Tag: events

Say what matters now

Posted on by philipdodson

Today was my Mum’s 80th birthday and we all gathered as a family and celebrated with cards, presents and cake etc.

Afterwards, I took a moment to say some words to celebrate her life and to reminisce and to talk about an amazing life full of achievements and milestones, but also to add about all the things that she had done for me and the family. To thank her and show our collective appreciation.

I’m not saying this to blow my own trumpet, the point is to say the kind things about people now, at this moment, whenever and as often as you can.

Often we wait for funerals to send flowers and more importantly, to say kind words about people who matter.

Show appreciation now, don’t wait, let the people who matter in life hear the kinds words in their ears, as none of us knows what is around the corner.

The event that no one came to

Posted on by philipdodson
Photograph by Stefano Borghi-Cartier
Photograph by Stefano Borghi-Cartier

If you have ever been involved in organising events, then you’ve probably been there, unless you have been super fortunate or you run always the world’s most amazing events.

I perhaps have not and I have had a few ‘no shows’ or events with just a fraction of what I expected as a turnout.

Two things, I have always enjoyed even the smallest events, OK when no one comes it’s a little harder conversation wise.

Most importantly, no one died. The world didn’t end. I learnt and ran another event.

The learning is to make your event as focused as possible on providing something worth people exchanging their time for. It is what will be useful to them, not you.

It is about creating and offering value.

A glass of free orange juice, some crisps and a chance to network has been done. Done to death.

Be bold, be different, and realise that it is not about the number of attendees, it is to make sure the event was valuable enough to get the attendee(s) back to the next one and telling others what a great event it was.

No matter how many come to your event, keep going, but keep making it the best you can.

Patience, perseverance and a value to others from the event are three things to not lose sight of.