You are here: Home / Archives for Meetings Podcast / Midori Connolly

Meeting Professionals Favorite Business Books

March 2, 2011 By 7 Comments

7:30 am February 28, 2011- Oakland, California Grass Shack Events & Media Headquarters.

books 150x150 Meeting Professionals Favorite Business Books

I sat down to tackle a day which had a meeting production proposal and a couple video production proposals.

When I have typical day which has a full plate of work in store of me, I immediately look for a distraction.  My eyes caught a book on my desk which I was almost finished with: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo. I picked it up and finished the last chapter.

Then, trying my best to avoid work; thought about what to read next?  My usual tactic is a post Twitter or Facebook and ask my social network. This time I thought I would send out a bunch of emails to my peers in the events & meetings industry and see what has inspired them.

And you know what? Some of them actually answered my email.

It was Interesting I had already read a bunch of the books sent in.(see picture above)  I also worked with a several of these authors (who are also speakers) and I actually grew up with one of authors.

Thank you to all that responded.  Feel free to add more in the comments

So here we go!

My favorite novels of all time are The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

My favorite business books are both from last year:

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action By Simon Sinek

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Here are the great friends and peers in the events & meetings business who passed along their picks! I asked for only two books, but several gave me many more.  I took the top two if they gave me more books. (sorry)

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’

Patti J. Shock


Service America in the New Economy (Albrecht & Zemke)

The Experience Economy (Pine & Gillmore)
“““““`
Carolyn Ray

Never Eat Alone by by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose Tony Hsieh of Zappos

““““““““““““
Howard Givner

The E-Myth, by Michael Gerber. Great insight into why some people who are good at their craft do not always succeed in running their own businesses.

“““““
Jason Falls

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell because it tries to uncover the nature of word of mouth movements.

The Now Revolution by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund because it operationalizes social media for companies to move to becoming a social business.

“““““““““““““`
Nancy Spooner

These books inspire me!

The 4 Hour Word Week by Tim Ferris

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

““““““““““““““`

Janet Fullwood


Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack

Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow by Chip Conley

“““““““““““““““““““““““
Carrie McAllen

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

I want to kick Spencers Ass!  icon smile Meeting Professionals Favorite Business Books

“““““““““““““““““““““““
Heidi Thorne

Any book by Seth Godin

All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin

Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

““““““““““““““““““““““““
Lara McCulloch


Rubies in the Orchard: How to Uncover the Hidden Gems in Your Business by Frank Wilkinson

Book yourself Solid by Michael Port

““““““““““““““““““““““““

Dave Lutz

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned
While Editing My Life by Donald Miller.  I’m a sucker for storytelling,
and this book totally rocked it. Stories have a huge place in doing better
meetings, better presentations and better experiences.

Open Community Lindy Dreyer  Maddie Grant Bottom line, this topic is more important to the success of associations than most people realize. It’s a short read and one that every Exec. Director should
buy for their entire board. It’s one of the biggest strategic needs and smart organizations will make community management part of their culture.

“““““““““““““““

Jessica L. Levin

UnMarketing by Scott Stratten.  It has solid advice and it’s laugh out loud funny.

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““
Sam Smith

Terms of Engagement by Dick Axelrod

Brains on Fire by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church and Spike Jones

““““““““““““““““““
Erica St. Angel

Groundswell by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li

““““““““““““““““““““
Mark McLarry

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman  by Yvon Chouinard

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"
Jenise Fryatt

Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson

The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott

Excellent for learning to develop your social media marketing strategy

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’

Midori Connolly


What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Brett Bumeter

Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

Hands down best business book I ever read was Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook (seriously)

(I made it required reading for all of my employees.  Both so that they
could better catch crappy behavior including my own and avoid it themselves
once they got promoted above me).

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Michelle Bruno

“Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World” by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. It makes me think about the tremendous opportunities and potential of collaborative platforms to change business and the world.

