunsetting an initiative) to elicit facts and reactions and reach shared understanding and resolution.
Align teams around key decisions – Engage all members to generate ideas, identify consensus, and confirm next steps (e.g., defining organizational core values).
Create actionable short-term plans – Envision success, assess current realities, align commitment, map critical tasks, and establish a timeline to ensure follow-through.
Map stakeholders strategically – Support stakeholder mapping to identify key voices across your industry and different social identity groups to ensure diverse perspectives, inclusive engagement, and informed decision-making.
Develop practical strategic plans – Design a collaborative strategic plan rooted in member insights, define a compelling vision, address key challenges, and set clear strategic directions.
Bridge the gap between strategy and action – Equip teams with simple, effective steps to transition from planning to execution and avoid the "implementation gap".
Consider the number of unproductive conversations that happen each day among Boards, learners, members, staff, or volunteers. Using the focused conversation method, we provide an effective structure for collecting data and ideas, reflecting on accomplishments and setbacks, and discussing tough issues without heated arguments.
We often get asked: Is strategic planning still relevant in today’s environment? Is the effort and investment still worth it? Won’t our plan be outdated the minute we publish it? In a time of uncertainty and disruption, a well-crafted strategic plan isn’t just a document—it’s a dynamic roadmap that keeps your organization focused, adaptable, and aligned with its mission.
At Event Garde, we believe strategic planning is more essential than ever. It’s not about predicting the future with absolute certainty; it’s about preparing your organization to navigate change with confidence. A strong strategic plan clarifies your vision, identifies key priorities, and provides a framework for making informed decisions—whether you’re seizing new opportunities or course-correcting in response to unexpected challenges.
Using the Technology of Participation (ToP) Strategic Planning Process, we help organizations create actionable, inclusive, and adaptable strategies that reflect their values and aspirations. Our process ensures that your plan is not just a one-time exercise but a living tool that evolves with your organization.
Are your meetings consistently dominated by the same couple of voices? Have you tried, unsuccessfully, to engage participants from historically underrepresented groups? Is there a lot of discussion that never really results in clear consensus or actionable next steps?
If you’re looking for professionally facilitated meetings that recognize and honor contributions from all group members, create a safer space to share through equitable and anti-oppressive facilitation practices, and result in action plans with ownership and accountability, then you’ve come to the right place.
Not only do we understand facilitation, but we want you and your stakeholders to become better facilitators and participants, as well. By attending the facilitated conversations that we’ll develop for your group, you’ll begin to identify some of the fundamental techniques and best practices that you can begin incorporating in your own meetings.
The Event Garde team has experience facilitating with a variety of stakeholders and creating uniquely designed plans to meet each client’s needs. Our facilitators have deep knowledge and expertise of various facilitation methods, first-hand experience using them in a variety of real-world situations, and additional practice teaching others how to use them in their own settings.
With this training, practice, and experience, the Event Garde team is proficient in the art and science of facilitation. The stakeholders selected to be a part of the meetings we lead bring their industry knowledge, historical perspective, and forward-looking ideas and passion. Together, with a sound process and a genuine care for the participants (and how they engage with one another), we co-create a realistic and actionable plan to establish the future direction of your organization.
“We hired Event Garde to facilitate work with our staff of 28 to come up with an agreed upon set of common values and shared culture statements. This was scheduled prior to the pandemic outbreak and we were really pleased that Event Garde was able to pivot to completely virtual. While I was skeptical about how well group work of this size would do, it went extremely well through each of our sessions. By the end of our work we had new culture statements with great buy in from staff and also strategies for implementation so the internal work could begin in earnest.”
“Event Garde assisted us in building a strategic plan for our organization with Aaron and the team delivering an incredible experience. Because of who we are, our volunteer leadership has sat through a number of strategic planning sessions - but nothing like this. From leading up to the planning, to during and following, Aaron took care of all the facets of the work. He challenged our leadership to think bigger and kept us at a strategic level while ensuring everyone’s voice in the room was heard - including our staff. My board thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
“TCDLA has gone through several strategic plans over the past twenty years. The work sessions with Event Garde, led by Aaron Wolowiec, were engaging, inclusive, and all left feeling accomplished. Sessions included staff, members, and board members. We had so many varying opinions and ideas which Aaron helped facilitate our very vocal group to work together and come up with initiatives that would continue to allow our organization to grow. The sessions gave our group a clear direction to set tasks to accomplish each initiative with realistic timelines. As we continued to work through our initiatives, Aaron helped us streamline actions, details, and metrics, leading us to success!”
“Event Garde has a tried-and-true formula for strategic planning and it works! Michigan Pharmacists Association hired Event Garde to facilitate our strategic planning retreat and they did not disappoint. Approximately 50 members participated in the day-and-a-half retreat to chart MPA’s course over the next three-year period. Facilitators Aaron Wolowiec and Krista Rowe executed perfectly the preparation for the retreat as well as the retreat itself. A bonus to MPA was to have Event Garde participate in developing an implementation plan with MPA staff and volunteers. That alone set Event Garde apart from its competitors!”
“Dallas County Dental Society knows the value of Strategic Planning and that a great facilitator is key to each process. They have gone through the process for 35 plus years with many facilitators. I must say Aaron was dynamic, energizing and a breath of fresh air. He made sure all participants were engaged and their voice heard as the plan was developed. We look forward to working with Aaron again in the future. He would be an asset to any group developing a new plan or updating their current plan.”
Event Garde Equips MICPA with Statewide Member Insights to Drive Strategic Action
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To discuss your upcoming facilitation methods or strategic planning needs, please contact Lindsay Thomas, Event Garde’s Director of Client Engagement.
Contact Lindsay ThomasWE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU ON YOUR NEXT INITIATIVE!
