I’m not sure if you were aware of this but, apparently there was a Royal Wedding on this past weekend.
I feel a bit silly for not realising sooner, but I honestly thought all the TV promos intimating we should watch “When Harry Marries Meghan”, were simply an advertising blitz for a new Billy Crystal movie.
So, I tuned in on Saturday evening Sydney time, partly because I seem to be getting less and less invitations to do things on a Saturday night … but also because I work in the world of conferences and events.
And no-one does events like the Royal Family.
They are quite the envy of many of us in the industry. They get access to venues we can only dream of. They have incredibly enormous budgets of other people’s money to play with.
And, with no effort at all, they attract the biggest names to their events. Quite literally. I’m sure one of the gentlemen I saw entering the Chapel had four hyphens in his surname alone.
But for all the Beckham’s and Clooney’s and Oprah’s and Suits’ stars (who knew Donna strutted in real life just like she does on the show???) who rolled up to be part of the Royal Celebration, there was one person who stole the spotlight more adeptly than a catburglar breaking into the AV Storage Area at your local Convention Centre.
And, let’s be honest. Early in proceedings, we thought it was THIS guy:
But then the world met THIS GUY.
Reverend Michael Curry.
He was:
- Unconventional
- Unexpected
- Uninhibited, and
- Unusual
And he was also:
- Vibrant and Flashy
- Lively and Eye-Opening
As well as:
- Quite surprising
- Improvising
- Tradition-Revising, and
- Polarising
But most of all he was MEMORABLE.
Reverend Michael Curry amused and bemused. He left some annoyed and others overjoyed. His non-conforming performing ensured everyone was affected by him and his message in some way.
He was the stand-out speaker at the wedding … and why? There are several significant reasons why … but I think it is more instructive for those of us in the conferences and events industry, to first look at things that DIDN’T contribute to him standing out.
He wasn’t the stand-out speaker because he was the highest-ranking person in the room. Nor was he the stand-out speaker because he knew his subject matter better than anyone else (the Archbishop of Canterbury was right there in the room). And he wasn’t the stand-out speaker because he was some famous celebrity that everyone in the room was excited to hear from. Most had never seen or heard of him.
Reverend Michael Curry stood out because he did several things that it would be awesome if more speakers were able to do at our events.
Firstly, he brought emotion into what is so often a simply serious occasion. With that emotion he also brought warmth and energy … and he brought love … which I think he may even have mentioned on one or two … or 68 occasions.
He broke some rules and challenged conventional thoughts about what and how things should be said. He made people uncomfortable enough that they had to think about what they were thinking about. “Why am I not sure if I like listening to this guy? Do I not like what he is saying or the way he is saying it? I need to listen to work this out”.
And he brought passion, an element of showmanship and even occasional humour into a place where it was not expected.
And it is for each and every one of these reasons that Reverend Michael Curry was the best lesson we who organise conferences and events, and our clients, could have received.
I am sure that, if the Royal Wedding had been organised by a typical conference committee, Michael Curry would not have been booked to appear.
They would have looked at his bio, website and show reel and thought he was TOO different to what they were looking for in terms of the tone of their event.
Besides, the Conference Theme was: “We’ve ALWAYS gotten married like this”, so he wouldn’t really be a fit.
And, truth be told (and this is me speaking now, not my mythical Royal Wedding Conference Committee), he was NOT entirely the most appropriate choice to speak at such an occasion, as it could be foreseen that many people would not find his style to their liking.
But whilst the Reverend’s sermon garnered a mixed reaction, at least it got a reaction! It is being talked about still. Is that not what we want the outcomes of the presentations at our events to be?
He is the most wonderful proof that the VERY BEST EVENTS are the ones that feature the UNEXPECTED, the FACTOR THAT WILL CHALLENGE, the PERSON WHO WILL GET A VARIETY OF REACTIONS.
Let’s do a quick test that I think proves my point:
Apart from the expected words such as ‘God’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Marriage’ etcetera, what did the Archbishop of Canterbury say at the wedding?
And, for all the beautiful meaning and emotion behind having Princess Diana’s older sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, perform the Reading, what did she talk about?
Yeah ... I didn't think you'd remember.
Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying these people should NOT have spoken. They both performed important roles. But they spoke and, in truth, what was the real outcome?
A bunch of minutes went by but no-one can remember what actually happened. And, this is an even more important thing to remember at a conference than at a wedding: if no-one can remember your message, how effective was your presentation?
And we do that time and time again at our conferences and events. We make plenty of room in our agenda for the people we feel “have to speak” (be they CEO’s, Chairs, Sponsors or other Senior Executives) and for the people who are going to say “The things our delegates will expect to be told” yet these are not the people who are going to have the biggest impact on our delegates and what they get from attending our events.
We need speakers who will do what Michael Curry did at the Royal Wedding! But how often do we make that happen at our events?
How often do we bring true excitement to our conference stage? How often do we make our delegates think “I can’t believe this is happening??!!” How often do we allow our delegates to laugh or frown or tear-up or get annoyed? Or look like this?
We’re so busy convincing ourselves that we need all the elements of our conferences to run smoothly and in the same direction that we forget that it is the SOUND OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT that is the sound we most remember.
When was the last time you contemplated having a person on your conference program who you knew disagreed with your CEO, or your company’s behaviour or the role your industry plays in society?
When was the last time you filled your conference room, one even that was discussing serious or technical matters, with light and music and laughter and joy?
I know that we (and even more often our clients) like certain things at our conferences to fall into the “We’ve always done them like this” category.
But the truth is, events are much more memorable when they don't.
The Royal Family have apparently cottoned on to this. Please try ensure that you and your clients aren't out-modernised by them!!
So, at your next event, serve up some Curry-style dishes in your conference program. It is the flavour your delegates have been craving.
Darren Isenberg is one of Australia’s best-loved Corporate MC’s and Speakers. Check out his website at www.dipresents.com.au