Seven ways to make a speaking event amazing

I've spoken at thousands of events, and attended many more. Some have been astounding, some average, but many head-shakingly dull. When the most memorable part of an event is the goody bag, it's time to consider ways to liven things up. Here are a few suggestions:

1) Give the people what they want. The fact that you have access to a number of speakers who share a particular expertise does not mean you should build an event round them. Listen to the chatter on social media, talk to your clients and find out what problems they are trying to solve. Then look for experts to deliver the solutions.

2) Encourage interaction. The days of asking audience members to turn off their mobile phones are long gone. They will use them anyway, so make it easy for them to share information round Twitter hashtags, on Facebook pages and in other online forums. They are the best advocates for your event.

3) Make a one-day event last three months. Start the chat on social media long before the event, and encourage it to continue long after. The event itself is merely a milestone on the journey.

4) Book speakers who get involved. Ideally, your speakers should be there for the whole event, mixing with the delegates. It provides more value for everyone, since the speakers get feedback and find out real concerns, and the delegates have more opportunities to get their questions answered.

5) Get the technology right Too many events are ruined by poor sound, video that doesn't play or presentations that don't work. It's the reason why rehearsal time is important, and the need for a strong liaison between organisers, A/V staff and speakers.

6) Copy the best There are are a number of models for speaking events, from Ted.com to Takahashi. Take elements from other styles and adapt them for your use.

7) Never settle for anything less than great. It's getting harder to get people to come to events. Make sure that every element of an event is as good as you can make it. The weakest link in the chain may be the thing that people remember, so always aim high.

Are you who you say you are?

Authenticty. It's a word used by a lot of people in the speaking world, but it seems to have a variety of interpretations. I think it's about being clear and honest, and behaving in the same way that you speak about. For example, I believe that one sign of authenticity is using your own stories. Another is being honest about your qualifications and experience. It's also to do with having experience in the field of expertise you talk about. Most importantly, it's about never making a claim to be something that you are not:

Being authentic on stage is very important. You are creating a bond of trust with your audience and taking them on a journey with you. They need to believe that you are a trustworthy guide who will offer them insights and techniques to help them in future. You can demonstrate your authenticity in many ways. Here are a few ideas.

- Conduct your own research and present the results as summaries and case studies

- Show pictures and videos that you have taken to illustrate your message

- Relate your experiences both recently and some years ago, and show how the same point still applies

- Discuss collaborations with fellow experts

- Use your experience to solve problems posed by audience members as questions

- Consider a masterclass-style presentation, working with one or two audience members as a demonstration

- Refer to the work of other experts, and indicate how and why you agree or differ

Finally, make sure that you "walk the talk" offstage as well as on. If your topic is time management, make sure you are never late or in a hurry. If you talk about teamwork, work with a team. If you are a communication expert, keep your messages simple. It's all about authenticity.

My FIFA Manifesto #honestal

I've given it some serious thought, and I've decided to put my name forward for FIFA President, just in time for the election. I would welcome your support.

My reason for standing

If you're reading this, you already know the reason.

My strategy

To persuade 156 member nations of FIFA to call for an election postponement, to allow for a period of reflection (and for me to campaign, obviously)

My Qualifications and Experience

I'm already President of a Global Body (The Global Speakers Federation) with 6,000 members worldwide.

I travel extensively, and understand global issues.

I'm an author of several books on media and PR, and know how to deal with the press in a diplomatic and helpful way.

I've been watching football for over 50 years, and since I'm a Fulham fan, know how to deal with failure and moderate success.

My Manifesto

Here is my seven-point plan to restore the credibility of FIFA

1) Immediate postponement of presidential elections for three months

2) All member nations to have one vote in future presidential elections

3) The entire FIFA board to resign, pending elections in three month's time

4) An interim committee to run FIFA to be appointed, consisting of Franz Beckenbauer, David Beckham and Pele.

5) Awards of 2018 and 2022 World cups to be rescinded and voted for in six months time on the basis of one nation, one vote.

6) All FIFA Board meetings to be held in public, and live-streamed online

7) An independent body to be set up to oversee ethical issues and deal with complaints


How you can help

Thanks for reading.

