rationalizing a speaker’s price tag

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Critical ThinkingRe-evaluating evaluations

Ethical Issues“But everybody does it!”

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Colleges & Universities

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Rationalizing a speaker’s price tagRationalizing a speaker’s price tag

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 • S P E A K I N G O F I M P A C TWWW. C A N A D I A N S P E A K E R S . O R G 3

IN THIS ISSUESpring 2015

OUR FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS

Sandy Hughes is the director of theCentre for Teaching Innovationand Excellence at Wilfrid LaurierUniversity, focusing on onlinelearning, educational technologies,quality assurance, communityservice, and teaching excellence.

Christopher Bauer’s keynotes, sem-inars and consulting help organiza-tions around the globe build andmaintain cultures that supportethics, compliance and accounta-bility. He also publishes a freeWeekly Ethics Thought.• www.ChristopherBauer.com

Tonya Hofmann is the CEO andfounder of the Public SpeakersAssociation, speaker, author, hostof Tonya Hofmann’s Fabulous TVShow, nominated for and winnerof multiple international awards,and recovering introvert.• www.TonyaHofmann.com

Dollars and SenseRationalizing a speaker’s price tag

By Tonya Hofmann

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By Sandy Hughes

10


By Christopher Bauer

13

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY TONI NEWMAN, HoF

18 ON THE OTHER HANDBY DERI LATIMER, BMGT, CSP AND SID RIDGLEY, MBA, CSP

19 ASK THE EXPERT BY PATTI POKORCHAK, MBA

26 SPEAKING OF ROI BY DAVID GOUTHRO, CSP

27 EFFECTIVE MEETINGS BY ANNE MINER

28 IMPACT PLAYERS

29 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

30 FUNNY BUSINESS BY MICHAEL KERR, CSP, HoF

Colleges & UniversitiesBy Stan Michalak

20SUPPLEMENT

On the Other Hand is a new departmentthat will appear in the 2015 Spring andWinter issues. Our plan is to providepolarized perspectives on topics of cur-rent interest to meeting planners. In thisway, we can diverge from presenting oneperson’s view on a particular topic to pro-viding expert (yet opposite) views thatshould make for juicy and/or spicy consid-eration from our readers!

NEW IN THIS ISSUE!

admit it. Sometimes I worry about the future of meetings. Iworry that this industry – and the many associations that wehave created to support it – are precariously perched on aprecipice worthy of the San Andreas Fault. And, I worry that

while the way business is being done around the globe is implodingwith transformational change, we, as an industry, are huddled under

door frames built out of the way things used to be done waiting for the tremors topass so that we can go back to life as it was before.But what if there is no life as it was before? What if the future is now and we are

still living in the past? What if the rules are changing faster than we are and over thenext five years, it will take more to be successful in the meetings industry than it everhas before? Are you ready? Are we ready?As the 2015 President of CAPS, I come from a rather unique background, having

had a wonderful 10-year career as a meeting planner prior to starting my speakingbusiness almost 12 years ago. The coolest thing, however, is that I believe as much inthe power of meetings today as I did when I first started this journey more than 20years ago. Simply put – meetings rock. They are a unique opportunity to communicate, moti-

vate, educate and, of course, to inspire. A well-crafted meeting can be the catalystthat creates community, provokes passion, teaches tolerance and, above all, cultivateschange. And, as cliché as this may sound, I believe that great meetings can make agreat difference. It is precisely because I believe in the power of meetings that I feel compelled to

ask, “Are you ready?” What role will you play in the battle to stay relevant? Whatcharges will you lead in these times of revolution? What contribution will you make tothe continuing evolution of this noble institution that we call meetings?Because, we are more than a community. We are a global opportunity and there

has never been a time when we have needed each other more to make the coura-geous choices that will be required not only to survive but to thrive in a future thathas already arrived. I took on the role of CAPS President “Because I Believe” in our industry, in our

future and, most of all, because I believe in you. What if the only thing standing between where we are today and where we have

always believed we could be, is the courage to let go of where we have already been?

Toni Newman, HoF2015 CAPS National President

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Do You Believe?

S P E A K I N G O F I M P A C T • S P R I N G 2 0 1 54

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSChristopher Bauer; David Gouthro, CSP;

Tonya Hofmann; Sandy Hughes;Michael Kerr, CSP, HoF; Deri Latimer, BMGT, CSP;

Stan Michalak; Anne Miner;Patti Pokorchak, MBA; Sid Ridgley, MBA, CSP

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events, even virtual ones, are demanding and stressful. And,they’re expensive. When setting budgets, event planners

inevitably focus their attention on which speaker to engage and whatthe price tag will be. Working within a finite budget can force plannersto narrow the field and make a simple dollars-and-cents decision.Thankfully, the market for speakers is always changing. What was seen

as a dollar choice only a short time ago now involves more sense.

THE SPEAKER’S MINDSETIn the past, many speakers had an “employee” mindset. A

planner would contact them, negotiate the fee and travel expens-es, book the time and the topic, and then have little interactionuntil the event. Speakers were paid for their time and theirexpertise and rarely offered anything extra. The “employee”attitude is still common with some celebrities, CEOs andsought-after speakers whose time is very limited.

Most of today’s professional speakers have a more entrepre-neurial mindset. Their goal is to create momentum and inter-action, and their highest accomplishment at any event is tohave done that well. Such speakers work with event organiz-ers on marketing and promotion to help create excitement

about the event, and are sometimes involved in attractingattendees, vendors, sponsors and even other speakers toachieve this goal. Well-delivered presentations at well-organized events earn name recognition for the speakers,

get their message heard, drive sales and opportunities,and build their reputation as forces for true change.

SPEAKERS’ FEESLike everything in today’s market, speakers’ fees are

negotiable. The challenge is to figure out how to create a winfor both the speaker and the event. While fees range from $0 to

thousands, under certain circumstances, even the most popular,

S P E A K I N G O F I M P A C T • S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

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Dollars and

SenseRationalizing a speaker’s price tag

By Tonya Hofmann


sought-after speaker may speak for no or low fees. Workingwithin your budget, you will have to decide how flexible youcan be in your negotiations with prospective speakers. Open-minded and creative negotiations about fees can result in afresh new approach that will benefit all parties.

Some speakers’ fees will just have to be paid in full; themore popular speakers will have less time open on their calen-dar. To secure someone you absolutely must have, agree to thefee up front. You can always throw in other options for mar-keting benefits as bonus items for them to say, “Yes.”

MARKETINGWhether you negotiate or pay in full, there is more value

in today’s speaker contract than a fee, airline ticket andhotel. Big-name speakers can add great marketing to yourevent. Use their name, head shot, bio, titles, videos, etc. toenhance your attendance package. Speakers who are not wellknown can still bring huge value if your marketing focuseson the brilliance of their presentations. Pump up your mar-keting to create a WOW environment so attendees look for-ward to the presentation.

CONNECTIONSSpeakers usually have large lists of contacts on social media

and email marketing that can be used to drive more traffic tothe event. Both the event and the speaker benefit from havingmore connections. With careful negotiations, most speakerswill be willing to send out social media posts, place the infor-mation in their email newsletter or even create a specific emailabout the event. Speakers can also supply pre-event materialsso attendees will get more out of the speakers’ presentations.Other possibilities include posting details on their website,writing a blog or newsletter article, handing out fliers or post-cards at other events and personally connecting with peoplewho might want to attend or be a vendor or sponsor.

AVAILABILITYAttendees expect and appreciate more interaction before,

during and after the event with those who are training, inspir-ing and motivating them. Greater speaker availability helpsthe retention of knowledge because it gives attendees oppor-tunities to ask questions and discuss what they just heard.

Speakers are usually happy to sign on for more interaction;they want to be there for questions, comments, interaction,conversation and other opportunities to connect.

PRE/POST-EVENT INTERACTIONThe payoff can be great when speakers are introduced in

advance. They benefit by connecting with attendees andwarming everyone up to their message before the event. Sim-ple audio or video calls can be recorded and posted onYouTube to create excitement on the event website, innewsletters and via social media connections. Putting videoson the conference website helps with the website’s searchengine optimization because Google loves video. And, theattendees will, too.

