Been doing well on the event front recently, despite being too knackered to post much about it but Friday turned into a good one.
Got rung at home, about an hour before I was due-in and told to take an event in our big hall but given very little info to go-on.
When I got there it turned out to be a showcase for various projects related to China and all the high-ups were being very cagey about who and what - other than it was sticking to the running order.
The reason was that a top-level member of the government was expected but was expected to “drop-in” but his office was going all on-off-on-off about it.
So he didn’t show but when this was finally communicated to me it was with the “don’t worry, you will definitely get to look after him in when he comes on an official visit in September!” - Yegods!
So instead, this rather unassuming chap who was just hanging around and chatting to me about all sorts of stuff was bumped-up to fill the Minister’s shoes - It turned out he was only the government’s First Secretary for China!
Been a while since I posted here - And once again, its the Chinese connection!
Last thing yesterday I got a call asking me to handle the media for an event involving our chinese tie-ups and a local schools project. Late, OK but straightforward enough.
So I arrive to find two of our most senior board members having a smoke outside beside the front door - so I paid my respects and chatted a little to se what had got them out of their vault.
“Can’t talk now - that looks like the Consul General’s car,” - and it was. The Chinese Consul General. Shit! - nobody even assumed I’d need to know this!
So I sauntered-in to meet the press, onlly to see the head of a national-level artistic body standing there (thank fuck I’ve worked with him before!) so it seemed his guys were involved too and with no prep whatsoever, went to see what the group of journalists were wanting.
Well, the public part of the event was a straight-up success and when I got through to the reception after, I turned round to find the chief and another senior board member who greeted me with a huge smiles. Of course the CG would get them to turn-out too.
Beads of sweat should have been forming but three drops Rev23 helped me keep things cool and in control.
Ohhhh… That Mobocaster… Sorry mate. Didn’t remember who you were.
Sounds like an interesting situation. And now I remember that it was Rev 23 that I had. So how did we get to Rev 32?? Still miss my rev 26.
How - I had half a bottle of Rev23 stashed in my desk at work for when I needed topups/boosts but its been pressed into service when I ran out of Rev32.
Well, judging from the two very nice thank you emails I got from the CG and his Attache this morning, they were very impressed and pleased with the way I handled the press for them and for arranging a copy set of our PR images.
That’s all the RSVPs and other prep dealt with and sent away - So the whole job is handed-on to the security guys and other types who deal with etiquette and the exact formalities to have their final say on what’s happening.
For the size of the event, I don’t think I have ever spent so-many hours on planning/getting stuff right - I’m not kidding when I say that organising a music/literary festival with a couple of hundred speakers/performers and a 5-figure number of public was a whole lot easier.
In the meantime, tomorrow, at short notice, I’m going to take care of a small government agency delegation - As if I don’t have flaming enough to do!
Todays one is going really well - The main speaker turned-up with her dog. A really friendly little mutt that promptly soaked itself in the grss outside, then proceeded to scent mark the entire hall.
it also misses its owner - So while she speaks, I walked it, thn someone else did and dropped it into a nearby office who showered it with love. The thing still whined loudly for its owner!
Meanwhile owner has managed to alarm one of our most senior people - by dropping the “C-word” into her talk, several times. All in perfect context of course but some people can’t be placated.
They are also building an an art installation in another room - apparently it looks like a giant toilet. I’ve not been over there but I’m dreading going already.
3 drops A314, 2 sprays 2xIH and 30mcg P74 - and I’m needing every bit of calm, engagement and control it gives me. This is going to be a long day!
That’s us ready for the Prez tomorrow - In all my years, no other event has been such a fucking nightmare to put together.
Not helped of course by a campaigning group launching a campaign highlighting this particular country’s various human rights abuses, torture etc. Three suits steamed-in on our final walk through and as a result, Special Branch presence and visible security has now tripled. And I’m going to be sat right beside the Prez’s ADC and the senior Police Officer - so there will be no doubt who gets the blame if everything fucks-up.