Simply tweet or re-tweet a link to this blog, using the tag #honestal

Thanks again,

Alan Stevens

FIFA - the castle crumbles

The goings-on at FIFA, the headquarters of world football, are beyond parody. As I write this, Sepp Blatter is due to be elected unopposed for another four years, with his only rival, Mohamed Bin Hammam, suspended pending an investigation of bribery allegations. Jack Warner, the longest-serving member of the executive, has also been suspended, and is now threatening to make allegations against Blatter himself.

Asked about the FIFA crisis at yesterday's press conference, Blatter said “What is a crisis? Football is not in a crisis. When you see the final of the Champions League then you must applaud. So we are not in a crisis, we are only in some difficulties.” Clearly he'd either been listening to Supertramp's fourth album, or the (alleged) remarks of Labour PM Jim Callaghan in 1979 (though Callaghan never uttered those precise words). Whatever the "inspiration" for his words, Blatter's stonewalling and denial of reality is breathtaking. An Australian politician, Nick Xenophon, has compared him to Monty Python's Black Knight, laying on the ground, all limbs hacked off, saying "It's just a flesh wound"

Jack Warner has revealed an email to him from FIFA Secretary-General, Jerome Valcke, Here's an extract "For MBH, I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express much he does not like anymore JSB. Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC." (MBH is Mohamed Bin Hammam, and WC is the World Cup).

But now we could be seeing the end game. Fifa’s major sponsors Coca-Cola and Adidas have become nervous, and are calling the position at FIFA “damaging and distressing”. Perhaps Sepp Blatter should give Tiger Woods a call to find out how to react to sponsors closing their wallets and looking for the exit door.

The castle is crumbling, but the king has his fingers in his ears and is singing "ni-ni-ni"

The Media Coach Radio Show 20th May 2011

Featuring an interview with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and music from Mick Terry.

Bread, Wine and Wifi

I travel a great deal, as do many of us these days. On my recent trips, I've been thinking what makes me happy when I arrive. I'm a man of simple tastes, so I've narrowed it down to just a few things. Obviously, I need somewhere to stay (ideally with a shower that my six foot three frame can stand under). I like a nice comfortable bed too, and a room that's in the quiet part of the hotel.

But there are three things that really make travel a good experience for me:

1) Bread

Just bread? Well ideally a bit of cheese or ham too, or maybe even a salad. It's not what the food is, it's whether it's available. Airline food, despite all the marketing to the contrary, and the involvement of celebrity chefs, is still pretty grim. When I arrive in a hotel at 1am local time, my body clock may still say 4pm. I'm hungry. One of the worst things to hear is "The restaurant is closed right now, and room service is finished too. There are some snacks in the minibar." A packet of peanuts is not what I'm looking for. Many hotels do have 24-hour room service, but I've often dropped off to sleep in the 40 minutes between order and arrival. If some hotel chain offered an instant 24-hour cheese sandwich service, it would be top of my list.

2) Wine

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a great drinker. It's not even that I'm looking for a glass of wine. A cold beer, coffee or even a fruit juice would do. It's more about what goes with it. I'm looking for a quiet place where I can sit and relax and have an enjoyable drink in peace. Travel, although often a solitary activity for me, is also done in groups, whether waiting for a train or sitting on plane. There's something very restorative about being able to find a peaceful place to just sit and think, read a book, or do nothing at all.

3) WiFi

Being able to communicate with the rest of the world is invaluable for me. I'm not an email junkie, or someone who must be available at all times. It's useful, but not essential 24/7. But I'm also a husband and father, and the ability to chat on Skype in video with my family is a real tonic. It would be wonderful if hotels didn't try to pay off their nation's national debt with internet access charges too.

So that's it. I'm not asking for much. A little food when I arrive, a quiet place to relax and affordable contact with my loved ones. A few hotel chains do it, so could the rest please take note? Thanks.

How old is online social networking?

I've seen a number of claims recently from people claiming to have founded "the UK's first online social network' or "the first online network without VC funding". The earliest such claim I've come across dates from 1998.

Now, I'm not hugely competitive, but I would like to set the record straight. On November 4th, 1996, a network called Which? Online was launched, by Consumers' Association in the UK. It was both an internet service provider and a content service, rather like AOL (remember that?). Most significantly, it featured a way for members to post information, connect to each other and get together to gain discounts on products and services. It was like a combination of Facebook and Groupon, years before either.

Not only that, it charged members a tidy sum to belong - around 14 pounds a month. Tens of thousands joined in the first year, and it still thrives to this day. The developer and manager of the service delivered a keynote speech to the first-ever UK conference on virtual communities (as social networks were called in those days) in 1997.