After the event, a video or teleseminar offering a follow-upwith the speakers will help ensure that the participantsremember what they need to do with the information they’vebeen given. The attendees will feel more empowered andmotivated and will have immediate action plans to contributeto follow-up meetings. This approach also brings huge valueto corporate accounts that are looking for reasons to sendtheir employees to an event.

GIVEAWAYSSpeakers can offer giveaways or bonuses to attendees,

sponsors and VIP guests. If each of 10 speakers was to offer apromo item or a ticket to a special webinar to attendees whosign up in advance, and each one is worth $100, then you canpromote a total value of more than $1,000 in bonus offers!This is a great strategy to get people to buy their tickets early.Speakers also appreciate this since the attendees get to knowabout them ahead of time.

EXTRAS FOR VIPS/VOLUNTEERS/SPONSORSSpeakers can also bring extra value to special marketing

and promotions or to certain individuals. For a thank-youparty for volunteers or at events for your VIP guests, sponsorsor vendors, speakers can do something special as a bonus –perhaps an exclusive webinar/ teleconference call with yourspecial guests. This strategy gives your organization anothermarketing approach to promote VIP tickets or another reasonfor sponsors to jump in.

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WHETHER YOU NEGOTIATE OR PAY IN FULL, THERE

IS MORE VALUE IN TODAY’S SPEAKER CONTRACT

THAN A FEE, AIRLINE TICKET AND HOTEL

S P E A K I N G O F I M P A C T • S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 WWW. C A N A D I A N S P E A K E R S . O R G8

VENDOR BOOTHS AND SALESMany speakers want to interact and sell products, sign

books, or offer a contest or giveaway for lead generation.Sometimes, offering a booth or a table for such activities canbe enough to reduce or even offset a speaker’s fee.

If you don’t want selling or lead generation at your event,then you might have to accept that higher speakers’ fees willcome into play. Because audiences can get only so muchfrom a 30-minute or even a two-hour presentation, theyneed to go further with the speaker to create permanent andlasting change – and that’s a sales process. If sales are out ofthe question, then it might be necessary to buy some booksfrom the speaker for the attendees, provide contact informa-tion for participants, sponsors or vendors, or allow speakersto hand out contest forms. Be creative in the sales approachif a “pitch” isn’t something you want.

REVENUE SHARINGIs your event a fundraising opportunity? Many speakers

will consider revenue sharing, in which they sell at yourevent and split the profit with you. If they offer somethingamazing on stage and/or at their booth, then they give theevent a percentage. This could generate significant revenuefor the event. Because you are providing speakers with avenue for sales, prospective new clients, an atmosphere ofexcitement and a unique marketing opportunity, they willbe pleased to give back.

TAX WRITE-OFFIf speakers are donating their time for a non-profit

organization, they should receive donation receipts for theirusual speakers’ fees. They should also check with theiraccountants beforehand to find out what they can and can-not write off.

If you consider that each of the items described above hasa specific dollar value, a fee rationale can be made for everyspeaker, whether it is a full-price, highly-acclaimed celebrityor a strong professional speaker with a notable track record.

Ideally, most of these ideas would be negotiated into acontract. At a minimum, aim to include all the negotiableselections that you feel are essential for both the speaker andthe event. Most professional speakers will consider theseoptions because, in today’s market, there are many speakers,and they will all want to participate.

Most speakers will want to help you achieve your goalsbecause these are usually their goals, too. When goals arealigned, the outcome is inevitable. The most satisfying timewith speakers is after the event, when attendees, vendorsand sponsors describe what an amazing event it was forthem. That is often when the dollars spent make sense. SOI

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We often assume that ourconference evaluations aredesigned in such a way as toprovide us with both holis-

tic and specific feedback on our event.What we typically prepare for thesetypes of evaluation forms are questionswhich generate participant satisfactionratings around event elements such asspeakers, sessions, content, format andoutcomes. We also include a host oflogistical details covering parking, sig-nage, ease of registration, schedulingand food quality.

However, as a university administra-tor supporting faculty in curriculum,course design and evaluation of theoverall pedagogical process (and afterattending a great many meetings andconferences over the years), I find itquite surprising how often these evalua-tion questions are so generic, despitesubstantial differences in themes, ven-ues and intended purposes of theevents. The biggest problem these typesof standard surveys pose for meetingand event planners is that they are like-ly not getting us to the real viewpointsof participants. As such, they are nottruly affording us the opportunity tocritically assess the assumptions we’vemade about our participants, the con-tent delivered and the intended out-comes for which we were aiming.

If we want to develop and execute

event evaluations that more acutelyassess our event and the assumptionsbehind it, then it becomes more aboutunderstanding how to apply the princi-ples of critical thinking to the evalua-tion process.

DEFINING CRITICAL THINKINGAt the 8th Annual International Confer-ence on Critical Thinking and EducationReform (summer 1987), Michael Scrivenand Richard Paul described criticalthinking as “…the intellectually disci-plined process of actively and skillfullyconceptualizing, applying, analyzing,synthesizing, and/or evaluating infor-mation gathered from, or generated by,observation, experience, reflection, rea-soning, or communication, as a guide tobelief and action.” Essentially, criticalthinking enables us to apply a disci-plined reason to our thinking whichgoes beyond our regular, often sponta-neous, thought processes.

If we want to apply critical thinkingto our evaluations, attributes such asclarity, precision, relevance and goodreason should be our guiding princi-ples. If we can more effectively usethese elements to formulate our eventevaluation questions, we will capturemore relevant information about whatwe should start doing, what we shouldkeep doing and what we should stopdoing!

START WITH A CLEARLY DEFINEDEVENT PURPOSE AND DESIREDOUTCOMESEvaluation questions should be linkedto the initial intended outcomes of theevent. At the beginning of your plan-ning, it’s paramount to use criticalthinking to ensure clarity around what,how and why you’re organizing theevent. A few good questions include:• What is this meeting intended toaccomplish?• What could be the best outcome forthis meeting?• Who will attend and why?• Will this be a one-time event on acurrent or upcoming topic, or is itintended to develop over time andattract attendees year after year?• What is the specific knowledge,skills, networking that attendees willhope to take away from the event?

With these questions answered, it iseasier to determine how the event goalscan be accomplished, such as how toprepare a call for proposals (if appropri-ate), how to organize the schedule ofevents, how much free/networkingtime to allow, what type of venuewould be appropriate and other details.

EFFECTIVELY BRIEF PRESENTERSAND SPEAKERSIntended outcomes and clarity of pur-pose are also important pieces of infor-

RE-EVALUATING

By Sandy Hughes

EVALUATIONS


mation to provide to keynote speakers.Usually keynote speakers are chosenbased on their specific knowledge andexpertise, experiences and roles. Theyneed to know how to specifically tailortheir expertise.

Sometimes a broad lecture is justwhat is needed; often though, a morefocussed talk or participant-engagedworkshop will help to better set the tonefor the intended outcomes. Keynotespeakers should be equally clear at thestart of their talk by stating the objec-tives for their session to participants.They should inform, expand, clarify andprovide additional questions to moti-vate the audience.

Resist the temptation to acceptadditional concurrent sessions basedsolely on a need to “fill the schedule”or as a way of bolstering attendance.This is where a rubric or other unbi-ased evaluation instrument will helpyou to ensure that your session selec-tions are made for the most appropri-ate reasons.

CRITICALLY ASSESS YOUREVALUATION QUESTIONSWhen the goals and specific outcomesfor your event are clear, it’s easier todevelop evaluation questions for partic-ipants that specifically align with thesegoals. Evaluations based on yourintended outcomes can help identifythe added value that the event broughtto your attendees.

In terms of using critical thinking toassess conference objectives, it’s impor-tant to ask evaluation questions thatalign with the attributes associated withcritical thinking. Clustering questionsaround various aspects of the event isalso helpful. It will help respondents tothink about a particular aspect of theevent more deeply. If you really need tounderstand participants’ feelings abouta certain aspect of the conference, it isgood to ask more than one questionabout it, from slightly different perspec-tives, to ensure that you get an accuratepicture of how participants felt. It is alsoa good idea to have a few open-ended

questions, as these will give attendeesthe opportunity to address any issuesthat you may have neglected to ask.

