Bill Wellman

So…I begin my path in destination consulting, believing I could do it better than those I had suffered through in my past. Those workshops and sessions were so serious, so tedious…that I thought some levity could help separate me from the pack. That…and I had actually worked in Destination Marketing like few, if any, had.

One of the ideas I had, after watching other facilitators unable to block those that would drone on forever, was to bring along a bag of small, palm-size nerf balls. I would distribute them and say, “if someone is taking too long to make a point, lob your nerf at them.” I thought it would be a light-hearted way to keep the conversation moving…and keep participants engaged.

Client #1 was what is now known as the South Shore CVA, then helmed by Spero Batistatos. His Chair was Bill Wellman, one of the most respected hospitality and business minds in Indiana, if not the Midwest. This was a man that exuded professionalism from every pore…and Spero and I miss his wisdom and counsel every day.

We’re about midway through the afternoon when Bill excuses himself to use the restroom. None of us see that he has palmed his nerf ball. In the restroom, he soaks the nerf in the sink. And as he returns to the room, throws a perfect dart into Spero’s chest.

While we all laughed for what seemed like 10 minutes, that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I landed on nerf balls as one of the ways I would differentiate myself.

Needless to say…I retired them pretty quickly.

But, it was FAF.