Many big conferences and small training seminars continue to
be organised in a similar fashion with little effort or initiative to overcome
the common challenges.
Response to open invitations is painfully slow at the
beginning and organisers would have to work until the 11th hour to
rope in sufficient participants. They are often dismayed when a large number
that registered for free conferences and seminars do not show up.
When such meetings are organised not for profit, it would be wiser to
charge a token fee and return it to the participants in the form of useful
gifts, such as USB flash drives. The slides and notes forwarded by the speakers
can be stored in flash drives and distributed at the end of the day.
Just before the opening, it is usual to find the conference
hall or seminar room half empty as some participants would be late and those
that arrive early mingle outside. Participants would take their seats if a
short video is screened just before the opening and resumption after the lunch
break. This is more effective than calling or ushering them in.
While it is customary to introduce or acknowledge the presence of many
VIPs together with their long titles, it can be quite boring to those who are
more exposed. It is always refreshing to see the opening remark of a British
Prime Minister who would address all those present with just a “Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen” and get on with the speech.
Participants who had skipped breakfast may wolf down snacks served
during tea break and lose their appetite for lunch while those who had a good
lunch would be too full for any snacks during the afternoon break. As such, it
would be better to provide light breakfast during registration and only
coffee/tea during the breaks without affecting the budget. This would induce
the participants to arrive early in the morning and return swiftly to their
seats during breaks.
Speakers should not be invited based solely on their writings or
standing, however knowledgeable or authoritative they may be. If no one in the
organising committee has seen and heard a speaker delivered a presentation, it
is necessary to scrutinize a video or audio recording before extending the
invitation.
Listening to someone speaking English with a heavy accent for long
periods can be overly taxing. Participants tend to switch off when it is
difficult to make out what is being said.
It is well known that many people from West, South and North East Asia
have difficulty speaking English with a neutral accent. On the other hand,
Malaysian participants can give a culture shock to even the best foreign
speakers.
At a recent automotive conference, the renowned speaker who is
also a world best selling author of “The KPI Book” was greeted with silence
when he threw a question to the floor.
No one attempted to reply and the participants he looked at
for answers avoided eye contact! He was deeply hurt but carried on
professionally.
During the morning break, he could not get his cup of coffee
as he was bombarded with people trying to ask questions.
The same thing happened when he resumed his talk after the
break. Again, it was total silence when he asked a question. During lunch
break, he was swarmed with people asking questions.
Malaysians are naturally friendly but lack courtesy to the extent that
it can be perceived as rude, especially by foreigners.
It will be tragic if we choose
to say nothing and allow the fear of being ridiculed to be omnipresent in our
Malaysian society.
As rightly pointed out by the speaker who related his experience
in a published letter, our country may be left behind if Malaysians don’t ask
questions during training or conferences.
It is common for speakers to wait agonisingly after their
presentations for questions, which usually snowball towards the end of the
Q&A session.
As such, it is incumbent upon organisers to appoint some
members of the audience to start the ball rolling by raising questions or offer
replies to the speakers to avoid awkward situations.
Perhaps, the Malaysia Conventions and Exhibitions Bureau under
the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board can provide a template for organisers to
use as a guide.
Conferences and seminars must be organised efficiently for
their sustainability and effectively for the participants.
As they cater for up-market tourists and industry leaders,
their quality is a clear indication of the progress we have made as a nation
and the direction our country is heading.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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