Create a draft of your proposed evalu-ation questions, then critically assess thisdraft using the questions below. Reflect-ing on these pointed questions will helpyou to determine whether or not yoursurvey is really getting you to those deep-er insights about your attendees:• What precise information is to begained from this question?• Is there any bias associated with theway this question is phrased?• Will participants be able to clearlyunderstand the question so that theresponses are reliable and useful toinform future events?• Have I asked appropriate questionsto inform future related events?• What was the response rate when Iused these questions for the evaluationin the past? • Is it likely that respondents are onlythose who are really satisfied, or reallydissatisfied?


• Has an opportunity been providedfor written feedback?

Considering these critical thinkingquestions regularly, as the planning fora meeting or conference progresses, isalso quite helpful. Reviewing themrepeatedly will provide you with greaterclarity around the purpose and intend-ed outcomes of your event, which willcertainly be echoed in the event evalua-tion. This ongoing reflection willensure that a more accurate summary ofyour attendees’ opinions have beencaptured.

EXECUTING EVALUATIONSThe best time to ask for feedback is assoon as possible after the session/eventconcludes. Many events now conducttheir evaluations online, which maywork more effectively for an overallconference evaluation as opposed tothe individual concurrent sessionsbecause attendees don’t always bringelectronic devices to the session, or thetime-frame between sessions doesn’tallow enough time. Also, if you are con-ducting online surveys, ensure thatyour attendees are comfortable withand have easy access to the requiredhardware.

Sometimes, a keynote presenter willprovide their own online survey tool. Isuggest that you always review the sur-vey instrument to ensure it meets yourneeds and doesn’t contain bias. In thissituation, it’s likely preferable toinclude a few of the questions thatmight be important to the speaker intoyour evaluation, rather than the otherway round.

Some planners judge whether they’llhire a presenter for a future conferencebased on evaluation results, so gettingan appropriate response rate is impor-tant. Higher response rates give someconfidence that you’ve heard from agood cross-section of attendees, not justthe very satisfied or the very dissatis-fied.

To help drive response rates, be sureto include information on the evalua-tion that tells participants that feedbackis important, and how it will be used forfuture planning, etc. Also, ensure that

it’s easy to complete the evaluation. Ifit’s too complicated or too long, peoplewill avoid doing it!

If you’re really anxious for a highresponse rate, then an incentive (suchas a discount on next year’s conference)might be an enticement. Have membersof the conference committee attendconcurrent sessions to introduce speak-ers, keep track of time and ensure evalu-ations are completed.

EVALUATING THE RESULTSIf appropriate questions have beenasked and the response rate is good,you have excellent data from which todetermine how things went and whatto do in the future. If you need detailedstatistical analysis, you may want towork with an expert researcher whocan evaluate the data at a more sophis-ticated level but, in general, this is notnecessary.

Finally, review the results with allconcerned. If necessary, assign variousfollow up tasks to individuals to ensureclosure of the event. If you’ve prom-ised feedback to concurrent sessionleaders, ensure that they receive it in atimely fashion and that you give theman opportunity to discuss their feed-back with you (if that’s appropriate).You may even want to share some ofthe key findings with attendees and letthem know specifically how you areusing their insights to shape yourfuture programs.

Above all, a well-designed evaluationshows your participants that you careabout creating a rich experience forthem and that you are committed todoing an even better job next timearound.

When they are developed with a bitof critical thinking, your evaluationswill have greater credibility. This addi-tional credibility will not only enhancefuture attendance at your program, butcan also be leveraged to entice newsponsorship dollars. Especially whenviewed from this perspective, thinkinga little harder about your event evalua-tions is definitely worth the extra timeand effort! SOI


Every one of us involved withmeeting planning is barraged byethical challenges every singleday. Who gets the perks for travel

or hotel stays? Whose products or poli-cies may make them an inappropriateevent sponsor? What about giving andreceiving gifts? What information can Ishare with my friendly competitors?

While we rarely think of ourselves asunethical, unethical behaviour, howev-er unconsciously or unintentionally,occurs frequently. This article willexplore that disconnect and make youaware of several potentially significant

costs of even unintentional unethicalbehaviour. Then, we’ll look at someimportant tools for how you can moreeffectively spot frequently overlookedethical challenges on the job.

THE BOTTOM-LINE OF ETHICSWe often think of ethics as a kind of“Kumbaya” feel-good topic and forgetthat ethics problems can represent aserious risk to our bottom-line.Research across a wide array of indus-tries by the Association of CertifiedFraud Examiners suggests that as muchas five to seven per cent of your bottom

line is being lost each year to ethics-related problems.

There is a long list of such problems,but primary among them are: asset mis-allocation (including everything fromraiding the petty cash or supplies draw-er, to outright embezzlement); flawedor ignored contracts; and inaccuratetimesheets.

The biggest ethics-related cost,though, is the amount of money yourorganization never even sees because aclient, a potential client, or referralsource sees or hears something aboutyour organization that they don’t

ETHICAL ISSUESETHICAL ISSUES“But everybody does it!”

By Christopher Bauer

EVEN GOOD PEOPLE CAN GET THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMPANIES INTO TROUBLEETHICALLY AND LEGALLY WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST INTENTION OF DOING SO


believe is ethical; they won’t do busi-ness with you as a result!

This is where most meeting andevent planners can expect to experiencetheir greatest financial impact. Howyou make decisions around criticalevent planning issues such as dealingwith perks, receiving gifts or acceptingcontroversial sponsorships, can unwit-tingly alienate existing and potentialcustomers and referral sources alike.

PINNING DOWN THE ETHICAL LINE Most of us are raised with the notionthat ethics are all about rules. In fact,ethical choices are about what we dowith the rules. In other words, ethicsare about the underlying values andmandates that rules bring to life.

For example, most industries haveexplicit policies about gifts that can begiven to, or accepted from, vendors.Meeting industry professionals have totry to navigate these rules daily to avoidboth legal and ethical issues.

Most people do not fully appreciatethat these rules are in place to preventundue influence and conflict of inter-est. Without this fundamental under-standing, there are myriad ways peoplecan follow the rules to the letter andstill be engaged in some kind of ethicalissue. This is precisely where ethics live– in those underlying grey areas hover-ing around rules and policies.

If you find yourself saying, “Don’tworry, this is legal,” take an immediatestep back and think about whether ornot your planned behaviour is also ethi-cal. Remember, something can beentirely legal but still be unethical.

Think about the values you and yourbusiness uphold; do your actions fullyrepresent and underscore those values?

If the answer is “No,” that’s a sure signthat you need to rethink your decision.When your actions are out of alignmentwith your stated values, there’s an ethi-cal challenge you’ve missed.

You need to draw the ethical line atany point where your behaviour is outof alignment with the values you sayyou have. Take this one step further toinclude actions that could be perceivedby others to be out of alignment withyour values.

SHOULDN’T IT BE OBVIOUS?Here’s the funny/vexing/important thingabout ethics – there are rarely right orwrong answers. If there is a clear, obviouscorrect way to do something, chances areyou’re talking about compliance with arule or a moral issue where you havetaken a stand based on belief or convic-tion. Ethics, on the other hand, are sooften about the grey areas where onemight reasonably argue a variety of waysand make good points from all angles.

For example, who gets travel perks:the person booking the trip or the trav-eller? Doesn’t the person creating anevent have good reasons to fund thatevent as fully as possible? And, don’tevent attendees also have valid reasonsto not welcome support from certainsponsors?

These types of ethical dilemmas canget messy in a hurry if you don’t havesome ideas about how to think yourway past the duelling arguments theseissues bring to the table.

VALUES WITHIN YOUR VALUESLet’s talk about two powerful ways tolisten and think your way throughsome often-complex ethical issues.

One of the easiest ways to spot an

ethics issue is to notice when youractions don’t align with your stated val-ues. That is presuming, of course, thatyou are absolutely clear about what yourcore values are. If you are unclear, onegreat solution is an appropriately writ-ten and implemented values statement.

A frequent problem with valuesstatements is that they are often onlypublic relations-type documents. Tocreate a truly effective values statement,you’ll need to take a deep-dive touncover your most important and per-sistent priorities when making deci-sions. Those most important, most per-sistent priorities then become the coreof your values statement.

You will know you’ve got solid astatement of your core values whenthree things have occurred:

• Your values statements will allow youor any of your employees to know,immediately, whether any behaviour is,or is not, aligned with the values yousay you have.

