I don’t know about you, but I’ve never watched myself work and interact with other people more than I am at the moment. I’m still so uncomfortable with staring at my own face while I listen to others, I’m yet to figure out how to make it so I can’t see me, but others can. But enough about me, let’s talk about you. Are you preparing properly for your daily webinar/zoom/skype check ins? I’ve been watching lots of content lately because hey, what else is there to do when you can’t physically network! There’s been a variety of platforms, modes and delivery methods on offer and I’d like to offer a ..read more

I recently had to privilege of visiting both Hilton Brisbane and Hilton Surfers Paradise, for leisurely gatherings where the properties’ staff and management share their food, their wine and their beautiful surroundings with a few luck people like me. The Hilton Brisbane I produce an annual event at this property and have done for about 3 years now so I know ballroom pretty well. But I hadn’t seen any other parts of the property for years so it was lovely to be invited to an Aussie dining experience on the pool deck. I just want to say how gorgeous this view is from the Hilton Brisbane. The w ..read more

Last week I went to a show where the performers hadn’t been on stage for 2 years. They were so grateful to have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. These artists have been around a long time, artists in their crafts for at least 30+ years. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be good – sometimes these comeback tours can be a bit ordinary. Most notably when they try to do them by themselves, and they no longer have the stamina to sing more than a couple of songs in a row, so they pepper the show with anecdotes that lack the storytelling of their music.  People get bored, and so ..read more

Protocol and ceremony are important aspects of events and not just official events.  A protocol is an official procedure or system, a way of doing things.  And ceremony is the formal elements or rituals that are associated with the event. While it might appear that only high-level Government or official events have protocols, if you look closely at your next business meeting, you will notice that this has some protocols too.  In Australia a common and welcome protocol today is to acknowledge or welcome the traditional owners of the land where the meeting is taking place. You may ..read more

How do you diversify but still stay within your wheelhouse? I realised today that we keep using the word “pivot” as if it’s something bad, something none of us wanted to do but were forced to do.  A few weeks ago, I tried to embrace the word, own it, be proud of my ability to be a part of the community that has pivoted.  But it still feels like a cop-out to me.  It still feels like I didn’t make it, wasn’t able to survive, had to let that thing go that I’ve worked so hard on – damn you CV and making me drop my most treasured possession! But this week I started to think about ..read more

Can you remember your first party?  What about your first school fete, formal or graduation.  I can remember my first concert so clearly.  It was a big international star who played the only big venue in my town called Festival Hall.  The first time I planned an event was my own 13th birthday party but didn’t really think about the planning process.  I just wanted my friends to have fun.  The first time I planned a business event was for a retail franchise where I had to organise education segments interspersed with sales pitches.  The objective was clear ..read more

Creating a win-win value proposition Exploitation of the free economy has always been prevalent.  Creative and service based industries are often targeted by well-meaning organisations hoping to secure services for free or at low cost.  In this article I look at how small business owners can negotiate deals that offer a mutual value proposition.  And right now you might be doing whatever you can to keep working. Owners of service based businesses are empathetic and want to help people and organisations achieve outcomes.  That’s often why they choose the service industry.&n ..read more

There’s been an explosion of registration and ticketing systems into the marketplace over the last 5 years, offering more choice than ever to conference and event producers. From monthly subscriptions, free systems or pay as you go, knowing what you need and doing thorough research before putting registrations on sale, can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run. Prepare Set up a spreadsheet that outlines all the registration types you need to include for your conference and calculate the actual costs against your ticket price – don’t forget GST! Don’t be afraid to run multiple sce ..read more

Last week we had the pleasure of coordinating a virtual conference for Marney Perna and Kinique Kinesiology. When everyone is doing whatever they can to pivot their business to a “no-touch” version, health practitioners, in my view, have the most difficult task. So much of our health and wellness is detected by the in-person experience, and no more so than the practice of kinesiology. If you’ve never heard of this practice before, or are curious to understand what it’s all about, contact Marney at Kinique Kinesiology and she will explain it to you in a way that is easy to digest and understan ..read more

Recently a couple of members of the Event Managers Network have asked me if I’m aware of any event specific COVID Safe Plans that are out there. As this is a question that I think many of us are searching the world for the answer, I’ve posted my thoughts below. I hope it helps. Please note that this information is specific to Queensland, Australia and I note below some alternative resources for other areas. As at end June 2020, there isn’t any event specific plans detailed.  But you can keep up to date on COVID Safe Plans by following this link for all the approved COVID Safe Plans for Qu ..read more