Released on: September 11, 2008, 5:03 am

Press Release Author: Marion Scher

Industry: Media

Press Release Summary: You get all dressed up for a great night out with your
workmates and arrive at the event to welcome cocktails – the evening’s looking good,
even though it’s a company anniversary bash or something similar.

Press Release Body: They’ve hired good music and the party’s getting better by the
minute. Even the food at this huge hotel is surprisingly good. There’s a short
introductory talk by the MC welcoming everyone with a sprinkling of humour thrown in
– so far so good. But as you finish the main course one of the company’s directors
takes to the podium armed with what looks like a book full of notes – the evening
could go downhill you think.
And more often than not you’d be right. He feels it’s his duty to extol the virtues
of this great organisation – possibly from day one up to today, with a few
statistics thrown in just in case you weren’t sure how great they are. Hot on his
heels comes the guest speaker who everyone awaits expectantly. After all he’s an
expert in his field and he’s bought with him the ubiquitous power point
presentation. It’s actually not too bad – not quite death by powerpoint, but way
too long – and doesn’t he know there’s an amazing dessert waiting to be served. And
why do the wine waiters disappear when someone’s speaking? Don’t they know
listening is thirsty work?
And just when you think it can’t get worse there’s the company awards ceremony,
where copious amounts of staff are awarded for everything from making really good
coffee to brightening up the office. It would be fine if done in house but the fact
that you don’t know any of them and have to clap enthusiastically 25 times in a row
is a bit of a pain and delays that darn dessert.
Eventually chocolate heaven arrives and the wine glasses are refilled. The dancing
starts but by now it’s so late on a weeknight that most people eat and run.
So what can be done to save such events? Firstly it would really help if the
speakers added human interest to their presentations, giving real life examples of
situations not just statistics and facts. Power points should be virtually banned
from gala dinners and kept to conferences – unless there’s a good degree of humour
to them and awards should stay in house.
If it’s a celebration keep the talking to a minimum and give your clients a good party…



Web Site: http://www.mediamentors.co.za

Contact Details: Marion Scher
Media Mentors
www.mediamentors.co.za
pr@mediamentors.co.za
082 467 6046