Soba.America.E-Newsletter.2017

h a hotel helped us to run smoothly for the most part. However, the details on controlling
the access into the Gala ballroom could have been better. Because we were applying
wristbands selectively for non-Sobans, once the party was in full-swing, it was difficult to
tell who had already been inside and who was a new guest, even under the watchful eyes
of our excellent security guards. In the future hosts need to be better prepared to control
access to all events at the Convention.
3. IMPROVED TRAINING:
Planning is great for predictable outcomes, but when managing an occasion, the size of
a SOBA National Convention, there are bound to be several unpredictable circumstances.
Better training on seating arrangements, VIP tables, and door security procedures
would have avoided a lot of stress, and smoothed out some of the issues which our
guests experienced during the Convention. Training for all the host chapter’s members
is imperative for a smooth convention.
4. BETTER OUTREACH
While the Convention had record attendance at many events, one of the goals of the
Convention was to expand the SOBA brand to reach out to more non-Cameroonians.
Every Cameroonian knows the “Sasse” brand, but we wanted to expand this to reach
other Houstonians. We were only moderately successful as we engaged in local community
service, and received several donations from non-Cameroonians. However, the goal
is to continue to grow the SOBA brand awareness past the regular cultural ceiling into a
national brand in future Conventions.
5. INVITE VIPS EARLIER:
This year, we invited Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner to our Convention in February,
and he declined due to conflicts. I recognize that I could have invited him earlier, and
also invited other public officials to our Convention. Our Canadian brothers did a great
job getting public officials to their event, and this goes a long way to build up SOBA brand
awareness. Landing a public official at our Conventions gives it an “official” stamp of
approval, and enables our organization to have a much greater impact on our local communities.
Thank you all for visiting with us in Houston. We hope you had a great time like we did,
and we look forward to seeing you in Atlanta in 2017!
By Mbei Enoh,
Soba America National Secretary and 2016 Houston Convention Czar,
Houston, Texas
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