Disclaimer: Part of my job requires me to educate at industry functions. In a past life, I was a contract player at an improv/dinner theater in Amsterdam and did corporate entertainment across northern Europe. I’m not proud to say that I have spoken/joked through 300-some-odd meal functions. I even have performed in “evenings of new works” at a Starbucks and a live music venue (although I plead the ignorance of youth).
So before you read any further, realize I’m pretty biased. But here are the three reasons why I’m convinced having anyone speak while people are trying to eat is a terrible idea.
No. 1: People attend meetings and conferences for networking and education.
So don’t screw that up.
I understand why you may be tempted to blend the two. But you’re not going to create some kind of magical meetings Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup by doing so. Instead, you’re going prevent your attendees from enjoying either option.
I have the pleasure of leading two sessions at the Office* Tradeshow in Washington D.C. from May 29-31. The tradeshow pass is free. Or, you can use the code below to save 50% off the conference pass! Definitely check out this event and come visit me while I’m in DC! Here is a little info on the sessions I’m leading:
The event and meeting industry is a fast paced world, much like the world of technology where one day it is focused on this and the next that. The focus could be on greening your meeting, helping the community, finding more value or simply contract negotiations and clauses. The real focus needs to shift and I mean for everyone (hoteliers, venue owners and planners), towards being more mutually transparent. Hoteliers need to be upfront on all the little things about costs and services. Planners need to be upfront on their needs and the budgets they are working with. I am willing to step up and say we all need a little work.
A “Grand Opening” is a term used when a business, public office, or private association wishes to announce their official opening of their new location. This differs from just opening the doors on the first day due to a Grand Opening being more of a celebration event, not just the first day having the doors open for clients. Often the opening announcements are in this order: Coming Soon, Now Open, and then Grand Opening. The first two of these announcements are meant to communicate to the targeted clients that there is an intent to serve them. Whereupon the Grand Opening is stating that there is a special event planned. Often this is achieved with a party type atmosphere such as: food, music, prizes, balloons, giveaways, festive signs, searchlights lighting up the night sky, fireworks display, and so on.
In the events world, not only do we need solid itineraries, including pre-production schedules, show run-sheets and solid load-out plans, but we also have to be willing to scrap those plans at a moment’s notice should the need arise.
While I’m normally on the outside looking in at conferences, three times a year I’m part of the all-hands-on-deck staff of the Marketplace events our company produces. During those conferences, I’m behind the curtain experiencing what planners tell me about all the time when I interview them for magazine stories. During last week’s 
