09.02.08

I Should’ve Listened to my Mother

Posted in Events at 9:03 am by altersage

So despite the announcement yesterday that we were withdrawing our workshop due to weak sign-ups (which by the way we had warned them about since June 2008) and bad organisation (we had to initiate all contact from June and plead for information about the event), I decided: based on a number of reasons  that took place since first thing this morning to proceed and give the workshop regardless.

To put it into context why we decided to withdraw: we were informed that there were only 5 sign-ups to the workshop. All of which were either actual UCT or CPUT lecturers and professors or students.  My min requirement was at least 10 people. I thought it would be easy to place said attendees in another workshop as two ran concurrently in the morning and again in the afternoon.

Obviously the committee was informed first thing of my reconsideration. Turns out that they had not yet cancelled anything, so it was as if nothing had changed.

Carla and myself went through to UCT to present the workshop at 11 am - The Role of Search: Practical search engine marketing and other online brand building techniques.

We were met by the organising party thanking us for reconsidering our workshop.

What ensued for the rest of our 2 hours was absolutely shocking.

I’ve been to many conferences, either as delegate or as speaker. There is a set of generally followed procedures that are commom across all conferences, but it would seem that these organisers knew nothing of these.

We were briskly swept away to find our workshop venue, located a maze and five floors away from the reception area. Only to be met with a room filled with 34 desktops and nothing else.

During my courting for the day (July 2008) two months prior to the event, I had only two requirements for the workshop. A projector and a projector screen. One would think common items for any workshop.

Neither of which were in the room and my presentation was due to commence in 5 min.

I had to start my presentation without said items. Which was fine, the topic did not really need the visuals, but it does make matters easier to grasp. A full 40 min later only did the promised projector and screen arrive at the location. I at least managed to engage the delegates for some time during these 40 min -but it was a waste of my time and theirs, and my presentation could not run over, due to the afternoon sessions…

I was given nothing else for the course of my presentation. Not even a glass of water.

The workshop attendees were not even the people from the list that we had been sent by the organisers. This of course, an important element for workshops and talks as you have to prepare to the level of your audience for optimal engagement. On the note of ‘people have flown in to attend this workshop’ - I asked out of interest who had come from afar. All part one delegate (from Knysna) was from Cape Town.

To make matters worse, when the workshop ended, none of the ‘ever so thankful’ organising committee even so much as came to say good bye, checked to see how it went, or at least escourted us back to the reception. They were all AWOL.

No one was there to escourt us from our hidden location either. Access controlled doors meant we had to coax students to let us out.

To some of this year’s conferences which we attended, I thank you for the time and effort that you put in to ensure it was a success and the way in which you looked after your speakers.

To the organisers of the WWW Conference, I say please ensure that you make use of a reputable events organiser next time. This would ensure that you do not waste your speakers’ or delegates time or money.

*The workshop presenters are not reimbursed  or seemingly thanked in any way for their time. We were not even so much as offered to sit in on the main conference.

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