Interview
Mantra for change : right here , right now
Dan Ram was MC at UFI ’ s recent Las Vegas Global Congress . Paul Colston asks him about his experience there and thoughts on how to get messages across effectively and with creativity
You were the MC for the recent UFI Congress in Las Vegas . How was it leading an event for the ‘ event ’ industry ? Was there good energy in the room and how did you use that ? DanRam : The energy in the room was incredible ! It ’ s a combination of great friendships , anticipation for deep learnings and insights , as well as the ‘ Vegas ’ effect . And to be nominated as the event MC – an honour . I absolutely capitalised on the excitement by getting the 500-strong attendees on their feet to sing and dance along with our resident Vegas band , laugh along to our surprise opening keynote speaker ( a Vegas and America ’ s Got Talent legend ), and grabbing every creative opportunity to keep the audience engaged .
Which keynote approach did you use for the UFI Congress and how did you feel that message was received and how can it be put into practice in our events sector ? Unpopular opinion – the exhibition industry is slow moving in a quickly changing world . Ever-evolving customer expectations are outpacing adoption of new innovation , exhibition business and revenue models haven ’ t changed in decades , and conference / event formats are basically the same wherever in the world you go . And yet it ’ s undeniable that exhibitions are absolutely essential ( and valued ) by industries
and economies . So , how do we create the change we need and desire ? My mantra ‘ Start Now Start Simple ’ probably best summarises my view – the best time to change is right now and the best way to change is baby steps – keep it simple .
What do you believe are growth opportunities for the events and exhibitions industry ? Facilitated networking , local experiences , and differentiation are key to turning attendees into ambassadors . Let ’ s be honest – most of the content and information at events can be found online , so in my humble opinion the REAL reason people attend an event is for the personal connection and for oncein-a-lifetime experiences . As MC , I often facilitate speed networking , matchmaking activities and gamified connection moments from the stage so that attendees walk away with high-value contacts . While agendas and programmes are usually packed with incredible content , what attendees ultimately remember and share are special experiences .
“ People will forget what you will say , but they won ' t forget how you made them feel . Passion goes a long way !”
I encourage event and exhibition organisers to integrate local culture , cuisine , and community both in the main programme as well as in the evening line-up . And while there is safety in copying best practices from around the world , the greatest reward goes to those who lead the pack and that can only happen by differentiating .
As an MC I am committed to the desired culture and results of the clients who hire me but am also bold to recommend new approaches , new technology and new formats in the hopes that it creates higher ROI for the event .
What are some of the mistakes that speakers and MCs make ? Can everybody improve their on stage performance or is part of the technique in-built ? It ’ s undeniable that we are all competing for attention . One redundant sentence , a small delay due to tech failure , or poor programming and the phones are out , screens are on and attention is gone . The ultimate technique to getting and keeping attention is ... engagement ! My rule of thumb is to engage audiences every 5-7mins . I coach TEDx speakers and keynote speakers on enhancing storytelling , integrating audience engagement and keeping attention . It ’ s absolutely learnable !
Can you give some examples from the many events you have worked on and emceed where delegates / speakers have adopted your methods and achieved better results ? The best example is probably panels – the dullest of all formats on stage . It ’ s such a missed opportunity because usually the line-up is extraordinary and the subject matter of direct relevance to the audience . When you make audience engagement core to the planning
10 Issue 6 2023 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk