Weddings & Conferences

I was at a wedding this past weekend, and it made me recall a parallel I have discussed with several members of my team. I thought it appropriate to share here. For anyone who works in conference/meeting facilitation, you may especially agree.

Anytime I have to plan a conference (no matter how big or small), I always have to tell myself “it’s just like a wedding”. That helps me never get too high, too low, too excited, too worried. Here is why I think this parallel works:

  • There are inevitably things that come up which you cannot control
  • The room will be too hot or too cold
  • The room will have audio/visual hookups that don’t work with certain equipment
  • It may be too bright/too dark
  • Someone will forget something or be unable to bring something for which they are depended upon
  • Your budget (whether it’s time, money, or energy) will never afford all of the things you’d like to have (“nice to haves”)
  • Prioritizing the “must haves” is incredibly more important than worrying about “nice to haves”
  • You will always have a momentary crisis (for some length of time) right before the event where you wish you had a million more hours to button up a million last-minute items
  • MOST IMPORTANTLY – more often than not, it all goes off without a hitch

So, next time you have to organize or facilitate any kind of meeting or conference – just tell yourself “it won’t be that bad” and “at the end of the day, the couple usually says ‘I do'”. Just like the team usually says “I do” after your meeting!

Til Next Time,

Michael