• When you aren’t sure how to make adecision, your values statement willprovide guidance. Since ethical ques-tions rarely have one absolute right orwrong answer, your values statementwill help you know exactly what youneed to consider to make the best possi-ble decision within the given circum-stances.

• Your customers can clearly see thatyour decisions are guided all day andevery day by your articulated values.

If you’re going to write or rewritevalues statements, commit to doing thetough work it requires to do it correctly.Incomplete or poorly written valuesstatements are a dangerous thing.Remember, it’s supposed to be gettingyour entire organization onto the same

MOST ETHICS PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY OTHERWISE WONDERFUL


sled, so it had better be the right sled! Ifyou run into a snag, don’t be afraid toget help from an ethics consultant.

THE VOICES IN YOUR HEADThis sounds a little crazy, but here is afairly short list of rationalizations wetell ourselves when we are about to dosomething that’s unethical. If you donothing more than listen for theserationalizing voices in your head, you’llgo a long way to helping yourself quick-ly discern when your behaviour is outof alignment with your values.

“I’m owed more than I’m getting.” Risk: You might be prone to take

something for yourself that isn’t actual-ly supposed to be yours.

“That was a close one!” Risk: If you are worried that some-

one might have caught you doingsomething it probably wasn’t some-thing good!

“It’s such a small thing, what’s thebig deal?”

Risk: What’s small for us could behuge for another stakeholder; if we everfind out at all, it’s usually after the dam-age is done.

“Everybody else does it!” Risk: Just because everyone else does

it, does not make it right! A lot of peo-ple do things they shouldn’t. Get clearabout what is and isn’t acceptablebehaviour to you. Once you’re clear, itreally doesn’t matter if people are doingit differently. Each of us has to act inaccordance with our stated values and,of course, the law.

“That’s the way we’ve always done itaround here.”

Risk: Are you doing this because youknow it’s right, or simply because it’s ahabit? Learn to discern the difference!

“Just this once.” Risk: Well, no, it almost certainly

won’t be. We all know that once youstep over the line, it gets easier to do itagain and again. That doesn’t meanthere isn’t a time when we can stop our-selves but it’s a whole lot easier if youdon’t start.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?You’re a good person. Yet, even goodpeople can get themselves and theircompanies into trouble ethically andlegally without the slightest intentionof doing so. In fact, most ethics prob-

lems are caused by otherwise wonderfulpeople who miss entirely that an ethicalissue is before them, or they don’t knowhow to handle the situation correctly.

If you think you need some helpsorting this out, there’s no need to go italone. There are a number of expertsout there who can help you put a moreeffective approach to ethics into prac-tice. It’s a rewarding investment, notjust because you know you’ll be work-ing in an ethical manner, but alsobecause of the very real dollars andcents you will add to your bottom line.SOI

PEOPLE WHO MISS ENTIRELY THAT AN ETHICAL ISSUE IS BEFORE THEM

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TED Talk Formats: The Debate RagesThe advantages and disadvantages of the popular TED format debated by two skilledpresenters who are well versed with this format:

Deri Latimer, BMgt, CSP vs Sid Ridgley, MBA, CSP

ON THE OTHER HAND

TED is a brain-friendly choice for your nextlearning event. You are able to keep your Tim-ing tight, your Emotion engaged and Distrac-tion disrupted.Timing: Timing is everything. Keeping your

program engaging, entertaining and educa-tional is key to your success, and to your dele-

gates’ delight. TED Talks’ “under 20-minute” format means youcan create a program your delegates can digest in bite-sizedchunks. Anyone who has sat through a 90-minute universitylecture knows that your ability to absorb, much less remember,what you are learning in that time segment is limited. You, oryour brain at least, will have “left the building” multiple times.Planning shorter speaking segments means you can build inbrain-friendly activities for your delegates to talk about the ideajust shared.Emotion: TED Talks challenge the speaker to create an expe-

rience that is poignant, purposeful and punchy. Great speakersknow that creating an emotional connection is what separatesspectacular presentations from those that are just so-so. Theemotional connection is also exactly what makes a TED Talksomething “worth sharing.” When you choose this format, youwill also select skilled professional speakers who are able to dis-till even very complex matters into tasty tidbits that are goingto stick in your delegates’ minds and hearts. Distraction: You know your delegates arrive at your event

connected to all sorts of devices that are vying for their atten-tion. Distraction is more likely to occur when learning segmentsare longer, rather than shorter. With a TED format, your speak-ers are tasked to ensure that the idea being communicated isdone so in a succinct and efficient manner. It is exactly this tightparameter that inspires creativity, while also minimizing learnerdistraction. Having delivered a TED Talk personally in 2013(Choose Life), I know the experience changed me as a speaker…for the better. It is indeed more challenging to create a mean-ingful, motivational and memorable experience that is specifi-cally designed with the learner’s mind in mind. SOI

TED Talks is fast-food delivery of informationand ideas. A TED presenter is required to fit(some might say force fit) their message into aspecific format.Shortfall #1: The subject matter is subordi-

nated to the TED Talk criteria. All presentationsbenefit from having a well-honed and focused

core message, but 18 minutes just simply isn’t enough time topresent it. A study of TED Talks (available online) reveals thereare many opportunities for TED Talk presenters to refine theirpresentations to make them more complete and self-contained.Shortfall #2: Length isn’t everything and, in many cases, it

may not be anything! It is not the length of a presentation thatinfluences and inspires audiences; it is providing relevant, inter-esting content coupled with professional delivery. There arewonderful presenters who can keep an audience engaged,entertained and enthralled for hours while others have audi-ences begging for mercy after only five minutes. A fixed-lengthpresentation is just a format, not a guarantee of an effective one!Shortfall #3: An excellent TED presentation doesn’t guaran-

tee a speaker will be a great keynoter, seminar leader or work-shop facilitator. Using a speaker’s TED presentation as your pri-mary criterion for selecting speakers for your event is risky. Theskills required to present a session involving audience participa-tion are quite different from those required to deliver a well-rehearsed, one-way presentation.Shortfall #4: Content, as brilliant as it may be, is more likely

to be acted upon when audience members actively engagewith it. The TED format does not allow for audience interactionand exploration of content. If there is a desire to have a presen-tation that generates some sort of change, simply listening to aspeaker is not sufficient.Although the TED format is currently popular, it is just one of

many. My hope is that meeting planners will continue to bedriven by achieving client outcomes as their most important cri-teria for designing effective meetings, and not be seduced bythe popularity of one particular format. SOI

Deri Latimer, CSP, is a TEDx speaker and author. She combines a business degreewith more than 20 years experience engaging audience like yours to create positive,productive and prosperous places for people to work and live.• www.derilatimer.com

Sid Ridgley simplifies the complexities of people and organizational developmentwhen leaders want to create collaborative organizations that are customer- andemployee-centric.• www.sidridgley.com

On the one hand… On the other hand…


hat do you do when a com-mittee is heading in thewrong direction with atheme or entertainment idea

that you know is going to be a flop? How doyou sell a new idea, and convince the othersthat their idea may not be the best choice?Making sure that your event’s theme

fits your target audience is key to a suc-cessful experience. So, what happenswhen, as a speaker or planner, you’recalled in to listen as they explain whatthey are thinking and your gut and mindare screaming – NO, NO, NO?My business partner used to say, “Don’t

come to me with a problem, come to mewith a solution.” It’s no good to simplypoint out that you don’t think this willwork without having something to backup that opinion and, more importantly, analternative. You have to wow them and getthem to change their minds. That’s when you realize that we are all

in sales. Persuading a committee that hasinvested substantial energy and musteredup considerable enthusiasm for a theme,will not be easy. It’s like turning an oceanliner around; it can be done, but it won’tbe quick or easy. I put out a call to event planners to

pick their brains on how they’ve had todefuse what could potentially be a clientalienating issue. When you need to handle situations

like these and want to avoid alienatingothers, Marc Wilson of MWD Lifestylessuggests less is more. “Avoid changingthe entire event as these people havealready invested a lot in putting theirideas together,” he says. “By incorporat-

ing some of their original ideas you instilla sense of ownership and camaraderiewhich results in less resistance and moresupport.”Sandy Geroux from WOWplace agrees.

