Friday
There comes a time when business supersedes everything else. As much as I wanted to attend sessions today, there was too much else that took precedence . However, Anita and I made a pact that we would go through the WWP proceedings and study the sessions we had planned to take and report on them after the event was over. (Making a deal with someone else is more effective than making a pact with yourself…sometimes being beholden to others forces you to do things you wouldn’t otherwise prioritize.)
The Closing keynote speaker was fun (fun-ky?) Because of the prior evening festivities and/or the early start of the presentation, this closing normally draws fewer attendees than the opening sessions. This is too bad, as Dr. Ridderstrale was engaging and informative and delivered a different perspective to business as we know it.
We then popped over to the Expo Show Office to reserve our booth space for next year in Orlando. As always, Kim Coffey & T.J. were a great help to us and we reserved a good location on the floor.
Another honor that I enjoy experiencing is the ability to attend the Fellows luncheon. This year it was held at the Adolphus Hotel restaurant…they had a private function room set aside for us. Even after a year it still amazes me that I am in the company of IFMA’s major luminaries. It was an enjoyable and gratifying break from the hectic pace of the WWP experience.
After lunch, it was time to break down the FMCC booth on the Expo floor. The process has gotten easier with time…we now understand the requirements and methods of shipping from the Expo floor, which facilitated the process. It was nice, too, that Anita and I were helped by Kit Tuveson & Tim O’Malley…two of the FMCC Executive Board members. Many hands really do make light work
All of a sudden, it is time to get ready for the Awards of Excellence. Being a recipient of an award this year, I need to be ready for a dress rehearsal in mid afternoon, spoiling all my other social engagements for the day. Oh well.
So, here we are at the stage. The Emcee is going through his spiel and we are given our marching orders (literally) about where to walk, X marks the spot, stay in line, remember who is in front of you and behind you and keep smiling no matter what. Having been through this before, the whole process isn’t as intimidating as it once was; however, for the umpteenth time, I know I’m going to trip on stage, about three steps before I get to Dave Brady for my award.
Once we arrive at the rehearsal, we are invited to a VIP reception in the “Green Room”. This sounds fairly prestigious, but it is really an attempt to corral us all and ensure that no one is missing for the Award ceremony. More than once I have witnessed staff running around, searching for a recipient who is due on stage and is no longer with the group. This tends to disrupt the carefully orchestrated event.
Chablis & Jeff Tafel, have been through this before, so when I ask (very nicely) if I can run up to my room and change my tie (just kidding!), they whip out the handcuffs and chain me to a table.
This is a great time for some really good networking. Everyone in the room has performed outstanding service for the Association, so there is plenty to talk about.
I was lucky enough to spend some quality time with Linda Beverly & Shari Epstein from IFMA. Both of them tend to keep very busy all the time and the demands of World Workplace increase their responsibilities exponentially, so it was great to actually sit and talk with them without feeling too guilty about taking them away from other duties. It was very gratifying to hear that they were accepting an Award for all of the IFMA staff. If any group of people deserves recognition for what they do, it is the hard & dedicated workers who contribute so much to the success of the organization.
Time to queue up for the presentations. I’m number 11 in line. As my predecessors make their way on stage, I hear the Emcee joking with them. Great! Something else to worry about. What’s he going to say to me? How will I react? After all, there are only about 2000 people watching me. I console myself with the thought that, no matter what happens, the crowd will be entertained.
I make it on & off stage. I don’t fall flat on my face. The Emcee leaves me alone. I clutch my award and head to dinner.
This was a wonderful Awards ceremony. The format for recognizing new IFMA Fellows was an innovative and effective way of creating a true understanding of what being an IFMA Fellow means. Everyone I talked to commented on this.
Two other highlights of the evening were being able to go to the IFMA Staff table and congratulate them on their award, and being asked to pose for a picture with Andrea Sanchez & Laurie Steiner from the FMJ. I am ever thankful for their support and willingness to publish my articles.
And then to bed, to another flight home, to anticipation of the next World Workplace. After all, we all need something to which we can look forward to in life.
-Bill C.
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