Like Minds – more than a feeling
2 Mar
This fantastic video by @Documentally really gets to the heart of what People-to-People can mean for you. Scott Gould’s passion is evident in everything he does. I know that he would far rather shape and orchestrate the Like Minds events around these principles and bring in the speakers he believes can best befit the ideology but I would like to see Scott himself take to the stage to present his model for community based connectivity at the next event*.
For me, the real thing about this is that it isn’t smoke and mirrors and evangelical posturing that bully you into getting caught up in the moment or Scott’s extreme passion or Trey Pennington’s non –stop smiling; these are real achievable principles for any business, charity or organisation and rather than sticking a hefty premium on sharing the methodologies and strategies and how to apply them, there are a happy bunch of Like Minds people who want to enable everyone with access for all. As one of the official live bloggers of the event, it was extremely satisfying to be part of the process of connecting more people who could not be there.
The connections we make with the few or the many have depth if used correctly and social communication is the enabler of better community connectivity.
*Incidentally, everyone has an opinion on the next event. ‘The keynotes should be longer’; ‘Don’t change a thing’, ‘The panel discussions were hit and miss’ and ‘The lunches were brilliant’. For me, the event achieves a great deal in as short an amount of time as is available and beyond stretching to a two-day event where we all stay in chalets at Centre Parcs, I am not sure what the solution may be. If nothing else, it is a nice headache for an organiser to have.
Tags: connection, Exeter, like minds, likeminds, live blog, Marketing Donut, people-to-People, Scott Gould, social communication
Hi James -
Thank you *so* much for your kind words. Last time you threw down the gauntlet and challenged me – “why bother” – and it looks like we did our job in proving that being there on the day was well worth it.
I’m sure one day I’ll get around to saying a few words – it’s just that it seems self-serving to speak at your own event, and there are so many other people with things to say that need to be heard first.
Will keep in touch!
Scott
Thanks for reply. I think that as much as it is ‘your’ event (although i am sure you would be first to say it is the event of ‘The People’ ) it is you that has provided the platform for others to entertain your framework.
Im sure i have seen you say somewhere that you are looking to take on speaking engagements elsewhere and in turn you will fulfil the role akin to a guest blogger. Taking your thoughts and hosting them elsewhere to raise the profile and to engage with people who have a different perspective.
Anyway, the first one was great, no knocking of it. The second one was outstanding and as a live blog addict, the perfect opportunity to satiate my on-the-go content creation habit.
It is a very interesting question as to whether the event would be enhanced by Scott presenting his own views.
Of course, the people at that conference would be very interested in his views and opinions which are likely to be very insightful and valuable; and I would encourage him to present them through as many channels as possible. But for him to present his views at the event that he has organised would set up an awkward relationship with other keynote speakers. It would risk the event being about “what Scott thinks now”, which is evidently not what he wants it to be.
That is not to see that he should not present at LikeMinds at all. The event would certainly be enhanced by Scott presenting for longer at various points during the proceedings. Imagine an editorial in a magazine, in which the editor is explaining the theme of the edition and the ways in which the various pieces fit with one another to provide different perspectives on the theme. It could be done as one presentation, or as two (perhaps at the beginning and end) or as multiple connecting pieces of a few minutes between each main presentation. This kind of coordinating presentation could enhance the value of each presentation and of the whole event.
John
Thanks for commenting John. I love your parallels to a print publication editorial and as you will see in my reply to Scott above, i think that taking the framework of People-to-People at other events as a speaker would be a good strategy to build it up and to refine.
Hi John, James
Interesting points. My wife would agree with you, but I still feel uneasy about using the platform for me.
If others ask me to speak at events, great. But my voice for Like MInds is upon the way we run it. I don’t need to say it, because you can see it all around you when you are there!
S