She recalls a situation where she was con-vinced changes needed to be made. “Onceyou become absolutely convinced, youmust become absolutely convincing!” shesays. “Because I was more convinced mypositive plan would work than they wereconvinced that it wouldn’t, I persisted bylisting all the benefits of my plan for them asthe organizers and for the audience. At theend of the event, everyone was on theirfeet cheering, clapping, whistling – exactlywhat anyone who runs events wants tohave happen. The nay-sayers thanked mefor sticking to my convictions.” Jeffrey Cesari of Shimmer Events says

that he had to stop being politically cor-rect, take the lead and tell a group thatsome ideas were bad and were not goingto work. He was working with a shoe-string budget and clients with “cham-pagne” dreams. By building the relation-ship on honesty, he gained their trust.The event was their best ever! In Richard O’Malley’s (theomalleypro-

ject.com) experience, when a committeegets off on a tangent, you need to come atit in a non-obvious way. “Don’t give thema judgmental line,” he says. “Let themknow how others have done it recently orthat the logistics just simply do not work.In creative discussions, it is hard to quanti-fy ‘good,’ so go to logical areas where con-sensus can be reached more easily.”Something that seems to be so obvi-

ous, but happens more often than it

should is, “Do you want to make an amaz-ing experience for a few or a watereddown experience for many?” Skimping onthe experience could degrade the brand,so opt for a small, high-end event. In myexample, we handpicked attendees bysending 100 custom-made, 3D elegantinvitations with a bit of mystery and one-half of a gift included. We got the resultswe wanted.Harris Schanhaut, Excellence in Event

Effectiveness, says to ensure the theme isappropriate and connects with the audi-ence. Greg Jenkins, Bravo Productions,suggests brainstorming the event by cre-ating a few sketches to summarize theevent without using words. He remembersbeing involved with one committee thatwas creating an event with a 60s theme.Most of the attendees were born in the1980s. The event flopped because therewas no connection to the guests. “If youhave to explain the theme after guestswalk into the room, it’s a flop,” he says.In summary, step up, be a leader, for-

get being politically correct and focus onthe desired outcomes. In the end, thecommittee members will only rememberthe accolades and standing ovation.Sometimes the destination is worth theoccasionally torturous journey to a want-ed result. Most people will regret not fol-lowing their gut instinct. If you don’twant to be one of them, you must bebrave and stand up for what you believe.SOI

Patti is a small business salescoach who helps entrepre-neurs sell faster and moreeffectively while becomingmore confident in the valuethat they provide to theirclients.

• www.SmallBizSalesCoach.ca

ASK THE EXPERTBy Patti Pokorchak, MBA

Helping Misguided EventPlanning CommitteesBe the pilot who steers an event into a great harbour

W


Speaking of

Imagine a network of meeting venues stretching coast tocoast, each with accommodations, catering, meetingspaces that are as varied in size and décor as in the num-ber of available seats, helpful planners on staff, and an

atmosphere of focus and contemplation without the dis-tractions of families on vacation complete with childrenand pets or the 250 people who’ve assembled for theSmith/Jones wedding.

Such a chain of meeting havens has existed for decades– universities and colleges. They come equipped witheverything you might need for a successful meeting; stu-dents spend years at such places contemplating life, grow-ing their minds, discovering their future and sharing thesetreasures with other like-minded people. One would thinkmarrying the corporate or association meeting plan with auniversity or college environment would be a sure thing or,to borrow a basketball metaphor, a slam dunk.

Perhaps it’s our desire to hold meetings on mountaintops, or in dense jungles, or under the sea, or in a remotelodge in the wilderness that keeps us from seeing thepotential that exists in collegial surroundings. We like tothink that our intentions are good, but it’s easy to miss thelesson while you’re whale watching off the coast of B.C.And, in the final analysis, are we scheduling these exotic

events with an end result in mind or simply to attractattendees and generate a social media buzz?

As one planner puts it, “We’ve been upping the ante foryears. Basically, for a repeat client, we’re selling a meetingidea to the same attendees as last year and, if we gave themwhale watching last year, what’ll we do for an encore?”

Before you conclude that the university or college alter-native to a luxury resort meeting is a musty old campuswith monk-like cells and institutional food, consider whatthese centres of learning have to do to attract students.Marketing educational institutions is no easy feat and, inmajor centres where dozens of universities exist in thesame space, the pressure to bring clients to their door canbe as intense for marketers as Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola.

ENTER CUCCOAIf one subscribes to the theory of strength in numbers, theCanadian University and College Conference OrganizersAssociation (CUCCOA) has an impressive roster of univer-sities and colleges that hail from Victoria to St. John’s andeverywhere in between – an eclectic mix of more than 80institutions that offer conference and events services tovarying degrees based on their size and proximity to majorcentres.

Colleges and Universities By Stan Michalak

When Meetings Become AcademicSolutions for meeting planners are only as far away as the nearest university or college

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Assisting members with professional development, net-working and shared resources were the basic needs onwhich CUCCOA was founded in 1978 when a group ofconference organizers recognized that a national associa-tion that provided these things would one day have anational voice and identity. Current CUCCOA president,Ruth Harland, says the fundamental question facing mem-bers hasn’t really changed in 30 years.

“How do we promote the fact that we have all of thisavailable space and resources, especially in the summer?”she asks.

Public perception also remains one of the biggest chal-lenges. A good way to address old myths and fight mis-per-ception, says Harland, is to engage the community, not justthe student body.

“Once you involve your community in an event that’slarger than any downtown hotel can handle, you showpeople what you can do, what the university is capable of,”she says. “Then, when you’re talking to a group [client],you can cite those examples and, each time you succeed,you’re building credibility.”

Harland says having a full-circle network within thecommunity of hotels, resorts, public attractions andtourism organizations is a tremendous advantage. And, shesays the CUCCOA organization itself is also an eclectic col-lection of resources.

“For example, if you want to provide a green meeting,you can’t beat B.C. for that, so a CUCCOA college in NovaScotia might look to a B.C. member to provide informationon what has worked for them in the past,” she says.

Last, but not least, on the roster of challenges facinguniversity and college conference services is resources, orthe lack thereof. Conference services is an additional rev-

enue stream for any university or college, but the adminis-tration must be convinced with a solid business case thatany outlay for additional housing, catering or technicalrequirements are investments that will pay off.

In the final analysis, nothing succeeds like success. Har-land says successful events, of which any administrationcan be proud, are the proof required to battle myths andpreconceived notions about what university and collegeconference services can provide, given the chance.

Three of CUCCOA’s members face these challenges on adaily basis. The University of Toronto Scarborough, OldsCollege in Olds, Alberta, and Dalhousie University in Hali-fax have each developed a roster of methods to addresstheir unique markets.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCARBOROUGHThe U of T Scarborough campus sits at the apex of horse-shoe-shaped Highland Creek, a suburban parkland in theheart of Scarborough. Even though the campus is part ofthe eastern GTA, the green space is a kind of “urban oasis.”

“Right now I’m looking out my window at a forest.Around five o’clock, a little herd of deer will go by. It hap-pens every day,” says Deborah Hahn, assistant director ofretail and conference services.

As part of one of the oldest and largest universities inCanada, U of T Scarborough, as a satellite campus, is aslarge or larger than many stand-alone universities in otherCanadian centres. However, as many will argue, it’s notabout size; it’s about perception. Marketing to the meetingsindustry is all about being competitive: offering as manyoptions as possible for clients who are looking for specificexperiences while correcting misperceptions about whatthey’ll find on a university campus. And, doing it all with

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competitive pricing models that routinely outperform tra-ditional meeting venues.

“We have a 100-year old heritage home that has beenupdated for groups of up to 60 people that’s deep in thevalley surrounded by trees, and it’s a part of the U of TScarborough, but you wouldn’t know it,” says Hahn. “Wealso have ultra-modern facilities with all of the state-of-the-art equipment you’d need. We have a good mix.”

Having just celebrated its 50th anniversary, Scarboroughis the youngest satellite of the University of Toronto. Aspart of the U of T family, it works with the downtown cam-pus to provide meeting space depending on the needs andsize of the client. The cooperation extends beyond the uni-versity circle to the entire Toronto region resulting in myri-ad opportunities for meeting delegates to experience a vari-ety of off-site activities. Hahn continues, “There are somany things to do that are just 30 minutes or less fromcampus: the Toronto Zoo, Canada’s Wonderland, Ripley’sAquarium, that we could put together an entertainmentpackage for any client.”

