Unusual Speaking Experiences

A World of Unusual Speaking Experiences!

In the course of speaking to more than 770 audiences around the world, I have encountered my share of unique engagements. For example, when I spoke to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, every audience member was carrying a gun. Understandably, I felt compelled to give a great presentation.

At a leadership conference sponsored by the St. Alfonsus Regional Medical Center, I was introduced by a staff member, wearing skis, whose conclusion involved sliding down the stairs off the podium.

Flying to Your Next Conference?

Airline Travel Trips

If you're flying mid-day, wear your sunglasses because ultraviolet rays from the sun are more potent--especially if you're flying above the clouds. To read, lower the window cover and use the overhead lighting.

Carry your own small water bottle on board to avoid having to ask flight attendants for drinks. Also, when the meal is served before the beverage, you're able to wet your whistle while you eat. Half the battle of flying is remaining hydrated. It's better to go to the restroom four times
because you've been hydrating yourself than to land exhausted and need four days to catch up.

Bring your own snacks (carrots, sliced cucumbers, other watery vegetables; apples, pears, and other fruits), but not candy or dead carbohydrates such as chips, crackers, or dehydrating foods. Even the worst of airline meals will go down more easily if you eat your own nutritious snacks before or after. These will help keep you regular, and your whole trip will go better.

America's Healthiest Airports?

Health Magazine has picked America's top ten "Healthiest Airports," but you'll have to decide the merits of the selections.

Conference follow-up

Conference follow-up is as rigorous as anything else for a meeting planner! When the convention is over, in addition to addressing hundreds of details, you scamper back onto the plane or into your car and head home.

You still have tasks to fulfill or requests to honor. There are items to box up and ship back. Checks need dispensing to vendors, service providers, speakers, rental companies, and the meeting facility. Notes need to be typed up and reports written, updates made, membership categories modified, and next year's convention plans altered.

Realistically, however, there will be time for the post-meeting tasks even if you take a day or two off. So for now, let the meeting be over. You're proud of your accomplishment, but you're worn to a frazzle. What steps can you take to ensure you'll get the rest and relaxation you deserve?

Rather than trying to take care of all your paperwork on the fly, pack up at the speed of sound, and drive or fly back to your office along with the rest of the participants, why not plan your next meeting so that you can spend an extra day or two resting and recuperating before heading back?

Entire World has the Travel Bug

The Washington Post report that the "The whole world has the travel bug. And it's ravaging the planet."

"The world has shrunk -- and the tourist legions have exploded. The streets of Paris and Venice are so crowded that you can barely move. Cruise ships are filling harbors and disgorging hordes of day trippers the world over. Towering hotels rise in ever-greater numbers along once pristine and empty beaches."

The upshot for meeting planners: finding that special, out-of-the-way place is growing challenge.

Web Access at Meetings Sites

Want to know what options you have for Internet access in your area or in an area where you'll be conducting a meeting? Visit www.thelist.com and enter the telephone area code or zip code. You will then see a display of all the providers.

Cruise for Free

Would you like to draw upon your expertise take a cruise for free? Robert Otterbourg, writing for Kiplinger magazine explains exactly how you can do it.

Meetings: All Business is OK

Americans schedule an average of 14 vacation days a year, the average Englishman schedules 24. Americans typically don't use 3 of those days, giving back time to their employers. So, perhaps holding meetings at posh resorts is not necessary.

People are Traveling!

The UN World Tourism Organization reports that world tourism registered another record in 2006 with 842 million arrivals, a higher than expected growth rate of 4.5%.

Despite downside risks facing global tourism twelve months ago, in particular terrorism, health scares due to avian flu and rising oil prices, 2006 was another year of good growth above the long-term forecast rate of 4.1 per cent, backed up by one of the longest periods of sustained economic expansion,” Secretary General Francesco Frangialli said.

Three years ago, world tourism, which can play a key role in fighting poverty and become a primary tool for sustainable development, began a historically new phase of growth, as it broke the barrier of 800 million international arrivals. It has grown more than 20 per cent since then.

The increase in international tourist arrivals is projected to be around 4 per cent for 2007, much in line with the forecast long-term annual growth rate of 4.1 per cent through 2020, according to UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer. Growth is expected to be more solid as businesses, consumers, governments and international institutions are now better able to anticipate shocks and to respond more effectively to crises.

A Regular Performance

Prince will be performing in Las Vegas every weekend on Friday- and Saturday-night shows at a nightclub inside the Rio Hotels. Tickets cost $125. Prince will also host Wednesday-night concerts at the club by other artists.