How do I know? I was that developer and manager. I don't suppose I'll ever get that film deal though.

Best wishes

Alan

How to lose potential business

I'm a great fan of good business practice, as we all are. I'm looking for good, efficient service. The sort offered by some of my clients like The Savoy (not that I'm taking all the credit)

With customers being a bit harder to come by these days, you'd think that companies would try a bit harder to get customers. Here are two examples of incredibly poor customer service that I've experienced in the past few days.

I was speaking recently at International Confex at Earls Court. It's the biggest UK show for event organisers and venues. There were hundreds of hotels, tourist boards and suppliers exhibiting. I visited fifty stands, explained that I was interested in their service or venue, since I may be able to recommend them to clients. In every case, my details were taken, either from my bar-coded badge, or my business card. In the two weeks since the event, I've received three emails from exhibitors. One was nicely personalised, referred to my interests, and suggested possible collaboration. The other two were sent impersonally and made no connection whatever. One was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. I also received one phone call. Just one. It was from a lovely lady called Jean, who represents a hotel in Dublin. She was superb, and I will definitely recommend her venue.

That was it. From fifty companies that I asked for information, in an environment where they had paid to meet potential clients, over ninety per cent failed to follow up.

Here's another example. I was asked earlier this week by a friend in the US for a recommendation of a PR company in China. I know a few, but not that well, so I decided to make some enquiries. Several people recommended the same company. I rang their London office with the query. I was put through to someone's voicemail, which included in the outgoing message "I will call you back within two hours". The next day, I still hadn't received a call, so I rang them again, and this time spoke to a real person.They said I'd have to ring a different office and gave me a number. It turned out to be Haymarket publishing, not their other office at all. I rang the company again. They gave me a different number, which turned out to be a fax machine. You can imagine my mood by now, since all I'm trying to do is to refer them to a friend who is looking to employ them. Finally, I managed to speak to someone in the other office, only to hear "We don't deal with that, you need to call our Singapore office". It was too late to call Singapore, so I rang the next morning (today as I type this). The phone diverted to a mobile number, and the person I spoke to told me "This is my personal mobile, you shouldn't be using this number". I apologised (even though it wasn't my fault). I've now given up on them.

So here's the thing. I've been in the position of a customer looking for a supplier. I'm offering paid work to companies. I've ended up so frustrated that I've given up. I would never dream of treating my customers and potential customers in that way. Nor would you, I'm sure.

Ten things speakers dislike about event planners

This is not a career suicide note. It has been compiled following a challenge from two leading members of MPI (Meeting Professionals International) – Paul Cook (Former UK President) and Anthony Hyde (Immediate Past UK President). The latter has agreed to write “Ten things that event planners dislike about speakers”. Of course, we all love each other really. But just occasionally, things go awry.

So here’s my list:

1. No confirmation of the event. A booking has been made months ahead, it’s in pencil in the speaker’s diary, but there is no further communication until three days before the gig.

2. Re-organisation of the agenda. An opening keynote becomes a closing keynote, or a workshop becomes a breakfast seminar. The last person to know may be the speaker.

3. No time for rehearsal. A professional speaker will always want to run a sound check and room check well before their speech.

4. No-fee events, with no obvious benefit to the speaker. There may be promises of “great networking opportunities”, but when the tea and biscuits cost more than a top-quality speaker, something is wrong.

5. Filming the speaker without permission (or a release form which gives away the speaker’s copyright). This should never happen, and should be negotiated in advance.

6. Telling the speaker as they begin “Can you cut your speech by 20 minutes” or “can you keep going until coffee – the next speaker hasn’t arrived”

7. Demanding copies of slides three months in advance. Many speakers don’t use slides. Some event planners don’t understand that.

8. No briefing for the speakers, or no contact with the end client. This is all too common, and can lead to a mis-match between speaker and audience. Building a relationship between speaker and client is crucial.

9. No speaker liaison person and no response to speaker enquiries.

10. Late cancellations and subsequent debates about cancellation fees.

Other than that, everything is fine! Of course, the above happen only rarely – and I hope they never happen to you. I love event planners really.

The Media Coach Radio Show 11th March 2011

This week; PR in exchange for coffee; Global Speakers Summit; Twitrelief; A grave affair; Slow and Simple; Being Controversial; Where’s my Tweet?; An interview with Paul du Toit; Music from Kynk

Global Ambassador or Prince of Pratfalls?

