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Are you in the Meetings Mindset?

Meetings Mindset’s Jonathan Bradshaw asks if we are prepared for the meetings we are attending.

It was Sunday, March 18 2007. I was in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the opening ceremony of the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) European conference. As the music began, indicating the start of the opening session, I looked around and experienced something I’ve never felt before or since. It only lasted a few seconds.

Where was I? Literally, where on earth was I?

I had flown in excess of 200 times in the previous three years, over 30 in the preceding three months and yet suddenly, and without warning, the adrenaline that kept me going seemed to ebb away. A mixture of fatigue and confusion seemed to sabotage my senses as I was left wondering where I was and what I was doing. For a few seconds I recognised no one and had no idea even which country I was in, never mind which association’s conference I was at.

After struggling through the day I contemplated the events in the comfort of my hotel room. I’d not prepared or given the conference a moment’s thought; I’d not looked at the list of speakers or the social programme; I’d not checked the delegate list and identified who I needed to meet; I hadn’t checked in with myself to see how I was feeling and thinking and made any necessary changes to my mindset that could help me perform better. I’d also been eating badly and had limited physical activity in recent months. In essence I’d not prepared, not mentally, not physically and not practically. I hadn’t been curious about the conference and how I could prepare for it or perform at it. That night the concept of Meetings Mindset was born.

Consider for a moment the investment necessary for delegates to attend international conferences. It is likely that the cost of registration, flights, accommodation and onsite food and beverage will amount to several thousand pounds. Whether this is an investment made by the delegate personally or via their employer, in these times when every penny has to be justified in terms of ROI, examining the benefit a delegate gets from attending such a conference has never been more important.

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