Creative Ideas:
A Memorable Way to Meet
Conference Speakers
By
Mike Brown
Want to stand out from the crowd and endear yourself to conference speakers?
I learned one of the best creative ideas to do just that last week at the MAGNET fall meeting.
MAGNET is a global network of non-competing, independently owned advertising agencies, and last week’s event in Jackson, MS brought together CEOs and principals from member agencies across the US and globally.
Sitting quietly near the front of the giant U shaped room layout waiting for the MAGNET event to start, I was looking over my notes for a new hour-long talk on creating strategic impact as a CEO within your organization. In the midst of visualizing the talk, Bruce Lev, Partner and Chief Creative Officer of LevLane Advertising approached.
Bruce introduced himself, handed me a business card, and said, “Mike, I’m sure you’re going to be brilliant, and I want to give you a card before everyone is gathered around afterward.”
Completely shocked and flattered, I’m not sure I said much more than thanks, tell Bruce he was very kind, and shake hands.
Sitting back down and reflecting on Bruce’s comment, I got up and went to the “power corner” of the giant U where Bruce was sitting to thank him once again for saying the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me before a speech. I told Bruce that when you’re by yourself before a speech and wondering if everything will go well, it’s incredibly motivating and reassuring for someone to say something as gracious as he did.
I’ll never forget that moment.
I don’t know if Bruce’s greeting was unique to me, or whether he says that to all the speakers–I wasn’t going to ask. No matter which it is, Bruce delivered the perfect message at the perfect time. For that, I’m incredibly grateful.
As someone who is generally hesitant to walk up and introduce myself to conference speakers, Bruce’s approach is one I can definitely see learning from and using in the future to completely brighten someone else’s day.
Mike Brown is the founder of the Brainzooming Group. He has been at the forefront of leading Fortune 500 culture change, contributing new approaches in research, developing simplified tools for innovation, strategy planning, and aligning sales, marketing, and communications strategies for maximum business results. Additionally, he’s won multiple awards for his strategic brand-building approach to customer experiences in NASCAR and conference event marketing efforts.
