WHY “RISK MANAGEMENT” NOW NEEDS TO BE PART OF EVERY EVENT STRATEGY: Recently here on “Parley” we discussed the need for greater focus on security at events of every size. Unfortunately, those elements happening around us we have no control over, means we have to take into more consideration the safety of our clients, guests and patrons.
That then brings up the issue of “Rick Management” covered in a recent article on the “Forbes” media platform. The points are all well taken and should lead to a further discussion among the various elements and companies that are brought together to stage an effective and memorable event.
For example, the intersection of a large meeting, a Taylor Swift concert, and an active shooter situation created a logistical nightmare for one organization. However, they had anticipated and trained for something of this magnitude and were not caught off-guard, prepared with the plan and communication for just such an emergency, managing to keep their guests safe and the even rolling without a hitch. While most of us will never be in charge of event with thousands of participants, for an event of any size, having a plan ready to go is the key. Makes no difference the size of the participation or your staff, everyday life and what we cannot imagine comes into play when we least expect it. We would certainly like to hear more from our community on what you are doing with regard to risk management, and how much attention should be paid to it at every level. Drop us a line fuzzydogsproductions@gmail.com.
TURNING THAT VIRTUAL CAMERA OFF IS A DEAD GIVEAWAY: A show of hands from everyone who has been on a virtual meeting and, without thinking twice when bored, you shut down your camera for a moment or two, or three, or perhaps longer, because you were nodding off and needed the break. Or clicked the “OFF” selection because you have one eye on the screen and another on your smartphone and just had to respond to a text or social media message?
Chances are plenty of us have done it and, I’ll be first to admit, I’ve needed the break and clicked down for more than a few seconds. Of course, common sense teaches us that someone, if not everyone, will notice you’ve momentarily “left the room”, and it may not be a good look. This recent survey discussed in the Harvard Business Review found a correlation between employee retention and camera enablement during virtual meetings. Workers who left their organization within a year of the study's sample period (Q1 2022 and Q1 2023) turned their cameras on in just 18.4 percent of small group meetings, while employees who stayed at their organization were on camera in 32.5 percent of such meetings. The report involved 450,000 employees and data from 40 million meetings worldwide, showing that companies need to make a concerted effort to establish an effective virtual meeting culture.
What then is that “effective meeting culture”? If you were in-person at the meeting, you may be chastised for dozing off, and in that case a break every now and then might seem reasonable. If in a virtual conference, you may leave people wondering why you clicked off, and those in charge of the meeting could take it as a slight of their presentation. So then, where does this middle lie? More sauce for the goose in asking our community to weigh in.
THE NEED TO SHAKE AND BAKE THOSE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS: A recent article entitled “Nine Things to Consider When Planning an In-Person Conference” was, for the most part, a standard primer on those items meeting/conference/event planners already know to focus on. We all see these lists from time to time, and many of them always seem to cover the same ground.
However, in this case, what caught my eye was the paragraph about “Thought Leadership”. The #4 thing to consider was “suggest curating a lineup of knowledgeable and engaging speakers who can deliver valuable content and insights relevant to your audience. Learning is a fundamental aspect of events as knowledge is the best thing you can offer an audience.”
In my experience as a Keynote and Guest Speaker, I find that some of the best appearances happen when I talk about my expertise and media stories with a group that might not be necessarily considered a “target” audience. Case in point was a convention that was focused on the trucking industry. Most of the breakouts were technical, zeroed in on such things as insurance and travel tips. My talk was plenty of stories and education about the media’s role in our lives, how it shapes what we think, what we do and how it reflects on us. I had their attention for 40+ minutes and after the presentation, I was approached by a large number of attendees who thanked me for providing “something difference and unique” from the rest of the sessions at the conference. It was a simple case of variety.
The possibility of a “snoozer” can happen for anyone at anytime, but I have found that sometimes straying off what might be the logical approach wakes people up and gets them engaged in something different, a break, if you will. “Thought Leadership” does not always have to be laser-focused on one issue or topic, and providing something “off the cuff” and different can really set any conference apart from the standard and mundane.
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