If you want to know how not to manage events, I’m your man.
But even by my own demented standards I thought I’d blown it with the branding seminar we just finished.
So just in case you ever want to make things hard on yourself, just follow the following cack-handed recipe.
1. Run your event at short notice – in two months, for instance, so you don’t have time to promote properly.
2. Find a venue that’s a) hard to get to for quite a few people b) where you’ve never been in your life c) which nobody you ever met sees as somewhere to have a good time d) Get the dates mixed-up for the first two or three weeks, so everyone including the speakers is confused.
And that’s about it, except it’s also a neat idea to stay in a hotel backing on to a railway station so people can’t get to sleep at night – and may decide to during the day.
I managed all that for our little thrash at De Montfort Business school in Leicester – and we survived.
That was mainly because people forgave my stupidity and came from as far away as Valencia. But also because Nikki at De Montfort was very helpful, Leicester has some nice places to eat, young Chloe organised well and equally young Ben Saffer was great with the filming and – well, the speakers really did a great job.
Rory Sutherland was hilarious and perceptive, as ever; Steve Harrison as laconic and biting as usual; James Joice of JKR did a brilliant talk on design … but the real star was James Hammond, the Brand Doctor.
I’d only seen him in video, thought he was funny and perceptive. But I didn’t really know how he would handle a roomful of delegates for a day – especially with such a varied range of businesses – a magazine, a car hire firm, a restaurant, a business coach, a financial advisor – and a quite a few more. I don’t think they had anything in common except a desire to do better.
How the heck do you help such a varied lot to build a brand? Well Mr. Hammond managed it.
I’m going to stick up some comments in a few days, and we filmed everything. But I had no idea just how good he is. Surprising, challenging, sardonic about the rebranding buffoons, astoundingly well-informed – especially about how the brain works – and he gets people to think and work things out for themselves.
As a qualified psychologist he clearly should know the right buttons to touch, but if after a day with him you don’t feel inspired and haven’t found at least ten brilliant ways to build or improve your business, you haven’t been paying attention.
The picture, by the way, is one of his slides, which made us all laugh – but there were quite a few others. I STILL don’t know what the orange monkey was about.
Anyhow, before the event I had sworn I would never do it again. But who knows?
Best,
Drayton
P.S. A few people have already signed up for my copywriting event in Bristol. The more of you come, the lower the price.
Oh Drayton
before you get sidetracked on your copywriting event can you PLEASE get the film in the can for the branding event so you can sell it to us
I do stupid things because I have so many ideas and then I feel a little demoralised like today…
then along comes Mr Bird with this post on his organizational skills and I realise that there is hope for me yet
I just wish we could do some business together
On organisation: it was great! On difficulty to get to: “you don't go to see the wise man at the BOTTOM of the mountain” (Halbert, I think).
I have to say a big 'thank-you' for such a fantastic event. Certainly the most thought-provoking event I have been to.
Here's why: there are some events that tell you things that you could have got elsewhere if you'd bothered; And then there are those rare moments that bring you insights you could never have figured out in a thousand years of trying and with a bottomless wallet (and big corporations still can't).
This was one of those events: taking a term so over-used and abused as 'branding' that everyone thinks they know about but don't – and stripping it right down to its DNA to reveal pretty much the marketing secret of life.
Since I had this unfolded to me over the last 2 days I don't think I'll ever look at marketing the same way again. And gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not there – and they'd be right too.
StepChange Marketing , based in Australia, is looking to grow its small consultancy. So it's released the recruitment video below, which showcases your usual host of ad industry types.
http://adage.com/article/adages/australian-agency-establishes-wanker-free-office/149275/
Oh my God I wrote …it's released…bloody idiot! IT HAS released…
It should be ready in about a week, Warren. Nobody in his right mind does business with me
Good night everybody,
I am Jose, the Valencia guy Drayton mentions from the car hire company DoYouSpain.com.
I’ve just arrived home after a long way and many flight connections. It is true; my decision was made in the last minute and never been to Leicester before.
You know what……It was bloody worthy it.
Leicester is not the place you would go for your Honey Moon… not…. but we were treated like at home (thank you Nikki).
When I left the course on Sunday, I walked to the hotel and while I was processing some information given, I got lost.
Thank you Natasha for taking me to the Hotel 🙂
My only goal before going to Leicester was to meet the greatest marketing person I ever read…. and you know what….. I found He is a greater person. But that is the least important bit…..
I was glad to meet very clever people, colleagues like me with the desire to learn. Thank you Helen…. Thank you Bradley……Thank you Giles and All the others who tried hard to understand my Spanglish.
Finally, I am just going to say something I remember before I met Natasha…
There is nothing more exiting in life that meeting exiting people. Everything else comes after that…
Natasha and Jose
I cant wait to meet you all in the next course!
jose
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I think I prefer Jose