1

To be entertained – part of an enjoyable, well organised, energised event.

2

To learn something they didn’t know before. To have their thinking challenged.

3

Networking opportunities

To make new contacts and friends, to have new conversations that lead to new opportunities.

Practise does make perfection…

Many events do not focus enough on these three elements. Its important to get the conversation going and connect people, ideas and questions with answers,  nothing impresses a ticket holder more than making great contacts – they will return

Preparation: Prep starts a few weeks/months out, working with the organisers, their production team to confirm the major themes and the make up of the topics, the structure and flow of the panels and the timing and order. The running order of the panels, the questions and the tone is vital – as get this wrong, the room will be half empty by lunchtime.

It is important to take the  time to prepare the speakers with prep calls, and complete extensive research on each speaker and on every panelist. This also helps build empathy as we go through the their thought process, experience and what they want to say, versus what the theme of the panel is.

Audiences: Most audiences are very demanding, discerning, wealthy and powerful. Some events may have  a $1trillion in the room. Powerful Families, UHNW people, government officials, sovereign funds and large multi national Family holdings – all of whom are well informed, intelligent, impatient, have access to great data, but attend because they want to learn something new, find good contacts and discover new opportunities