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RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL <strong>REIA</strong> MEETING<br />

When I'm invited <strong>to</strong> speak at an event, I will always bring a stack of<br />

CDs that I plan on giving away for free. Towards the end of my<br />

presentation I'll hold up the CD, tell the audience what it is, and then<br />

mention that it's entirely free. I'll generally have a couple of copies<br />

with me while I'm on stage. A few people will then run up <strong>to</strong> the<br />

stage <strong>to</strong> get their own copy. Now that the audience has seen the<br />

demand for this product, I mention how there are plenty more over<br />

at the sales table. As I've said before, everyone loves getting<br />

something for free and it's rare that people don’t rush over <strong>to</strong> the<br />

sales table <strong>to</strong> pick up their copy.<br />

A Schedule of Events<br />

If you've ever been <strong>to</strong> the theater then you'll be familiar with the<br />

Playbill. This is a small pamphlet describing a bit about the show<br />

and the people acting in it. More importantly for us, however, it also<br />

gives the audience a general idea of how the show will be<br />

scheduled. It tells them what acts come first, when the intermissions<br />

are, and what the last act will be. This can be a wonderful thing <strong>to</strong><br />

have at an event for a few reasons.<br />

The first reason <strong>to</strong> have a schedule is for your own benefit. Some<br />

events will be very long and the audience will begin <strong>to</strong> lose their<br />

concentration after a few hours. You'll want <strong>to</strong> give them regular<br />

breaks where they can stretch their legs and use the bathroom. Since<br />

every event has a certain flow <strong>to</strong> it, these breaks should be planned<br />

at just the right point. These intermissions should come at a time<br />

when one concept has been completely delivered but before a new<br />

one is introduced, just like acts in a play.<br />

Some events will include a meal, and this needs <strong>to</strong> be planned for as<br />

well. You do not want <strong>to</strong> have the wait staff serving food in the<br />

middle of the keynote speaker's presentation. The meal itself will be<br />

a bit of a distraction so you may want <strong>to</strong> give the audience time <strong>to</strong><br />

eat before moving on <strong>to</strong> the next part of the event. Don't forget <strong>to</strong><br />

include time for clearing the tables, as this will also be a distraction.<br />

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