In 2013, the university celebrated the 100th anniver-sary of its heritage home, Miller Lash House, and assistedthe Highland Creek Heritage Festival to stage a summerfair that attracted more than 1,500 people who had nevervisited but who live within a five-mile radius of the uni-versity. It was the litmus test that proved U of T Scarbor-ough conference services was fully capable of staging andmanaging events in concert with other university depart-ments such as catering, printing and public relations.

“What we did is create standards that were not in placebefore, update older policies and obtain everyone’s buy-into support our efforts,” says Hahn. “We now have a logis-tics infrastructure that works.”

This July, the Pan-Am Games come to Toronto. Howmuch spin-off business from nearby sporting venues willgo to the U of T Scarborough remains to be seen, but therewill likely be plenty to keep conference services busy.

Future challenges will include how much space the uni-versity can commit to meetings and events (a new confer-ence centre is in future plans), accommodation (a new res-idence is in the design stage), and the need to stay on topof the kind of technology that planners may need to satis-fy their clients (teleconferencing, remote access, etc.).

OLDS COLLEGEAbout 90 kilometres north of Calgary is the community ofOlds, Alberta – population 8,617. You might pass by onyour way to Red Deer or Edmonton unless you know thegem that lies on the town’s east edge – Olds College.

Founded more than 100 years ago, Olds College offersagricultural, animal sciences and horticultural programswhile providing a unique venue for meeting and eventclients. Kerry Moynihan, the director of guest experienceat Olds, suggests clients can choose from a variety ofaccommodations based on their needs and their budget.

“If you want to stay at a four-star hotel, there’s thePomeroy Inn & Suites,” says Moynihan. “Then there’s thebrand new Centennial Village, a $35-million developmentwhich opens this fall and has space for 450 in individualrooms with private bathrooms. Or, you can stay in ourtownhouses.”

For the truly hardy, there’s also camping available onsite. Moynihan stresses that the rural setting is not a reflec-tion of the services they can offer meeting planners whoare accustomed to a certain level of technology.

“We have Internet delivered at one of the highest

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speeds in Canada – 1 GB service on campus,” he says.Clients can choose from many different meeting roomoptions from lecture halls to outdoor amphitheatres, butit’s the type of programs that the college provides to stu-dents that gives it a unique flavour – one which providesa rather unique shopping list of activities for meetingattendees.

In addition to the livestock one would expect to find atan agriculturally-centred college, Olds has wetlands, abotanic garden, a national meat facility with retail storeand a brewery. Moynihan says these elements provide dele-gates with one-of-a-kind experiences.

“Do you want a beer-tasting experience at our brewery?Do you want to go on a farm tour or learn about treatmentwetlands or horticulture? We use the assets of the college tocreate guest experiences,” he says. “We push well above ourweight for an institution of only 1,500 students,” assertsMoynihan. “We have a good agriculture reputation andthat attracts business. We also get a lot of attention fromgovernment and associations.”

Perhaps the one factor that separates Olds College fromother institutions in Canada is the relationship amongconference services, the college’s administration and thefacilities that provide accommodations and catering.Rather than having to endlessly plead his case to theadministration that conferences and events are good rev-enue sources, Moynihan says the administration is alreadyon board, particularly at a time when Alberta’s gas-firedeconomy is tightening.

“We have to be very entrepreneurial and private-sectororiented,” he says. “We’ve added resources to our confer-ence services to go out and generate more business andmore revenue for the college.”

To add to this business mentality, Olds College nolonger owns any of the accommodations on campus. Theresidences all fall under the College Housing Olds Co.(CHOC) which designs, builds, finances and runs the vari-ous facilities.

“We have to provide them [CHOC] a guarantee of 60per cent occupancy of all the rooms over the course of ayear, otherwise there are penalties,” explains Moynihan.“It’s in our financial best interest to make sure that we’resold out.”

Moynihan goes on to say that rather than severaldepartments running under one umbrella, Olds College isa series of partnerships on campus who share in the bene-fits of each working to support the other. It’s a businessmodel that is rare among Canadian universities.

According to Moynihan, transportation can still be awrinkle in an otherwise seamless meeting plan. While trav-elling to Olds is no problem for anyone with a vehicle,moving large numbers of delegates means that a shuttleservice has to be mustered. Moynihan says transportationbecomes a cost factor which has to be added to the overallmeeting or event plan.

If that’s the biggest challenge Olds College has to facenow and in the future, it is certainly ahead of the game.

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITYTruly an urban campus, Dalhousie University spans thewidth of Halifax, putting every major attraction in theNova Scotia capital city in the university’s sphere. Confer-ence sales manager, Natalie Gibbs, says the connectionbetween the university, one of Canada’s oldest, and thehistoric port city is the raison d’être that attracts confer-ence business.

“I feel Dalhousie’s reputation pulls in those clients whowant to connect their event to excellence, innovation andleading-edge research that spans multiple disciplines,” shesays. “Together with partners including Destination Hali-fax, the Halifax Convention Centre and Greater HalifaxPartnership, we offer an experience that connects partici-pants with the city.”

Attracting conference business starts with a conversa-tion. According to Gibbs, that conversation begins whenthe client drills down to the purpose of an event and out-lines what delegates are expected to take away from it. Shebelieves that matching the intent and content of a meetingto a suitable venue should be the critical factor determin-ing where that meeting is held.

“If an event needs to be held on a mountain top, then itshould be held on a mountain top,” says Gibbs with achuckle. “When clients seek the right fit for the content oroverall purpose of their event, many find that universitieslike Dalhousie are a great option.”

Gibbs says her conference service team members haveenjoyed repeated success thanks to their diverse back-grounds from both the public and private sectors, and theirability to work together to support major events. A goodexample is Dalhousie’s Open House, an annual, university-wide initiative that welcomes prospective students andtheir families to spend a day touring the campus. Whilegiving her team credit, Gibbs admits there were hard les-sons along the way. For example, she learned to neverassume what a client was looking for.

“Now, I take the time, every time, to ask the importantquestions around the intention and outcome of theirevent,” she says. “I’ve quickly learned the differencebetween anticipate and assume.”

There is no denying the thread that links Dalhousie andHalifax with Canada and the world – tourism. Other cen-tres only dream of having the kind of tourism magnet thatsends its beams out from the town clock on Citadel Hill.

“The tourism sector has changed dramatically,” saysGibbs. “There are more choices not only in Halifax butworldwide. Our challenge is to develop new ways to be top-of-mind. We need to leverage our potential and partner-ships to continue to bring conferences here.”

Another challenge Gibbs cites is the myth that universi-ty food is institutional. As venues have evolved to meetchanging needs, so too has the food on offer. Dalhousie(and other universities and colleges across Canada) pullsout the stops to provide top-of-the-line catering and foodthat is not only tasty but responsible.

“Dalhousie food services offers clients tasty, nutritious,well-balanced meals. They are rock stars of the sustainablefood movement offering local, sustainably- and ethically-produced food,” she says.

If you will excuse the food metaphor, the lesson learnedfrom this spotlight on academic venues is that universitiesand colleges remain poised and ready to accommodate anyvariety of meeting tastes. SOI

SUPPLEMENT


Stan Michalak is the creative director of Cutting Edge Com-munications, publisher of Speaking of IMPACT magazine.• www.cecommunications.ca

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DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY1233 LeMarchant Street

Halifax, NS B3H 4R2902-494-8876 / 1-855-306-3933

[email protected]/meet

GEORGIAN COLLEGE1 Georgian Drive

Barrie, ON L4M 3X9705-722-5120

[email protected]

OLDS COLLEGE4500 50th Street

Olds, AB T4H 1R6403-556-8330

[email protected]

U of T SCARBOROUGH1265 Military Trail

Toronto, ON M1C 1A4416-208 2989

[email protected]/~facilities/

conference services

/StayAtDal @StayAtDal

/olds.college @oldscollege

CONFERENCE & EVENT SERVICES

CONFERENCE & EVENT SERVICES

RETAIL & CONFERENCE SERVICES

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SPEAKING OF ROI

hen designing events that include out-of-town par-ticipants, most organizers want to squeeze as muchvalue from their attendees’ time as possible. Thisoften means arranging for programming outside

the traditional meeting environment. To do so successfullyrequires knowing your options, knowing your client and choos-ing the options that will provide the greatest value.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONSContact the local board of trade, chamber of commerce ortourism department. They will generally have someone who willmeet with you to show off what their city or town has to offer.Standard options are likely to include city tours, historical site vis-its, unique dining opportunities, concerts/sports events, universi-ty/research focused visits, etc.Contact board members of local meeting-focused associations

(MPI, CAPS, ADMEI, CAEM, CanSPEP, ISES, PCMA, etc.) to seewhat non-traditional “extras” they have tried successfully. If you have a large group of out-of-town attendees from a par-

ticular country, contact a local association that offers business orsocial connections for visitors or new Canadians from that coun-try. They can provide helpful ideas about what might be of inter-est to your group.Explore the lobbies of major hotels, airports and ferry termi-

nals to see what brochures of local attractions are available – thencheck out a few.Review internationally focused tourism publications. Some-

times, planners are not aware of all the special possibilities intheir own backyards.