Then the news came through that there have been a lot more nationals invited than we initially agreed. Then the Embassy contact told us something long the lines of - “our nationals don’t do bookings, or tickets and will turn-up whatever, expecting to see their Prez” - is that an apology in advance if a riot breaks out?
So thank-fuck I’m on good terms with the Tech team - I now have a small video and sound crew, a live video link and an overspill room. Normally it takes a good week to organise but I got it within three hours. Ho-hum! :o
I also negotiated a party deal with the media - So there will be only one photographer/TV crew at each of the venues involved - They will share footage/images but the public reception at the end is still liable to be a free for all but by then he will be off my hands.
So tomorrow, I will be using my treasured A314 UFE and I will be using a lot of it!, unmoderated, unsteered and unadulterated in any way. Today was three drops Royale - and its more sociable edge may have helped ease my way with some of the egos and difficult personalities involved.
I can’t wait for sanity to return but after that lot is over, I have been asked to drop by a funding event on another part of the site to see that the new girl is managing OK. So that’s me till 9pm!
That has been a hugely successful if occasionally challenging day. The President is very pleased - We are already getting news coverage about our “private,” media-free presentation, and there was no sign of a protest.
In fact the place was packed-out with a very friendly and family oriented audience/guests, I got-on very well with the ADC and senior security/protocol people from his side, his own media people who more or less just followed me around all day and let me tell them what to shoot. The President and his wife were charming and although initially polite and distant, they soon relaxed and it was laughter all the way. My own chief of organisation thanked me personally for a good job well done - and it does trouble me that this guy can be a cunt to almost everyone, except apparently me! :o
Self effects - if apparent are that I’ve been in a particularly cool, calm and determined but entirely untroubled frame of mind all day. Taking the task in hand seriously and coping with the hurdles with ease - there were several. The aforementioned media crew for one, who were nowhere in the plans but I had kept an extra press box for exactly this kind of situation and positioned our crew in the gallery in a way that allowed the other to fit-in at the last minute without problems.
Then there was the little surprise when the whole entourage arrived nearly 40 minutes early and some people needed to finish their prep in a hurry - which happened!
Now relaxing with a quick coffee and playing catch-eyes with a pretty Asian woman - Thai maybe? The dose during the day was 4-drops A314 UFE, neck and wrists, with a brief wash and topup of two more drops UFE after approx nine hours.
The new whizz-kid in communications/marketing had been given an important but fairly straightforward job to do. Namely arrange a reception/presentation session at two sites for a ministerial delegation from an Asian country where we are expanding our presence. Tomorrow!
Well, they sat on it and didn’t do shit, until early this morning when they started sending emails to all and sundry talking as if it was already sorted. Attempting to cover their ass basically - which isn’t good as the mention of their very name tends to set people’s teeth on edge.
So for some reason, the all and sundry all called me - saying something along the lines of WTF is going-on.
So I quietly dropped a note on one guy’s desk, quickly called one of the old-hands for a quiet chat and made a few encouraging/placating calls to the technical and hospitality people who will have to do some redeployment of staff/resources to ensure this happens.
So I then walked-in on four senior management types yelling at each other over this and let them know I had it in-hand.
Its nice when people just do/agree to do stuff for you, without any fuss and bother.
4 drops Rev 32 and after calming down the senior management and getting the presentations/projections set-up to best/most professional effect and securing a better location for the press-call (the meeting room itself was going to be cramped) there was time to spare and lots of friendly, engaging and respectful interaction with the delegation.
The Minister gave me his card personally - Which I understand to be an important respect thing in Korean culture?
The new/acting head of PR also turned-up but stood back and let me do my thing, then walked me back to my office after but no sign whatsoever of the whizz-kid. Personally I would have suggested they might want to come along and help serve the tea - Or would that be regarded as rubbing-it in, not “training”?