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
Kristi Casey Sanders

Saving the World at Work: What Companies and Individuals Can Do to Go Beyond Making a Profit to Making a Difference by Tim Sanders

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
Traci Browne

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer (It’s always good to know how people make decisions)

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer (When it comes to customer service excellence, this guys got it down pat)

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Dennis Shiao

“Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry,” by Marc Benioff and Carlye Adler.  Salesforce.com shepherded in the age of SaaS, and this book gives you behind the scenes tips, via a series of 111 plays (in a playbook style).  My favorite sections are Part 2, “The Marketing Playbook: How to Cut Through the Noise and Pitch the Bigger Picture” and Part 3, “The Events Playbook:  How to Use Events to Build Buzz and Drive Business.”

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
Ruud Janssen

Start with Why? Simon Sinek

Social Media for Meetings & Events (due to be published in April 2011)

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”
Jon Pollard

I still feel there is a lot of value in what Jim Collins laid out in “Good to Great.” Most companies get the fundamentals wrong (or pay no attention to them). That book covers a lot of fundamentals.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Jessie Gray Producer/Creative Director

The Art of the Start – Guy Kawasaki

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds

””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Greg Ruby

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. I am a naturally shy person and tend to despise the concept of “networking.”  While many of the concepts he advocates in his book have been previously advocated by other authors, his writing style gets the message across in a format that worked for me.  I try to re-read this book once a year to reinforce its message about building meaningful relationships with others.  It’s been a great help to me in getting to meet folks in this industry.

Any book by Tom Peters but I like The Little Big Things: 163 ways to pursue Excellence.  It is not your typical business book with graphs, analysis and mounds of useless information hiding nuggets.  Tom’s writing style gets you usable information almost immediately and allows for the book to be read in one sitting or over time as well.  I’ve been a Tom Peters groupie for nearly 25 years (and not just because he is originally from Baltimore ), but for his message that is is the small things that matter rather than the one big thing that will revolutionize the world.

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’

David Spark
Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath Really great book on how to package your ideas so others remember them. They did some excellent research on this book.

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Kevin Richardson

The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing by Lisa Gansky. The book clearly marks a change in thinking, ushering in a sharing mentality and ushering out the ownership mentality. I see huge application for events with this idea.
—————————————————
Tim Sanders

My fave book, ever, is The Art Of Happiness. It taught me an elegant but profound concept: Your mission is to participate in the end of suffering!
Excerpt of Tim’s new book Today We Are Rich can be found here

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Julius Solaris

Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking by Roger L. Martin

Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide by Harrison Owen

Related articles
Meeting Professionals Favorite Business Books

 

Filed Under: Brett Bumeter, Greg Ruby, Howard Givener, Jenise Fryatt, Jessica Levin, Kristi Casey Sanders, Lara McCulloch-Carter, Mark McLarry, Meetings Podcast, Midori Connolly, storytelling

5 Myths of using In-House A/V

December 18, 2009 By 12 Comments

case studies 5 Myths of using In House A/V

I am shamelessly stealing this post from one of the smartest women in the events & meetings business Midori Connolly. Midori has been a contributor to MeetingsPodcast from the beginning and she has said she would like to do more shows with us. She is an innovator with Green Audio Visual with her company Pulse Staging and events

I seem to have this conversation all the time with clients about using in-house AV on events. When my team is already bringing in the general session Audio Visual, the breakouts fall to the in-house A/V. I wouldn’t say always but these breakouts usually have issues and our hands are tied. As we get to know our clients better and better we can anticipate issues much earlier and make the sessions about your content not about any technical issues. (like you trust us with the general sessions) Recently I spoke at a conference and walked into the venue with my laptop and was told they did not have a projector? I asked the -in house A/V if they had one for me to use and he said he would have to call the office across town? I looked at the meeting planner and she said she thought they would have one for her? Strange situation for me to be put in. I was there as a speaker but do own a production company. (no I don’t carry A/V equipment with me) icon smile 5 Myths of using In House A/V

I had to share Midori’s explanation of the many myths is so well written.But soon she will be back on the podcast and maybe some of her smarts will rub off on me.

5 Myths that could equal lost time and lost dollars for your live event…

Unlike most Audiovisual companies, we concluded that a big long list of our equipment is really not practical, useful knowledge for most Event Professionals (although we do have one, it’s quite extensive and available if you’re interested!). Instead, we present five myths demonstrating why you should always consult with an independent AV service provider when planning your event.