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is under fire for his association with convicted sex offfender Jeffrey Epstein. This follows hard on the heels of his "Wikileaks' embarrassment when it was alleged that a US diplomat had reported on the Prince's remarks about bribery in Kyrgystan and the investigation into the Al-Yamamah arms deal.

His Royal Highness is no stranger to public approbation. Like almost every other member of the Royal Family, bar perhaps his mother, he has come under fire for his links, his behaviour or his comments. It goes along with having a high profile and a comfortable lifestyle, a circumstance coveted and often envied by many.

There's also no doubt that his role on behalf of UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) has been instrumental in securing valuable export contracts for UK companies. It seems likely that in purely financial terms, his work has made a large positive contribution to the UK economy, at little cost to the taxpayer. He takes no pay for his role, but his expenses are covered. I for one, don't begrudge the cost of his first-class travel and five star accommodation if it brings in business for British companies.

However, at some point his value may evaporate. It's the same as any celebrity that has an association with a brand, paid or otherwise. When things are going well, the relationship is good for everyone, but when a celebrity is caught (literally or figuratively) with their trousers down, they quickly become persona non grata.

It's hard to judge where Prince Andrew's reputation is going. His friends, and some government ministers are rallying round. Everything has to be handled very carefully because of his royal status. My guess is that he's been in a few private conversations with politicians and UKTI bosses, and he's been told to lie low and say nothing for a while. When the storm has either blown over, or reached a point where he has to leave his UKTI role quietly, a statement will be made.

As used to be said about a much earlier Duke of York, at the moment he's neither up nor down.

How to manage a crisis at an event

I'm speaking today at International Confex on how to manage a crisis at an event. In case you can't be there, or as a reminder of the key points, I've created a summary of the main points. Of course, there'll be a lot more info if you come along.

Here are the ten key things you should do if a crisis occurs -

1. Recognise that you have a crisis

2. Prepare for senior staff being door-stepped and ambushed by reporters

3. Be seen and heard doing the right things

4. The media must not be ignored during a crisis. TV is the most important medium

5. Set up a communication process with the media as quickly as possible

6. The most senior staff must take charge and be seen as company spokespeople

7. Talk about people first, property second, and money third.

8. Focus on your feelings about the situation, and how it will be prevented from happening again

9. Become the single most authoritative source of information about the crisis

10. Keep a close eye on media coverage, and take every opportunity to correct inaccurate reporting

Of course, your key staff must be properly trained to speak to the media. Here's where to find help.

Oscar Acceptance Speech Competition

This weekend sees the 83rd annual Academy Award ceremony in Hollywood. Acceptance speeches will be tucked inside the tuxedos and evening bags of dozens of hopefuls. But what makes a great acceptance speech? Here's where you come in. Inspired by my friend Max Atkinson's "Defend a doomed dictator" speechwriting competition", I'm running an Oscar acceptance speech contest. Here are the rules:

1. Write an Oscar acceptance speech, for any category, in no more that 250 words

2. Email it to me (alan@mediacoach.co.uk) by 6pm GMT on Sunday 28th February 2011

3. I will judge the most entertaining and appropriate entry

4. My decision is final (of course)

5. The winner receives a signed first edition of Ping! or Mediamasters

I will announce the winner, and show their entry, on Friday March 4th. Good luck.

A Tribute to Clive Gott

Clive Gott, my friend and fellow professional speaker, has passed away suddenly at all too young an age. Clive was, even amongst professional speakers, a remarkable man.Here's a few words of tribute to Clive from Graham Davies, FPSA:


'Clive did not pass through life in shades of grey. In the same speech, he would take great delight in grabbing an audience by its throat, either inspiring and entertaining them or disturbing and upsetting them. Actually, it was usually all four at the same time. No-one slept while he was on stage.'


I agree completely. Clive was a great supporter of the Professional Speaking Association in the UK, as chapter leader and tireless worker. He spoke internationally, completed the Marathon Des Sables (134 miles across the Sahara), climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and had countless adventures, all of which he recounted with enthusiasm and lust for life.

I remember him as opinionated, enthusiastic and challenging - everything a great speaker should be. The world is a poorer place without him.

Clive's partner, Elaine, has requested that anyone who wants to honour and remember Clive should buy themselves a bunch of fresh flowers. A lovely idea.

Thank you Clive. May your inspiration live on.