Inaugural ‘Kettle-Con’ helps The Salvation Army prepare for Christmas campaign in Texas

By: Philip Burn

Preparations for The Salvation Army’s 2021 Christmas campaign are already well underway in Texas. Salvation Army officers, staff, and volunteers attended the inaugural Kettle-Con event on Wednesday, July 14, 2021.

Kettle-Con, themed after the infamous San Diego Comic Convention (Comic-Con), is a virtual training and informational event for every Salvation Army unit in the state of Texas, focusing on all topics related to Christmas fundraising. The first day of webinars included four sessions.

The sessions, ranging from 60 to 75 minutes in length were titled: All Things Angel Tree Epic Marketing & Promotion Tips, Register to Ring, and Super Ideas. Sessions were led by The Salvation Army’s development department staff with presentations from officers, staff, external vendors and volunteers. 

"We have planned Kettle-Con webinars for July, August, and September, each with four topics to choose from," said Jennifer Lane, The Salvation Army’s corporate relations and development manager for Texas. "Each session is being recorded and posted to an internal website. All presentations, collateral materials, contacts, and links related to each topic will be available on that website. We're off to a great start and look forward to the next Kettle-Con sessions on Aug. 18."

More than 180 people attended the first Kettle-Con sessions that included door prizes for those who pre-registered, a chat function active throughout the session, and time for Q&A. Future Kettle-Con sessions are scheduled for Aug. 18, and Sept. 15, and session topics such as Red Kettle Challenge, Ringers & Volunteers, Kettle Logistics in illogical Situations, Creating Community Super Stars, and more will be covered.

"Our hope and prayer is that Kettle-Con will help further the mission of The Salvation Army in Texas and expand Christmas fundraising opportunities and engagement by sharing resources and ideas with our peers across Texas," said Lane.