Let me be clear: As an Australian, I am no monarchist. I voted ‘Yes’ for a republic in 1999, primarily because I believe any system of government that has the word ‘pub’ in it is a better fit for Australia, but also because I liked to think that any children I might have (and I now have three) could one day become the Head of State of our great land.
However, I am a great lover of traditions, and I am full of respect for the way Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II devoted so many decades to continuing the fascinating story (and traditions) of her own family.
Whilst she had what would appear to have been a very privileged existence, her life was hardly her own, and from all accounts she carried out every single one of her duties and attended every single one of her royal engagements, with extraordinary grace.
I’ve thought about her life from an events industry perspective, and I don’t think I’m wrong in concluding that she attended more events and met more people than any other person in all human history.
For this reason, I absolutely applaud her, and I put together a special Grin & Tonic as not only a dedication, but an illustration of what an incredible, unique life she led.
You can watch it here. It’s only a few minutes.
And it is worth us remembering that she had a cheeky sense of humour, and so it’s not hard to imagine that, at least occasionally at some of the thousands of events she attended, she probably thought to herself, “One wishes the organisers had had the courage to do things a little differently to the norm”.
Unfortunately, there were protocols in place that dictated what needed to happen and how it needed to happen. There was little opportunity to make an event stand out to her (which is ironic, as the mere fact she was AT an event made it stand out for everyone else.
The delegates at our events are special, but they are NOT royalty, so there are few protocols that need to be followed. And challenging those that DO exist is important every so often.
Our opportunity as event organisers is to create events where the environments are fresh, creative, inspiring and, most importantly, different.
Whilst they are WORK events, they need to transport delegates away from their work environments and mindsets and allow them to access the mental freedoms they have when away from the office or shop.
So, whilst the senior management should be treated with respect, there are opportunities to deal with them differently at a conference (ever had a session where the CEO is interviewed about themselves, introducing their human side to their people, who may only be familiar with their profesional one?
They need to dress differently to work. They need to speak to people they don't speak to at work. They need their emotions tapped into differently to how they are tapped into at work. This all helps them THINK differently to how they think at work.
And they also need to feel the conference has something different about it, too. They need to feel more involved in sessions than last year. They need to see a different format to last year. If, at the previous conference, they sat in a room and the first session was: CEO/Chair speaks, followed by presentations from three other senior manager (or a sponsor), then you need to change that up.
In particular, from an educational point of view, if their work is very serious in nature (like the Queen's), they need to be allowed to laugh (as it is widely reported she did, away from the cameras).
If you aim to create a conference that would delight the Queen in how different it was, then your event will be fit for a King.
Darren Isenberg is one of Australia’s most booked and re-booked Corporate MC’s and Presenters. He also speaks to groups on how to improve their Positive Influence and the Presentation Skills.
You can learn more about him by heading to www.dipresents.com.au or by asking his kids. But don’t talk to his mother. She still has no idea … but thinks he’s great at whatever it is anyway.