A tribute (and a tangible gift to help you at the end!) to Meeting Planners everywhere, written by Stephanie Staples of www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca
*** *** ***
Dear meeting planner, what can I say
To take your apprehension away
The first one to get there, the last one to leave
Dealing with the hotel and the meals and AV
Problems to solve, decisions to make
Running around, your reputation at stake
Keynote or plenary, panel or workshop
Budget and gift bags and travel non-stop
Who should you book, which speaker should you choose
One makes you a hero, one wrong choice and you lose
Their website looks good, they’ve mastered the art
Of seeming funny and witty and charming and smart
But real life is different, now you can tell
As the speaker descends from the high pedestal
She’s a prima donna, he wants first class
They both sell their products, but neither one asked
They grace you with their wisdom and bless you with their words
Why does the audience seem so perturbed?
What? No connection, no style, no content
No money back guarantee if they ruined your event
Dear meeting planner, what can I say
To take your apprehension away
I know you’ve been burnt and you’re scared as well
That each speaker you hire could make your life hell
But please rest assured we are all not so bad
Most work with integrity and most are so glad
That you allow us the privilege of sharing our passion
That you organize everything in a well-run fashion
That you do your job with what appears to be ease
So we can stand up and share our expertise
No standing ovation, no rousing applause
You wait in the wings until everyone’s gone
Your satisfaction lies in the evals that come in
Seeing people leaving with satisfied grins
We get the accolades and you get the mess
We get the paycheck and you get the stress
Dear meeting planner, what can I say
Thanks for what you do, you’re my hero today.