KNOW YOUR CLIENT/AUDIENCEBe very clear on the business objectives for your event. This willgive you important insight into what peripheral activities will sup-port and add value to it. Determine how success will be evaluatedwith respect to concrete, measurable outcomes as well as themore intangible aspects such as having enjoyable and memo-rable experiences together.I have seen too many meetings where event planners (internal

or external) found something that seemed like a fabulous idea (to

them) and sold their clients on its value. Unfortunately, it totallymissed the mark because of lack of sufficient understanding onthe part of the attendees. Taking animal rights conference partic-ipants to baby bull fights in Mexico isn’t a good idea. Rock climb-ing with a group of high-cholesterol, overweight and highly com-petitive executives – not so good, either, nor is having an all-meatBBQ for a group with a large percentage of hard-core vegetari-ans. On the other hand, taking senior executives from creditunions from all across the country on a tour of local cooperativeinitiatives is a great idea. So is having a group of internationalresearch professionals included in a meeting with technologytransfer specialists from several high-tech-oriented universities.Avoid long bus rides to off-site events such as dinners, visits to

local historical sites, performances or games. I have met very fewmeeting attendees (none, actually) who would agree that “thejourney is the reward” when it comes to these types of visits.Even if the trip is by helicopter, make it quick!Ensure that what you add to the meeting makes participants

feel even better about attending. One meeting I heard aboutincluded an all-terrain vehicle excursion for a board of directorsto help “build the team.” Not only could they not talk to eachother when bouncing their butts all over the mountainside, butwhen they were able to speak afterward, they were largely ques-tioning the wisdom and value of incorporating such an event. Itcast a shadow over the rest of the meeting.As for spouse/partner programming, do not assume all spous-

es/partners are women who enjoy shopping locally. It is increas-ingly common for accompanying spouses/partners to be men.Many men enjoy shopping; many women do not. In some indus-tries, the spouse is a key partner (formally or informally) in thebusiness, so sending them off on a “special” program may beexactly the wrong thing to do.Event planners should continue to be encouraged to develop

creative programming for out-of-town attendees – this is often anarea of key competitive advantage! However, when doing so,please keep in mind the three basic principles: know your audi-ence, know your options, and choose the options that are likelyto add the most value for your client. SOI

While You’re in theNeighbourhoodHaving a BBQ for an all-vegetarian crowd is probablynot a great idea for off-site entertainment

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David Gouthro, CSP, is afacilitator and consultant toprivate, public and not-for-profit organizations. He bal-ances a professional, sharply-focused mind with a playfulspirit.

• www.theconsultingedge.com

By David Gouthro, CSP


hether your event is for 20 people or 2,000, you willcertainly want to ensure that you get the most valuefrom your speakers. From the moment the bookingis confirmed, you and your speakers become a

team, working together to deliver a fabulous experience. Speakers have knowledge, gained through other events,

which could make the difference between a good and greatevent. Why not ask them to share their experiences? By involvingthem in the planning phase for the event, and learning from theirexperience, you can avoid pitfalls and capitalize on positivetrends. Your speakers will appreciate the opportunity to sharetheir expertise and to help make your event a great success!There may be differing points of view, so be sure to let the

speakers know that it will be up to you to decide which approachyou will ultimately use. Be sure to frame the conversation up-front by making your role clear; this will help to avoid controver-sy over your decisions later on.

PRE-EVENT PROMOTIONS Speakers are often asked to par-ticipate in pre-event teleseminars and webinars. What impact dothey have on audience registration/attendance? How do youengage your participants in the teleseminar/webinar? Do youallow Q&A? Do you make a replay available?

MEDIA INTERVIEWS Media exposure is expected to buildawareness and excitement for your event. Will speakers be avail-able for media interviews prior to the event? Which media havethe most interest? What press release content draws the mostattention? Who should issue press releases – the speakers or theevent organizer? What impact do media appearances have onregistration/attendance?

SOCIAL MEDIA There is a role for social media in engagingyour audience. Will speakers promote the event to their own fol-lowing (if appropriate)? Will speakers post on Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter, someplace else, on your company’s intranet or internalmessaging system? What impact will this have on registration/attendance? Do they invite the audience to “tweet” during theirpresentations? How does this impact audience engagement?

ROOM LAYOUT There are several room layout options. Whatworks best for the speakers so they can interact with the audience?Are tables required for writing? Will there be small group assign-ments? Will the room accommodate the recommended set up?

MUSIC Music is used to raise the energy of event attendees.What is the most popular musical backdrop for your audienceand type of event? Who will supply the music? Will speakers wantthe audience to dance? Will the room layout permit this?

SPEAKER INTRODUCTIONS Speaker introductions set thetone for their presentations. What works best for speakers interms of the length of introduction and content? (Be sure to getthe correct pronunciation of their name and their companyname.) “Voice of God” or emcee? Music? How do you create themost excitement?

AUDIO VISUAL TECHNOLOGY Regardless of the size of theaudience, audio visual technologies will be required. Do speakersprefer to use PowerPoint and a projector or are they moving toflip charts or other props? Do speakers prefer to stay on stage orwander into the audience? How does this impact audio, screenprojection and lighting?

HANDOUTS Speakers frequently offer audience hard copy/handout materials. When and how should handouts be distrib-uted? In the registration package? Set out on the seats? Distrib-uted during the presentation? If during the presentation, how doyou keep the audience’s attention? Have you tried “handoutmusic” to fill the silence?

PANEL DISCUSSIONS Panel discussions present a range ofperspectives. What makes for a lively panel discussion? Shouldspeakers participate? Moderate? What is the best use of Q&Atime allocation? Ask attendees to submit questions to the emcee?When would they be submitted – before the event or during thepresentation? Should you allow attendees to ask questions fromthe microphone?

CROWD MANAGEMENT Crowd management can be achallenge. How can you fill the front of the room with enthusias-tic attendees? Allow early entry or make the door opening amoment of drama? How do you get the audience to return quick-ly to their seats? Offer prizes or other rewards?

With the insights provided by your speakers, combined withyour own knowledge and expertise, you will be in a strongerposition to make the decisions that will ensure you have a greatevent. SOI

There’s Value in a Team

Leveraging speakers’ expertise before the meeting

W

EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

Anne Miner, bestsellingauthor and internationalspeaker, is a recognized cus-tomer relationship expert.Since 1987, Anne’s compa-ny, The Dunvegan Group,has helped B2B companiesmaximize business retentionand revenue growth.

• www.anneminer.com

By Anne Miner


CARTIER PLACE SUITE HOTEL

The hotel is honoured to be the winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013 and proudly holds a 3 Green Key Eco Rating. Located justminutes from Parliament Hill, this pet-friendly, all-suite hotel features spacious suites with fully equipped kitchens, separate living rooms and privatebalconies. Enjoy our indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, fitness room, children’s playroom and private outdoor patio with a playground. Be sure to savour thedelectable Italian cuisine of Café Mezzaluna. Visit www.suitedreams.com.

IMPACT PLAYERS

MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS PEI

Prince Edward Island, long celebrated for beautiful beaches, spectacular and dramatic coastlines, top golf and culinary experiences now offers the newwaterfront 50,000 sq.ft Prince Edward Island Convention Centre. Meetings & Conventions PEI is your complimentary service for all the Island has tooffer; from convention needs, accommodation searches, site selection assistance, proposal generation, pre/post activity planning and more. Ask aboutour exclusive FAM experiences or On Your Own Time FAMs. Visit peimc.com.

