MEETING Magazine, July/August 2009, Vol. 3

AFTER ACCEPTING THE President’s Award this year, I addressed our chapter. Although I didn’t expect to receive the award and so had nothing prepared, I discovered I had a lot to say.

You Affect All of Us
My commitment to our industry, like many of you, is to building a stronger industry. How you do what you do affects everyone in our Chapter. As planners and suppliers, if you organize a bad meeting, it affects all of us; conversely, if you create something amazing, it affects all of us.

We as a Chapter, even as an industry, are listened to based on the quality of meetings we organize. If a meeting does not achieve the desired result, we are all affected. Our industry is tightly connected. If a VP of Sales never sees an increase in sales due to the National Sales Conference then we become less important, less strategic and are less likely to be listened to as relevant. We end up relegated to presenting themes and finding entertainment. Now, more than ever we must deliver results. For some of you this means getting clear on the true intent of the meeting and finding content and process to achieve the intention.

Independent Yet Interdependent
Toronto Chapter remains one of the strongest chapters within MPI and I believe in this chapter and what we are capable of doing together. You influence the choices your clients make. You can take the easy way – the well-walked path that produces happy feelings without producing the intended result; or you can choose the way of results, finding the right way to engage and involve the participants to ensure they internalize the key messages and take action immediately following the meeting. Meetings of this nature increase our listening as an industry.

New Economic Consciousness Rising
Please, do not let this economic consciousness that’s transforming the world intimidate you. Get out there. Stand up. Stand up for the value you know you deliver or learn how to deliver that value. We believe a new economic consciousness rises from the crisis of confidence in the greed of the banks, financial companies and citizens. The economic crisis receives 24 hour attention on the Constantly Negative News station, CNN. Much like a child who cries for the loss of the toys he melted with the magnifying glass, they media focuses on the economic crisis they intensified.

At the same time, an economic consciousness continues to naturally grow and develop within us all. We ask more questions now and consider the long term consequences of our choices. The economic consciousness helps each of us choose more wisely. More conscious awareness in one part of your life makes you more conscious. As we grow and develop our consciousness, we notice more, experience more and improve more. Consciousness provides you with more choice and let’s face it – since poverty is the absence of choice, then wealth is more choice.

How do we choose more wisely every day? First of all, be careful what you allow into your unconsciousness. Do you remember what happened after the news when we were young? The TV went off. It stopped broadcasting. Now, hundreds of channels broadcast 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The impact of carelessly watching TV is that you may start to believe the media’s messaging, which brings us doom and gloom from every corner around the globe. The reality is that many people have given birth, gotten married, celebrated accomplishments and made the world a better place, which the media fails to recognize. Be careful what you watch and think about it all, for it affects you.

Choices
Choose clearly. Do you believe in economic crisis or economic consciousness? Find your intention so that you build your business and your life on a solid foundation. How do you do that? Well it is surprisingly easy. You choose your intention and notice how your mind indentifies supporting data and supporting opportunities. Having chosen your intention, you become less likely to absorb someone else’s intention. When they ask in hushed tones, “So how is business?” you can answer from your intention rather than from your fear.

Tie up your shoelaces, roll up your sleeves and find ways to deliver the intended results at every meeting. Let’s make this year the best one yet.