OK, well, she doesn’t exactly say that, but the anonymous association exec who writes View from a Corner Office does explore a recent Bob Putnam presentation at the Association Forum annual meeting about connections and community, and how we’re “mesmerizing ourselves into isolation.” And yes, TV is one of the named culprits (I have to agree with that one–not a big tube-head myself). It’s a fascinating look at a fascinating topic, and a must-read for anyone involved in the association world. But my favorite takeaway was this:

astonishingly, (at least if you are not the organizer) going to meetings lowers your stress levels.

I remember a horse I used to ride who was just nasty. Then they moved him to a different barn, with more horses in it, and he underwent a complete personality change just by having compatible neighbors around. Like horses, we are social creatures–we need regular interaction of the face-to-face kind. As for me, this post made me realize once again that I really do need to get out more. Wish I were going to ASAE!

Seriously. I hear requests all the time on the MIMlist listserv for templates, forms, etc., that people can use as a base to develop their own versions–sort of like best practices starter kits. But then, this morning, I read this post on Jeff De Cagna’s Association Innovation Blog about what’s bad about best practices, and it got me thinking (always scary!). Here’s a snip:

Great organizations do not create value for members, customers and stakeholders by copying the work of others. They understand that in today’s marketplace, creativity and originality are the primary drivers of value.

Whether it’s a sample hotel contract clause or a blueprint for making some big organizational shift, what’s a “best practice” for someone else might be a “worst practice” for your organization. Then again, why reinvent the wheel for the more boilerplate kinds of things and save your energy and creativity for the important stuff? My heart agrees with Jeff, but my head wants a little of one (finding out what others are doing and analyzing how something similar might work for you) and a lot of the other (really digging in to see what you can come up with that’s truly unique to your organization).

Then Kevin Holland blew me away with this comment:

But I’m also wondering: Just as important as understanding that there’s a limit to what best practices can teach us, isn’t there also a limit to what customers/members can tell us? The most interesting and innovative companies/organizations come up with products or services that their customers never even realized they needed and could never have pointed to in a survey. Organizations that slavishly devote themselves to fulfilling wish checklists based solely on focus groups and market surveys don’t leave themselves much room for innovation.

I hate to say it, but so many businesses and associations are still trying to figure out how to talk with their customers/members to figure out what they think they need. It would be a quantum leap for them to know their customers/members so well that they could come up with a must-have that their customers/members themselves don’t even know they want. Then again, it has been done. What would it take for you to get there, to create what Seth Godin calls a Purple Cow?

I’d like to think I’ve walked enough miles in your shoes to come up with something remarkable, something that has yet to be done for you all, but I have to admit that I’m not even close. It’s easy to say, “embrace the challenge of innovation,” but when it gets to the sweaty work, it’s easier said than done.

But getting back to best practices (or not), Jamie Notter kind of summed up my feelings in a comment on Jeff’s post:

Seeing something out there that inspires you to do your thing better is fine. But “best practices” is more than that. It is a mindset. Best practices are answers. When you go looking for best practices, you are looking for answers, and you are likely not spending enough time thinking about your questions…I think if you are clearer about your questions, then the issue of “fit” and “context” with the best practices that you come across will be more immediately apparent. Then what other people are doing CAN inspire your own innovation.

If your attendees include those of African American heritage, that Mexico meeting might not go over so well.

First Mexico President Vicente Fox uttered the unfortunate phrase that has ticked so many people of all colors off when he said that Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that “not even blacks” want. Now they’ve issued stamps featuring characters from the Memin Pinguin comic books (click on image above for a larger view of why people find this offensive).

I understand, but do not buy, the argument that this comic book is a part of Mexico’s heritage. It’s a comic book, for pete’s sake! Anyway, thought you might want to know.

I heard on the MIMlist listserv that the Washington Post is looking for event horror stories–and I’m sure you all have a few!

Tell us about an event you planned that didn’t turn out at all like you’d expected. If you have a 100 percent true story taken from your own experience concerning the above query, send it to
queries@washpost.com. Include your daytime phone number.

Recount your story in 250 words or less. We’ll pay you $50 if we use your tale.

I’m even tempted to give this one a try. Hey, why not?

Someone just e-mailed me to ask if I’ve encountered a meetings facility designed specifically/primarily with the medical/pharmaceutical industries’ needs in mind. It seems like I have, somewhere, sometime, but I can’t bring it to the front of my mind. If you know of such a thing, could you let me know?

Depending on where you stand on the recent Supreme Court decision that local governments may seize people’s homes and businesses– even against their will — for private economic development, you’ll either find this development hilarious or contemptible (I find it hilarious). Here’s the press release:

Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter’s land.

Justice Souter’s vote in the “Kelo vs. City of New London” decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner.

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter’s home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called “The Lost Liberty Hotel” will feature the “Just Desserts Café” and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon’s Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.”

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

“This is not a prank” said Clements, “The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development.”

