Attending Seminars

I not only promote a lot of events, I also attend a lot of
events. I not only go to events to learn what they
have to teach, but to see how they do the events as well.

For me, it's all about the content of an event. I always
tell clients and friends that people will always forgive
poor production, but they will NEVER forgive poor
content.

I go to many events where people spend an inordinate
amount of time trying to make the event "sexy." They
spend a lot of time and money trying to make an event
more like a Broadway show than a learning seminar.

It's great to make your seminar or event comfortable,
but don't go overboard and waste money on the
minutia. People who attend your event, if they are asked
years later, will remember whether or not you have
delivered on great content. NOT whether or not you
served Filet Mignon for one of the dinners.

Speaking of which, I think it is a mistake to feed people
at your events. You can spend tons of money feeding
people and none of that money will contribute to people's
long term view of how good the event was.

I suggest you omit the dinners and meals.

How do you make yourself the "star" of a seminar where
you're just an attendee? Simple. Make some amazingly
inciteful comments during the event. Make them short
and to the point.

At the Les Brown event I mentioned, I made a few choice
comments during the event. They must have been pretty
good because at the breaks, I was holding court.

You can do the same. Ask good questions. Make intelligent
comments. As Bill O'Reilly says: keep it pithy!

A lot of people who do seminars feel that they are too
intelligent to attend seminars. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Not only do I learn a lot by attending
events, I also find some great contacts for JVs and
possible coaching clients.