Re: Speakers, sponsorships, group mentality

[Guest guest]

Monika:

Words of wisdom gained by personal experience are the best words to read.

Thank you for sharing your success and satisfaction. Doing what makes one's life rewarding ensures success.

Digna

Speakers, sponsorships, group mentality

If you want to make a living as a public speaker it is best to procure sponsorship money and then seek out speaking engagements.

I don't aspire to be a full-time public speaker. I speak in order to network and to introduce my product line to new markets. I have enough money in my budget to sponsor myself (speak without an honorarium) at one meeting a year. Everything else needs to be paid for.

I feel qualified to express this opinion as I also plan and produce my own conference. Because the subject matter is likely to involve scientific discussions about compounds in our drug and food supplies that may not be productive to our overall health, I cannot seek out sponsorship from the kind of companies most people would recommend to me. However...it is entirely possible to hold a conference like the one that I do and at least break even, even without sponsorship. You just have to work a little harder on the front end to reduce your marketing costs, and be judicious in who you choose as speakers. I hesitate to sign on people who ask for too much, they are there pretty much for their own agendas/egos, not so much for the overall purpose of the conference. I don't lowball, I treat my speakers well--I just prefer a certain kind of personality so that it is more about learning and less about egos.

I declined to continue pursuing one speaker I thought I really wanted because he was making a big fuss over where he thought he should have appeared in the program. He didn't want to speak if he couldn't be keynote.

It turned out that the presenter who went in that open slot (last) made such a good impression in his first presentation everyone stayed clear to the end and that last presentation of the day got the highest marks. I figured that meant I got great speakers and the audience I wanted--one that came to learn. We could focus on that because we didn't have all the corporate bells and whistles to contend with.

Now that I have experience on that end of the business and know it can be done, I am not so interested in participating in conferences where I see a big take in sponsorship money and little going out to the speakers who make the conference possible in the first place. Everyone from the host to the speakers to the sponsors (if they are there) deserves to win for the effort.

I finally decided if only 10 people wanted my services the way I felt they needed to be provided, I would serve 10 people, and work at Starbucks to make up the difference. I actually had my application in there, and was ready to go! But in defining what it was that I did and DIDN'T do, and being happy regardless of who wanted it, rather than defining happiness by how many people wanted it and driving myself crazy trying to please everyone and pleasing no one, people started coming to the business. Never did learn how to make that latte!

You can't worry about what others think or say. Group wisdom is often very timid wisdom, no one wants to be openly progressive for fear of becoming unpopular or being accused of raising the bar. Ya gotta do whatever it is that allows you to look in the mirror at night and be able to look yourself in the eye. :-)

Weird how that works...

Have a good week everyone,

Monika

[Guest guest]

Monika,

You are so wise!

J. Shattler M.S.,RDkshattler@... http://www.ceu4u.comhttp://www.nutri-care.infoThis document is confidential. It is strictly disallowed to pass this message on if you were not the intended receiver.

Speakers, sponsorships, group mentality

If you want to make a living as a public speaker it is best to procure sponsorship money and then seek out speaking engagements.

I don't aspire to be a full-time public speaker. I speak in order to network and to introduce my product line to new markets. I have enough money in my budget to sponsor myself (speak without an honorarium) at one meeting a year. Everything else needs to be paid for.

I feel qualified to express this opinion as I also plan and produce my own conference. Because the subject matter is likely to involve scientific discussions about compounds in our drug and food supplies that may not be productive to our overall health, I cannot seek out sponsorship from the kind of companies most people would recommend to me. However...it is entirely possible to hold a conference like the one that I do and at least break even, even without sponsorship. You just have to work a little harder on the front end to reduce your marketing costs, and be judicious in who you choose as speakers. I hesitate to sign on people who ask for too much, they are there pretty much for their own agendas/egos, not so much for the overall purpose of the conference. I don't lowball, I treat my speakers well--I just prefer a certain kind of personality so that it is more about learning and less about egos.

I declined to continue pursuing one speaker I thought I really wanted because he was making a big fuss over where he thought he should have appeared in the program. He didn't want to speak if he couldn't be keynote.

It turned out that the presenter who went in that open slot (last) made such a good impression in his first presentation everyone stayed clear to the end and that last presentation of the day got the highest marks. I figured that meant I got great speakers and the audience I wanted--one that came to learn. We could focus on that because we didn't have all the corporate bells and whistles to contend with.

Now that I have experience on that end of the business and know it can be done, I am not so interested in participating in conferences where I see a big take in sponsorship money and little going out to the speakers who make the conference possible in the first place. Everyone from the host to the speakers to the sponsors (if they are there) deserves to win for the effort.

I finally decided if only 10 people wanted my services the way I felt they needed to be provided, I would serve 10 people, and work at Starbucks to make up the difference. I actually had my application in there, and was ready to go! But in defining what it was that I did and DIDN'T do, and being happy regardless of who wanted it, rather than defining happiness by how many people wanted it and driving myself crazy trying to please everyone and pleasing no one, people started coming to the business. Never did learn how to make that latte!

You can't worry about what others think or say. Group wisdom is often very timid wisdom, no one wants to be openly progressive for fear of becoming unpopular or being accused of raising the bar. Ya gotta do whatever it is that allows you to look in the mirror at night and be able to look yourself in the eye. :-)

Weird how that works...

