Speaker and Facilitator
I am often invited to be a speaker at conferences and business events. I also get asked to act as facilitator, making sure everything fits together, runs on time and that key messages are reinforced
At the Norwich Stuff Stigma Empathy conference, March 2008, which launched a three-year campaign to combat prejudice against people with mental health problems
My approach is to be open, straightforward, practical and amusing. It’s more important to understand the needs of the audience and prepare something that meets them.
Conference compère/facilitator National Federation of Enterprise Agencies conference, York 10-11 September "We are all delighted with the way the Conference went. We were breaking new ground in a number of ways, not least in having a facilitator, and we are really grateful for your contribution, which I know was based on a lot of thought and preparation, and which really made a difference." (George Derbyshire, Chief Executive) Keynote speaker Lancashire High Flyers event, Blackburn 25 September http://www.lancashirehighflyers.co.uk/events.htm Keynote speaker Elite Travel Group member conference – Lanzarote 18-19 October ‘Thank you for speaking at our recent conference in Lanzarote.’ Chris Turner, Conference Chairman ‘On both days I found your presentation very interesting and helpful. Small bullet points to get started were best’. Yasin Zargar, Managing Director, Indus Tours, www.industours.co.uk Speaker Shaping Norfolk's Future Conference 27 November 2008 "As a precursor to Shaping Norfolk's Future Conference 2008, Business Link arranged for Robert to present a seminar on networking. The target audience was people who run smaller or medium sized enterprises. In my opinion Robert's seminar was simply outstanding; It gave the participants a real insight into how to use networking to benefit their businesses and the key special feature was that all of it was absolutely usable - in fact I saw many of the tips being used effectively at the main conference that followed. It was simply wise practical advice that will help people improve their business - thank you." Mike Burrows, deputy chair, Shaping Norfolk's Future. |
Apart from speaking about my books, I am most often invited to work with audiences of young businesses and/or social entrepreneurs. I can get very passionate about the need for any organisation to be focused, enterprising, collaborative, receptive and fun. Having fallen in many of the small business pitfalls myself, I am amply qualified to help others avoid them.
I also read with great interest that management guru Charles Handy speaks at some events for nothing if in return, the organisers arrange for him to meet people from whom he can learn. (His autobiography, ‘My life and Other Important Matters’ describes how he has done this). He met Nelson Mandela by this route.
A number of the better speaker bureaux list me on their websites although understandably, their focus is on the major events where I can form part of a programme they are hired to put together.
Here are some reactions to my May 20 speech to the East Cambridgeshire Management Development Network: "Fantastic strategic talking" ... "Interesting and thought provoking" "A great practitioner of ringing the changes" |
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Hear what a recent audience had to say about my session on networking.