AJAX CONVENTION CENTRE

The Ajax Convention Centre is a world-class facility located on the Eastern edge of the Greater Toronto Area. With more than 9,000 square feet of flexi-ble clear-span meeting space, the Ajax Convention Centre can accommodate all types of events. In addition to the main event floor, smaller spaces areavailable for more intimate affairs. Full onsite catering is available with a variety of menu choices. Custom packages are also available to suit almostany budget. Visit www.ajaxconventioncentre.ca.

CONVENTIONS SASKATOON

Conventions Saskatoon provides first-class services to planners worldwide. We offer our support from start to finish including customized bids and host-ing site visits, to working with local organizations on building support. Saskatoon is a thriving, well-seasoned host city with an abundance of culturaldiversity and scientific achievements. With more than 800,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention space, we have the facilities, the people andthe passion to ensure your event is successful beyond bounds. For more information, please visit www.conventionssaskatoon.com.

PACIFIC NATIONAL EXHIBITION

Playland, The Fair, and Fright Nights are perfect locations for your next special event. You’ll have access to rides, attractions, catering, games and pri-vate eating areas, providing an unparalleled experience with the entertainment and activities built right in! Contact Group Sales to develop a customizedpackage to suit your team. Visit www.pne.ca, email [email protected] or phone 604-252-3585.

NITA LAKE LODGE

Exceptional. Intimate. Authentic. Experience a fresh take on classic Whistler luxury. Nestled on the shores of a glacier-fed lake in Whistler B.C., the NitaLake Lodge offers genuine service with a personal touch. Oversized suites, a full-service spa, and innovative local cuisine are just the beginning. Dis-cover why the Nita Lake Lodge is impossible to imitate. Named in the Top 25 Hotels in Canada by TripAdvisor, we proudly re-define upscale mountaincomfort all year long. Visit us at www.nitalakelodge.com.

NAVCENTRE

The NAVCENTRE is a self-contained, 650,000 square-foot facility with 50,000 square feet devoted to training, meeting and convention space. There are550 well-appointed guestrooms, suites and executive suites. In addition to three on-site food establishments, complete banqueting services are provid-ed for private functions. The NAVFIT fitness facility has a pool, gym, cardio/weight room and spa – our latest addition. The property sits on 72 acres ofland along the St. Lawrence River and features many outdoor attractions. Visit www.navcentre.ca.


RCMP HERITAGE CENTRE

“Dramatic!” “Stunning!” “Grand!” “Unique!” These are just a few of the words you will hear your guests utter if you host your next event at the RCMPHeritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. With it’s impressive wall of windows, the Heritage Room can accommodate up to 250 people, while our state-of-the-art boardroom can seat 20 people. We also invite your guests to enjoy free access to our exhibit galleries during daytime functions. For moreinformation, visit www.rcmpheritagecentre.com.

SILVERBIRCH HOTELS & RESORTS

SilverBirch Conference Centres are the most inspiring conference centres in Canada. Our distraction-free and ergonomically advanced facilities, withleading-edge technology and our personalized service and health-inspired innovative cuisine, guarantee a premier meeting experience with meaningfulresults. Our variety of All-Inclusive Meeting Packages are designed to make meeting planning stress-free, convenient and easy to budget. For moreinformation, visit www.bettermeetings.ca.

UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES

Dalhousie University • Halifax, NS • 902-494-8876 • [email protected] • www.dal.ca/meet

Georgian College • Barrie, ON • 705-722-5120 • [email protected] • www.meetatgeorgian.com

Olds College • Olds, AB • 403-556-8330 • [email protected] • www.oldscollege.ca

University of Toronto Scarborough • Toronto, ON • 416-208-2989 • [email protected] • www.utsc.utoronto

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

9 AJAX CONVENTION CENTRE www.ajaxconventioncentre.ca

IBC CARTIER PLACE SUITE HOTEL www.suitedreams.com

IFC CONVENTIONS SASKATOON www.conventionssaskatoon.com

8 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS PEI www.peimc.com

11 PACIFIC NATIONAL EXHIBITION www.pne.ca

12 NITA LAKE LODGE www.nitalakelodge.com

OBC NAVCENTRE www.navcentre.ca

15 RCMP HERITAGE CENTRE www.rcmpheritagecentre.com

5 SILVERBIRCH HOTELS & RESORTS www.bettermeetings.ca

25 UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES

IMPACT PLAYERS

ometimes the perfect word doesn’t yet exist to fullydescribe a certain phenomenon. For example, the cogni-tive scientist and philosopher, Dr. Daniel Dennett, coinedthe term “deepity” to explain something that sounds

intelligent and deeply meaningful on the surface, but is actuallyreally, really, really, um... not. One such deepity he suggests is thephrase, “There is no ‘I’ in team!” Yup. That’s true. So what? Thereisn’t a “we” or “us” either, Dennett points out, but if you recon-figure the letters, there is a “me” in team! (Now please head overto Facebook where you’ll be able to apply the term deepity toevery second posting.) The term deepity fills a much-needed void, which got me

thinking in a deepity kind of way, that there are perhaps termsmissing or terms that need reimagining in the meeting industrylexicon. You’re welcome. Meetiness: The degree to which a venue suits a meeting func-tion. For example, a spacious, well lit room with great sound andclear sightlines would have a high degree of meetiness, whereasJoe’s Opossum Bar n’ Grill, not so much. Meatiness: The degree to which the carnivorous meeting atten-dees will be pleased with the dinner buffet. Elevator Speech: The awkward conversation you make on theway to your hotel room with people you sort of know you’re sup-posed to know but don’t really know and you’re stuck with themnow in an awkwardly confined space and feeling extremely gassyafter sitting all day. Classic elevator speeches include, “Fourthfloor, lingerie,” “Nice shoes,” and “Hey.”Pillar Neck: The painful neck strain meeting participants experi-ence trying to see the speaker around one of the many strategi-cally placed pillars in a meeting room. Pillar Envy: When a speaker is so coma-inducing, meeting partic-ipants wish they were seated behind one of the strategicallyplaced pillars in a meeting room. Pillar Face: One of the many dangers associated with walkingwhile texting during meetings. Pillarity: What jokes about meeting room pillars create. Participhobia: The fear of being forced to participate in a speak-er’s stupid interactive exercise.

Meeting Panner: 1. Someone who hates meetings. 2. A meetingplanner who can’t pronounce their “ls”. Meet and Avoid: Like your typical meet and greet function, butfor introverts. Assimilate: To take in information or ideas while sitting on yourass all day. And no, I don’t mean donkey. And yes, this is a crazyway to learn anything. Wood Panelling: A really boring panel discussion.Table Centerpiece: The obnoxious guy at your table who won’tstop talking. Ed Talk: Like a Ted talk, only 1/3 shorter. Ted-X Talk: What happens when Ted has one too many drinks atthe open bar. Podium: When spoken slowly, how meeting participants fromthe deep south bill their travel expenses.FlowerPoint: A PowerPoint™ presentation that’s all style, no sub-stance. ShowerPoint: A PowerPoint™ presentation that drowns partici-pants with too much text. SourPoint: A really depressing PowerPoint™ presentation deliv-ered by a bitter speaker. HourPoint: A PowerPoint™ presentation that takes an hour tomake a point.Geaker: 1. A guest speaker. 2. A speaker who speaks on technology. Motivational Speaker: A speaker who specializes in deepities,including phrases such as: “The universe wants you to want whatyou want,” “You can be anything you want... as long as it’s not abird,” “You can get what you want from the universe as long asyou are in cosmic alignment with your soul’s quantum purposeand fuelled by the quantum passion of a thousand starlit pixies,”and, well... pretty much any sentence that includes the words“universe,” “quantum,” or “pixies.”

If there are any budding neologists out there who have a sug-gestion for a word to add to the meeting planner dictionary ofterms missing in action, please send them along to Mike [email protected]. SOI

Michael Kerr, CSP, HoF, islisted as one of Canada’smost in-demand speakers.Surf over to his website todiscover how to put humourto work for more success inyour organization.

• www.mikekerr.com

FUNNY BUSINESSBy Michael Kerr, CSP, HoF

Deepity Thoughts

What’s in a word? Well, there’s four letters, for a start

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rationalizing a speaker’s price tag

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