1. It will cost more if I don’t use the hotel AV service.

This is perhaps the most costly assumption you can make when choosing your AV provider. We can demonstrate several examples where you could save your client or your company hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of precious dollars. This might be through careful scheduling of labor, adapting schedules or even helping you shop and negotiate power and rigging charges at various venues.

2. My venue will not allow me to use an outside service.

Pulse Staging can help you manage this sales tactic and negotiate with your chosen locale. Frequently the in-house provider will attempt to charge for using an outside company, often referred to as a corkage fee. However, with the careful use of a simple red pen, you should be able to mark through these unfair, bullying practices that can be up to 40% of a final billing!

3. An outside AV company won’t be able to accommodate last minute changes.

Don’t let this deceptive statement fool you! Much of a hotel’s equipment, especially any specialty gear, is actually shipped from other sources. No matter the destination, the extensive network of Pulse Staging has always supplied the desired changes to the event, no matter how large or small.

4. The in-house AV company will know the venue better than anyone else.

This is where a fresh perspective becomes your advantage. Imagine designing the same set-up for the same room for the same audience day after day. Understandingly enough, the design might become slightly predictable. Pulse Staging professionals appreciate that meeting attendees need stimulation to stay focused; and their AV design reflects this.

5. The quality of service I receive will be the same as the hotel’s, and I know I will receive the same service no matter what city or state I am in.

Almost all “in-house” Audio Visual companies are actually independent agencies—not employees—of the hotel. While they might adhere to their own standard of service, there is no guarantee they match that of the hotel. Furthermore, the team of AV specialists you depend on will change with each location. Your dedicated Pulse team travels with you, no matter the distance. This means we will be able to anticipate that your CEO usually wears a silk shirt – and accordingly provide her with her own preferred microphone.

Besides these myths, there is the general concern of whether or not your Project Manager (not a sales representative, but an on-the-ground Project Manager) will be dedicated to your event. Will they be distracted with another, larger show at the same time? Will they be available by phone at 2am when you realize you need to make changes before 6am? And what about after the event? Will they travel to your debriefing to give you performance reports and insightful suggestions on how to improve the next event?

These are all serious and vital aspects of AV that any Meetings Professional must be attuned to. In times of minimal budgets requiring maximum impact, turning to a professional AV consultant could perhaps be the elusive piece to your almost-complete ROI puzzle.

Filed Under: Meetings Podcast, Midori Connolly

Extra! Midori Connolly Interviews Tamara Kennedy Hill of GreenMeetings.info

May 14, 2009 By 1 Comment

trash challenge green meetings Extra! Midori Connolly Interviews Tamara Kennedy Hill of GreenMeetings.info
The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Midori Connolly interviews Tamara Kennedy Hill about what the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) is doing to help green meetings and events. [Read more...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Meetings Podcast, Midori Connolly, Tamara Kennedy Hill Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Extra! Midori Connolly of Pulse Staging and Events Interviews Lia Lucero of Showpiece Enterprises

May 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

up cycling green meetings sustainable events recycle Extra! Midori Connolly of Pulse Staging and Events Interviews Lia Lucero of Showpiece Enterprises
The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Midori Connolly of Pulse Staging & Events
Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media http://www.grassshackroad.com/

Please leave us a question or comment, which we will try to address on the show ASAP!

Email us at meetings podcast@gmail.com

or here on the MeetingsPodcast site.

www.MeetingsPodcast.com [Read more...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Interview Guests, Lia Lucero, Meetings Podcast, Midori Connolly Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Extra! Midori Connolly Founder Of Pulse Staging And Events Talks About Green AV!

February 4, 2009 By 2 Comments

meetdifferent logo1 Extra! Midori Connolly Founder Of Pulse Staging And Events Talks About Green AV!
The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Mike McAllen from Grass Shack Events & Media interviews Midori Connolly from Pulse Staging and Events talks about her session at Meetdifferent in Atlanta next week on Tuesday. “Green A/V – Finally!” Midori gives some tips and tricks for greening up your AudioVisual team!
www.SustainableAV.com

For more information contact Midori at Pulse Staging and Events
Download “Best Practices for Sustainability in the Audio Visual Industry.”
Pulses “Green Story”

Please leave us a question or comment, which we will try to address on the show ASAP! [Read more...]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Interview Guests, Meetings Podcast, Midori Connolly Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,