With a bevy of media in attendance, who will doubtless report back on the exceptional presenters at the EGF Conference on 21st July – in particular Britisher Roger Simons who, with outstanding professionalism, wowed audiences on both the Master Class as well as the conference itself.
There were also many more observations which are worthy of noting within the morning session.
PCOs to Spearhead Green Initiatives?
Several presenters were adamant that PCOs were the ones that should ensure that their clients were green compliant. If only all PCO’s undertook the same services for a standard client requirement. Between conceptual and logistical planning there is the range and depth of PCO abilities which on many occasions do not stretch to – even vaguely – the green issues.
Perhaps the call for PCOs to spearhead green initiatives would have had more credibility if it were not put forward by suppliers and consultants to the green industry who view PCOs as a possible gratis sales rep for their services. Whilst it appears there is a ‘choice’ of only one green certification – it is unlikely this one will fly.
SAACI CEO Sparkles at Facilitation
With all the latest technology in tweeting and various instant accesses and applications during a conference – a presenter has to be exceptionally competent to hold the audience’s attention, and the task of facilitating a panel of corporate individuals while involving the audience takes a different kind of skill.
Adriaan Liebetrau called upon the audience to give their ‘take’ on a few green issues while going to either the right, left or middle of the room dependent on their answers to each question. This type of facilitation was effective on many aspects
(1) the audience were involved in moving from one side of the room to the other
(2) instant participatory answers were possible while
(3) the process was unconfrontational.
With many of us having an attention span of barely five minutes even we could follow the process albeit not knowing our left from our right! Well done Adriaan despite almost being foisted with some last minute changes and a new name.
New Addition to Conference Programmes: ‘THE Filler Feature’
For more years than the industry cares to remember have we suffered with unpunctual government officials. Admittedly the higher up the ministerial food chain, the greater the tendency for officials to defy both traffic snarl-ups by arriving even before the appointed presentation time together with the obligatory layer of security ‘fuzz’.
So it is possible to have a general courtesy and respect for us tax-payers. It turns attendees into despondent folk when they have committed themselves to being on time, skip breakfast and drop the kids off early to wrangle the hectic traffic only to have to wait for sometimes well over 25 minutes into the programme to hear THE speech, leaving the remaining timing in tatters.
Turning a negative into a positive – it could become general practice if conference planners cushioned delegate despondency by having a ‘filler feature’ in case of late commencement. This feature could take many possible formats from, for example, a simple quiz to an entertaining presenter, who will understand the rules of this particular programme feature.
It will also allow officials to arrive at leisure, proceed with security to the appointed ‘holding room’, decide what to present, have some refreshments, put their feet up and generally freshen up before taking to the stage. It’s a thought worth considering.
Well done to Hackle Brooke for meeting the green requirements as befits a conference of this nature in particular.