The Grammy winner will perform at the club indefinitely. Prince joins a growing contingent of songsters who have settled in Vegas hotels as regularly featured acts, including Celine Dion, Elton John, Barry Manilow and Toni Braxton.

Travel Distribution Summit

Senior-level executives from airlines, hotels, cruise lines, car hire companies, and online travel suppliers will all be meeting at Travel Distribution Summit, North America, on October 4 and 5 in Chicago.

Rising Air Travel Costs

Air Travel Costs Take a Jump: MeetingsNet reports that the Air Travel Price Index, released last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation, rose 10.3 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year – the biggest year-to-year jump since the index numbers were first published in 1995.

Smoke-Free Meeting Facilities

Marriott Snuffs Out Butts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Beginning in September, 2006 Marriott International will prohibit smoking in all of its lodging establishments in the U.S. and Canada. Smoking will be prohibited in all guest rooms, lounges, public spaces, employee work areas, meeting rooms, and restaurants.

The ban is set to apply to all of Marriott’s lodging brands, making up 2,300 hotels with 400,000 hotel rooms, including Marriott, JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, and Marriott ExecuStay.

"Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates," said J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International. "Our family of brands is united on this important health issue and we anticipate very positive customer feedback."

US Airways for Your Attendees?

This appeared in today’s news and is either an indication of capitalism run amok or simply the inability of management to contribute to passengers’ sense of breathing space.:

“US Airways to place ads on barf bags”

PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- US Airways wants to make the most out of a nauseating situation. The Tempe, Arizona-based airline plans to sell advertisements on its air-sickness bags -- those pint-sized expandable envelopes tucked between the in-flight magazines and safety cards.

"They're in every back seat pocket," said spokesman Phil Gee. "We figure while it's there, why don't we make it multipurpose?

– what’s next? Toilet paper rolls with ads on each sheet?

Speaking Experiences, 3rd

Prior to my speech to a group of managers in Bangkok, Thailand, I was told that audience members would periodically be leaving the room to take cell phone calls. To my surprise, every single member of the audience, at least two or three times each, left during his presentation to take calls. So for the entire session, people were constantly coming and going as I spoke.

On short notice, I was requested to speak in Zurich to Swissotel's general managers from their 16 facilities around the world. Because I had departed the previous afternoon from Los Angeles and arrived in Switzerland that morning, I only had time for a 30-minute nap before I had to get dressed, come downstairs, and address the group. The speech went exceedingly well, and apparently no one knew the difference!

Speaking Experiences, 2nd

When Jeff was retained to speak on board a cruise ship to the National Association of Women Business Owners, he was surprised and pleased to discover that he was the only male presenter onboard!

Another time, Jeff presented a half-day seminar to a group of association executives who were given nothing for breakfast and nothing during the breaks except for coffee or tea. By the third hour of the presentation, blood sugar levels and attention spans were dropping all over the room. Had he known in advance, Jeff would have brought bagels and cream cheese for everyone!

Survive a Plane Crash

Here is advice extracted from Mens’ Health on how to minimize the chance of, or survive, a plane crash…

1. Favor nonstop flights: The fewer takeoffs and landings, the safer. Check the weather, including in places you'll land; if the weather could be severe, delay your departure. Call the airline or your travel agent to help you.

2. Reserve the seat next to the emergency exit. If taken, choose an aisle seat in the rear half of the cabin.

3. Pay attention to the safety demonstration, including the instructions on opening the emergency exit. Count the rows between you and the exit in ease the plane fills with smoke. Eyeball an alternate exit as well. Practice opening your seat belt.

To Prepare for Impact

1. Ensure your seat belt is tightly fastened and your seat is fully upright.

2. The best impact position according to the Flight Safety Foundation is the feet-flat-on-the-floor position.

3. Put your forearms across the top of your forehead. If you can lean forward from this position and brace yourself against the seat in front of you, do it. If you can't reach the seat, bend forward, wrap your arms around your shins, and put your face in your lap.

4. If you're over water, loosen your shirt (and tie) so your movement isn't restricted – you could be swimming soon. Be ready for two jolts: when the plane first hits water and when the nose hits.

5. Be ready to help yourself. Most survivors get out of a plane under their own power.

National Business Travel Assoc.

The National Business Travel Association “connects the business travel world and promotes the value of business travel management. Travel costs typically represent a company’s second or third-largest controllable expense. And just as business travel is closely linked to the U.S. economy, so is professional business travel management linked to the achievement of a company’s goals and objectives.”

World Business Travelers

Here is the site for World Business Travelers