track 24

[00:05.26] Right, I've called this quick meeting because I've got to

[00:07.26] organise the annual sales conference this year and I want

[00:10.75] to avoid a few of the pitfalls. I know you've all been to a good number of conferences of one kind or another over

[00:16.51] the years, so I'd be grateful for a bit of advice if you can.

[00:20.76] What can go wrong, do you think, Candice?

[00:23.26] C: Well, I really look forward to conferences, meeting

[00:27.01] colleagues from other offices and old friends who've

[00:30.51] moved to other jobs and other organisations, and it gets

[00:33.51] me out of the office in my working time, so what I really

[00:37.50] look forward to is going somewhere exotic, somewhere

[00:39.76] I couldn't afford to go to if it was me who was paying.

[00:43.26] I can remember a really awful conference held in some

[00:46.76] ugly industrial town just because it was easy for most

[00:50.26] delegates to get to, when what we really wanted was, you

[00:53.26] know, somewhere a bit more unusual. They should've

[00:56.51] sent us to South America or the Far East or something.

[00:59.26] I mean, it didn't even work out cheaper in the end.

[01:02.51] M: Good point. What about you, Igor?

[01:05.01] I: I can remember a one-day conference which got off

[01:08.51] to a dreadful start because the woman who was going

[01:11.01] to give the first speech - very distinguished she was

[01:13.50] too - just couldn't handle the technology, you know.

[01:16.01] I think she had a PowerPoint presentation prepared,

[01:18.75] but she couldn't make it work. Mind you, it wasn't the

[01:21.26] computer or anything like that - it was her, and she got

[01:28.26] nervous and lost her place and started repeating herself

[01:29.26] and it spoilt the whole day, got everyone in a bad, uncooperative state of mind. She really should've practised a

[01:34.75] bit beforehand. It's not that difficult.

[01:37.76] M: OK, thanks, Igor. And you, Paula?

[01:39.01] P: I can tell you about a conference held in an old

[01:43.50] 19th-century hotel in Oslo. The place really wasn't suited

[01:48.51] to the sort of conference this was supposed to be. For

[01:51.26] instance, the keynote speech was in the dance hall, with

[01:55.25] everyone sitting on plastic chairs and nowhere to take

[01:59.26] notes. They should've hired one of those purpose-built

[02:02.26] conference centres. The organisers, I mean - much better:

[02:05.76] decent air-conditioned lecture theatres, comfortable

[02:10.51] padded seating ...

[02:11.25] M: Yes, but more expensive, I guess.

[02:13.26] P: Sure, but it gives a better impression.

[02:16.01] H: You're right about that, but I can tell you what most upset

[02:20.50] me.

[02:21.26] M: What's that, Harry?

[02:22.26] H: It was the people.

[02:23.51] P: The people? But you go to a conference to meet people,

[02:26.51] Harry, be reasonable!

[02:28.26] H: No, the people hired to run the conference, you know,

[02:31.51] the stewards and receptionists. This was that sales

[02:34.25] conference, a number of years ago now. You might

[02:36.76] remember it, you were there. They were all so rude

[02:40.51] and offhand. I just don't think they'd been given any

[02:44.26] training in customer service, so we were lost and fed up.

[02:48.26] It completely ruined the four days we were there, and

[02:51.01] you know, it was a lovely place. Should've been a great

[02:54.51] conference.

[02:55.26] M: So, we have to make sure we get the right people. Finally,

[02:59.76] you, Susan.

[03:01.26] S: It's hard to remember, actually What?

[03:03.01] S: I mean it's hard to remember a good conference, in

[03:06.26] my case. I hate them all. But, you know, being in a

[03:11.25] wheelchair doesn't help. It's not the lifts or things like

[03:14.76] that. It's staying in hotels - somehow, they're never

[03:19.01] quite right for someone like me. I just find the rooms

[03:22.50] unsuitable, too hot or too noisy, things like that, and I

[03:27.75] find it difficult to sleep in a strange bed.

[03:31.01] M: There are several things there which I'll have to bear in

[03:34.01] mind. Thanks, Susan. So what other advice can you all

[03:38.50] give me before I go off and start emailing people?