Ideas for branch meetings

[TraceyM]

A plant quiz is a great idea. We are very keen to have plants brought in for meetings so this would tie in well.

We also used to have a mini table show which stopped when the meetings were cancelled. This is something I am keen to start again.

[Stuart]

There's one speaker who, to me, has always stood out way ahead of any other speakers. I think I'm right in saying he's the only speaker to have received a standing ovation at a UK Convention. I've had many conversations with him about speaking at Branch meetings and we both agree that the main priority should be entertainment followed by education. Even 'holiday slides' can be entertaining but without the entertainment factor, even the best habitat or greenhouse slides can be dull. I'm not suggesting that the speaker should burst into song or have a dance routine but just a few 'novelty' slides or comments like Ernie mentions can add the entertainment factor. It can make all the difference between a new member turning up a a branch meeting and then coming back for more.

Stuart

[el48tel]

@Stuart
I could not agree more with the sentiments you express.
Anyone can slam together 100 pictures into a PowerPoint show, but only a real artist can give a memorable presentation.
It's... pace ... change in style ... variety ..... etc to give something for all. 30 people in the audience require 30 different expectations and outcomes.
The most boring show ..... monotone .... 100 nearly identical badly photographed pictures ..... even worse 300! .... textual content read out ... text filling the whole slide .... need I go on? There's plenty of good Internet and TV shows which give clues and examples about "artistic style".

[Chris L]

@Stuart
I could not agree more with the sentiments you express.
Anyone can slam together 100 pictures into a PowerPoint show, but only a real artist can give a memorable presentation.
It's... pace ... change in style ... variety ..... etc to give something for all. 30 people in the audience require 30 different expectations and outcomes.
The most boring show ..... monotone .... 100 nearly identical badly photographed pictures ..... even worse 300! .... textual content read out ... text filling the whole slide .... need I go on? There's plenty of good Internet and TV shows which give clues and examples about "artistic style".

Not quite on topic but I can well remember the sinking feeling when speakers would get towards the end of the fourth or fifth magazine of slides and really be hoping they were wrapping up only for them to get another full tray of slides out. These days of course one doesn"t get that now as we don't know how many slides there are.

[el48tel]

@Stuart
I could not agree more with the sentiments you express.
Anyone can slam together 100 pictures into a PowerPoint show, but only a real artist can give a memorable presentation.
It's... pace ... change in style ... variety ..... etc to give something for all. 30 people in the audience require 30 different expectations and outcomes.
The most boring show ..... monotone .... 100 nearly identical badly photographed pictures ..... even worse 300! .... textual content read out ... text filling the whole slide .... need I go on? There's plenty of good Internet and TV shows which give clues and examples about "artistic style".

Not quite on topic but I can well remember the sinking feeling when speakers would get towards the end of the fourth or fifth magazine of slides and really be hoping they were wrapping up only for them to get another full tray of slides out. These days of course one doesn"t get that now as we don't know how many slides there are.

Even so .... in the good old days when I did presentations for a living, we had customer evaluation forms. You did your presentation. You gave out the evaluation forms. You took them in. You analysed the results. You gave the results to the team leader. You prepared the next presentation accordingly. It focused the mind.

[Stuart]

Sadly, it's much easier to criticize meetings than it is to come up with anything new. There are some speakers I always look forward to seeing even if they're talking about a genus I don't particularly grow. The last time my voice-activated label writer came to a meeting with me the subject was 'A-Z of Lithops' It's so long ago that I can't remember who the speaker was but the meeting was a series of alphabetical close ups of Lithops leaves, just a picture and the name followed by another picture and name etc etc, nothing on cultivation. At the break I think it was up to L.Julii and after the break forms of Karasmontana and Lesliei seemed to go on forever. What a relief to get up to L.Werneri. That was the last meeting she attended.

Stuart

[Chris L]

Thankfully for every speaker who we might not want to see again there are lots and lots more that give wonderful, informative and knowledgable talks about all manner of things.

A lot of speakers often travel miles and miles to give a talk, sometimes to quite small audiences, and usually for little reward other than the knowledge that they have entertained their audience for the evening.

Branch meetings are ephemeral and fleeting and should be cherished. Long may they continue.

[juster]

Yes Chris, you have put that well.

[el48tel]

Chris ...

[Chris L]

Yes Chris, you have put that well.

Chris ...