Clements’ plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise investment capital for the project. Clements hopes that regular customers of the hotel might include supporters of the Institute For Justice and participants in the Free State Project among others.

Remember last week when I posted about a new idea Jeffrey Brown from TradeShowBlues had? Today we got the official press release about the project, called Book4Today. I think it sounds pretty interesting, and who knows, it might actually work! Here’s the P.R.:

New campaign launched to highlight $1 billion in new, short-term bookings for event venues.

The Great Event Venues of America™ and Book4Today campaigns seek to involve industry participants from all sectors.

COSTA MESA, CA (June 28, 2005) – In a year that has been filled with controversy surrounding the issue of excess space available at large metropolitan convention centers, a novel effort has been launched to help stimulate the market for short-term bookings at all kinds of event venues across the country. It brings together two branded efforts simultaneously – a new amalgamation of diverse venues called The Great Event Venues of America™ – the other is a high profile marketing and public relations play called Book4Today.

The two efforts have been designed to draw on the interest, talents and resources of many “invited participants” from different sectors of the tradeshow and event business to create a unique awareness and a call to action that will be heard throughout the industry.

With its focus on highlighting $1 billion in new bookings for events that will take place in the next year, the Book4Today website (www.Book4Today.com) will feature a regularly updated, telethon-like tote board that will track progress toward the goal. The tote board will eventually serve as the focal point for measuring the ongoing success of the campaign.

In addition, the site will serve as a mini-portal for participants, who are categorized into three groups: Participating Venues, Participating Event Producers, and Participating Industry Colleagues. All participants in the campaign will be fully recognized on the site according to their level of involvement.

At a minimum level, Participating Venues and Event Producers will be asked to “report in” on their new event bookings that will take place during the next twelve months. The non-duplicated aggregate of these bookings will be posted on the tote board as they are reported. Book4Today will publish a Weekly Report summarizing the latest activity. Participating Industry Colleagues will be able to contribute to the campaign in many ways from simply offering up good ideas all the way to products and services. They can also help track down unreported, qualified bookings that can be added to the tote board.

Jeffrey D Brown, a 25-year veteran of the publishing, advertising and tradeshow business, conceived The Great Event Venues of America™ and Book4Today campaigns. Brown is probably best known in the industry as the founder, publisher and editor of TradeshowBlues.com, the 4-year old online human-interest news and entertainment magazine for “tradeshow and event enthusiasts.”

“When I first thought about these campaigns, I was reminded of the great Live Aid concert 20 years ago and other similar large scale awareness efforts over the years,” said Brown. “This is not quite the same thing, but there are parallels and we hope to utilize some of the best of those ideas.” Brown hopes to mobilize his diverse audience, which crosses nearly the entire span of the tradeshow and event industry, to “discover” the benefits associated with participation.

Brown and his company, AttendSource, Inc, the publisher of Tradeshow Blues, have started the campaign as Initiating Sponsors, but will be seeking other organizations and individuals to join them in what he believes will be “a great marketing adventure.”

No matter what happens, the whole effort will have some reality-like programming. Brown, who already writes 3 blogs, and much of Tradeshow Blues, has committed to a fourth blog, the Book4Today Official Blog & Chronicle that is already candidly following the entire project from launch to “wherever it’s going to go.”

Those interested in participating in the campaign are encouraged to visit the Book4Today website for more information. The site, which is partially complete, contains about 25 pages of information with more content being added daily.

An interesting idea from an article on hotel-online: Have the executive management personally greet just one customer a day, take them to their room, and generally make a human connection. I don’t know if that’d make a huge difference or not for the guest, but it sure would for the managers!

For a meeting planner’s perennially aching feet, here’s an article from Julia O’Connor of Trade Show Training that offers some tips on how to keep those dogs from barking all over the expo hall. A snip:

Just before bedtime, soak your feet in warm water. Rinse in cold water. Massage your feet, ankles and calves with Ben-Gay, Tiger Balm or other such product. Put on an old pair of socks that you’ll throw away the next day. Sleep and you’ll have refreshed feet for another day of walking, standing and talking - and walking some more.

Three recently fired waiters from New York’s “21″ Club, eatery of the rich and famous, say that it was their age and accents that got them fired, not drinking on the job or making a “derogatory gesture.” OK, age discrimination is one thing, but accent bias? Oui, they say, according to this article:

“There is an anti-French sentiment that appears to be in keeping with the times,” the trio’s lawyer Edward Hernstadt told the Daily News yesterday…The waiters claim that one manager, Jeffrey Sacchet, “expressed glee” over his perception that President Bush “hated the French.”

He and another manager, Chris Haarsgaard, also ridiculed one man’s accent and banned waiters from talking in French while allowing Spanish and Greek staff to speak in their native languages, the suit claims.

The restaurant says that two of the three were dumped for drinking wine on the job, and the third for making a “derogatory gesture” to a chef while arguing over a hamburger. “The waiters are seeking $375,000 in back wages and $5 million in punitive damages.”

I don’t even know what to say about this one!