Have a good week everyone,

Monika

[Guest guest]

I don't know if it's wise, or simply "Lessons learned from speakers from hell!!!" BOY do I have stories to tell. Don't get me wrong, I've had great speakers, the PCOS conference was the best. But in the process of getting there, there have been others who seem to lose their common sense once they sign the contract. They get on stage and completely forget that their behavior reflects, actually, more on ME than on them and that I am equally as entitled to expect the services I purchased as they are entitled freedom of speech. I had a speaker one time call me and say, "I can't find my food receipts but I ate at the restaurant next to the hotel. Can you please reimburse?" Like I could file THAT with the IRS!

Monika

Speakers, sponsorships, group mentality

If you want to make a living as a public speaker it is best to procure sponsorship money and then seek out speaking engagements.

I don't aspire to be a full-time public speaker. I speak in order to network and to introduce my product line to new markets. I have enough money in my budget to sponsor myself (speak without an honorarium) at one meeting a year. Everything else needs to be paid for.

I feel qualified to express this opinion as I also plan and produce my own conference. Because the subject matter is likely to involve scientific discussions about compounds in our drug and food supplies that may not be productive to our overall health, I cannot seek out sponsorship from the kind of companies most people would recommend to me. However...it is entirely possible to hold a conference like the one that I do and at least break even, even without sponsorship. You just have to work a little harder on the front end to reduce your marketing costs, and be judicious in who you choose as speakers. I hesitate to sign on people who ask for too much, they are there pretty much for their own agendas/egos, not so much for the overall purpose of the conference. I don't lowball, I treat my speakers well--I just prefer a certain kind of personality so that it is more about learning and less about egos.

I declined to continue pursuing one speaker I thought I really wanted because he was making a big fuss over where he thought he should have appeared in the program. He didn't want to speak if he couldn't be keynote.

It turned out that the presenter who went in that open slot (last) made such a good impression in his first presentation everyone stayed clear to the end and that last presentation of the day got the highest marks. I figured that meant I got great speakers and the audience I wanted--one that came to learn. We could focus on that because we didn't have all the corporate bells and whistles to contend with.

Now that I have experience on that end of the business and know it can be done, I am not so interested in participating in conferences where I see a big take in sponsorship money and little going out to the speakers who make the conference possible in the first place. Everyone from the host to the speakers to the sponsors (if they are there) deserves to win for the effort.

I finally decided if only 10 people wanted my services the way I felt they needed to be provided, I would serve 10 people, and work at Starbucks to make up the difference. I actually had my application in there, and was ready to go! But in defining what it was that I did and DIDN'T do, and being happy regardless of who wanted it, rather than defining happiness by how many people wanted it and driving myself crazy trying to please everyone and pleasing no one, people started coming to the business. Never did learn how to make that latte!

You can't worry about what others think or say. Group wisdom is often very timid wisdom, no one wants to be openly progressive for fear of becoming unpopular or being accused of raising the bar. Ya gotta do whatever it is that allows you to look in the mirror at night and be able to look yourself in the eye. :-)

Weird how that works...

Have a good week everyone,

Monika

[Guest guest]

Monika,

I laughed thinking of my experiences with speakers last year! One, an internship director no less, became histerical when the AV did not work as planned. Another 3 (RDs also), were not satisfied with the time, the room, anything at all, since the beginning, and kept making demands impossible to meet, until I just told them this is it, do it or you won't be on the program. The stories probably can go on, and one day you could write a book - advise for would be speakers on what NOT to do!

Digna

Speakers, sponsorships, group mentality

If you want to make a living as a public speaker it is best to procure sponsorship money and then seek out speaking engagements.

I don't aspire to be a full-time public speaker. I speak in order to network and to introduce my product line to new markets. I have enough money in my budget to sponsor myself (speak without an honorarium) at one meeting a year. Everything else needs to be paid for.

I feel qualified to express this opinion as I also plan and produce my own conference. Because the subject matter is likely to involve scientific discussions about compounds in our drug and food supplies that may not be productive to our overall health, I cannot seek out sponsorship from the kind of companies most people would recommend to me. However...it is entirely possible to hold a conference like the one that I do and at least break even, even without sponsorship. You just have to work a little harder on the front end to reduce your marketing costs, and be judicious in who you choose as speakers. I hesitate to sign on people who ask for too much, they are there pretty much for their own agendas/egos, not so much for the overall purpose of the conference. I don't lowball, I treat my speakers well--I just prefer a certain kind of personality so that it is more about learning and less about egos.

I declined to continue pursuing one speaker I thought I really wanted because he was making a big fuss over where he thought he should have appeared in the program. He didn't want to speak if he couldn't be keynote.

It turned out that the presenter who went in that open slot (last) made such a good impression in his first presentation everyone stayed clear to the end and that last presentation of the day got the highest marks. I figured that meant I got great speakers and the audience I wanted--one that came to learn. We could focus on that because we didn't have all the corporate bells and whistles to contend with.

Now that I have experience on that end of the business and know it can be done, I am not so interested in participating in conferences where I see a big take in sponsorship money and little going out to the speakers who make the conference possible in the first place. Everyone from the host to the speakers to the sponsors (if they are there) deserves to win for the effort.

I finally decided if only 10 people wanted my services the way I felt they needed to be provided, I would serve 10 people, and work at Starbucks to make up the difference. I actually had my application in there, and was ready to go! But in defining what it was that I did and DIDN'T do, and being happy regardless of who wanted it, rather than defining happiness by how many people wanted it and driving myself crazy trying to please everyone and pleasing no one, people started coming to the business. Never did learn how to make that latte!

You can't worry about what others think or say. Group wisdom is often very timid wisdom, no one wants to be openly progressive for fear of becoming unpopular or being accused of raising the bar. Ya gotta do whatever it is that allows you to look in the mirror at night and be able to look yourself in the eye. :-)

Weird how that works...

Have a good week everyone,

Monika