Meetings + Events

The power of gathering people

room space calculator

Find out how many people will fit in your room or what size room you need for your number of attendees.

Step 1
Choose a Room Layout type:

Step 2
Enter one of the following to determine the other:

Room Size:

sq.ft.

Capacity:

NOTE: This is a starting guideline only. Accuracy for your particular event cannot be guaranteed.

 

latest issue

Latest Issue

Grab the Mic, Grow Your Business

Grab the Mic, Grow Your Business

by Lauren Sergy

Being a professional speaker, I’m more than a little biased, but I’ll stand by this statement: Public speaking is one of the best ways you can boost both your career and your business. Few activities give you the same opportunity to make a connection with the people you serve while simultaneously building up your reputation as a trusted expert in your field. The keys to maximizing the ROI on your presentations are to focus on helping people solve a specific problem, treat the presentation like a multi-person conversation and seek out opportunities to put yourself in front of audiences you can help. Here’s how:

FOCUS ON SOLVING ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM
The best presentations revolve around a single useful take-away that the audience can quickly implement. There will never be enough time or attention span to go over everything you want, so be ultra specific. Instead of talking about disaster planning, talk about the three key steps to developing a good emergency plan. Instead of talking about using colour in your decor planning, focus on the impact of a monochrome versus complimentary colour scheme.

TREAT THE PRESENTATION LIKE A BIG MULTI-PERSON CONVERSATION
Really good presenters focus on creating a connection with their audience. You can ask your audience questions, invite them to share their ideas and so on. This is one of my favourite techniques to quickly get comfortable when giving a presentation. Keep it simple (i.e., ask for a show of hands) and don’t be afraid to call on specific people (“I see you nodding! What’s your favourite budget custom cocktail to offer at galas?”).

PUT YOURSELF IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES

There are loads of speaking opportunities out there. Associations such as MPI, ILEA and CanSPEP encourage peer-to-peer education; contact your local chapter and offer to give an educational talk at an upcoming meeting. Volunteer your services to Meetings Mean Business and give a short talk to your local council or chamber about the economic impact of the events industry. Share what you find most fascinating about your work with the general public at events like PechaKucha, Nerd Nite or TEDx. Local TV stations may welcome you on their morning shows for a short segment.

Dive in with both feet and grab that mic. Public speaking is an exhilarating experience—one that boosts your visibility, showcases your talents and makes a real difference to your career and business.

Lauren Sergy is a professional speaker, author and expert in public speaking and communication skills. Based out of Edmonton, she helps professionals, senior leaders and organizations across North America become more powerful communicators. laurensergy.com

 

other articles in this section

The Inside Scoop

Five Cool Things at…the Destinations International Annual Conference

Digital Event Boosters

What’s Ahead in Events

Event Decor in 2024

Tips for the Accidental Meeting Planner

Holiday Party Rethink

Destination Q&A: Bermuda

Event Design Roadmap

How Destination Vancouver is Building a Social Procurement Strategy

Sustainability in Action

Talk it Up!

International Women’s Day

The Dilemma: The Rising Cost of Events

Event Profile: Raising funds and spirits

2023 Trend Report

Better Booths

A Shift in Perspective

Timing is Everything

Spring Barometer Report

Getting Back Together Safely

Keep it Moving

Meetings Forecast

Ignite your Photo Ops

Post-pandemic Staffing Issues

Put DEI in your event’s DNA

Ignite your Video

Caring for the Caregivers

Green Business = Good Business

The Ignite Platform Primer

Case Study: Testing event restrictions

Making Space

Team Building Now

The Disposable Dilemma

Video Star

Case Study: Virtual Awards Show

Are you virtually covered?

Lights, Camera, Action!

2021 Trend Watch

Flight Forecast

Case Study: A hybrid event for meeting planners

Trading Spaces

Terms of Empowerment

Feeding the Future

Milestone reflections

Virtual Holiday Party Ideas

Case Study: Canadian Event Industry Awards

Stress Busters

Case Study: 100-person virtual mentoring event

The Power of Story

Event spotlight: ConferenceDirect meets at Caesars Forum Las Vegas

By the Numbers: October 2020 Edition

A Whole New [Virtual] World

Level Up

The Time is Now

Grab the Mic, Grow Your Business

Should you give interns a turn?

Up for Interpretation

Balancing Act

Back to Business: Insights from the MTCC

Back to Business: Insights from byPeterandPauls Hospitality Group

Back to Business: Insights from Industry Associations

Hands Off

Must-haves for the New Reality

Back to Business: Insights from White Oaks Resort & Spa

Gotta Get It: Golf Edition

The Art of Communication

Back to Business: Insights from Casa Loma Escape Series

The Ignite Guide to Masks

Parting thoughts

Back to Business: Insights from JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka

The new reality for... Speakers

The new reality for... Caterers

Fight Right

The new reality for... Team Building

Virtual Sponsorship How-To

The new reality for... Hotels

CanSPEP Connext Conference Kit

The new reality for... DMCs

How to turn delegates into social media brand ambassadors

The new reality for… CONVENTION CENTRES

Job Hunting Today

Your Event Contract Questions Answered

The New Reality for… RESORTS

Hack Away

Beyond Talking Heads

Keeping Connected

Be a Part of the Solution

Time Wise

One Big Virtual Reunion

There's No 'i'solation in Team

New Direction in a Time of Need

Financial Smarts

On the Bright Side

Talk to Me

Food Forward

The Value of Employee Sustainability

All the Right Moves

The Real Cost of RFPs

Valuable Video