Uncategorized | Meetings Podcast

Neil Young Wins Another Award

August 12, 2009 By MeetingsPodcast Guys Leave a Comment

I saw this post in BizBash Los Angeles and it made me think about a run in I had with Neil Young. I had been training as a firefighter for a few years volunteering and working as a seasonal firefighter on wildland fires before getting in the Production business. In the off season I worked for a company that made Wrist Pads that kept folks from getting Corporal Tunnel Syndrome. I ran the warehouse (garage) while the smart Stanford co-owners worked form this ginormous Woodside California home. I would box up the orders and also had sales accounts I would service from Sacramento to Woodside. It was a pretty good gig at the time. I was called to deliver a local pad to a neighbor. I drove up and this freaky hippy looking guy answered the door. He was really nice and we chatted for a while about his garden. He then signed the receipt Neil Young. If you get a chance to check out the Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View California that he puts on, please do it. Great concert and event a better cause.

LOS ANGELES – NEWS: Recording Academy to Honor Neil Young at MusiCares Person of the Year Gala
from BizBash National News

Neil Young will be honored at the 20th anniversary MusiCares Person of the Year gala; Recording Academy and MusiCares Foundation president and C.E.O. Neil Portnow and MusiCares Foundation chair Paul Caine announced the news today. Proceeds from the annual Grammy week gala dinner and concert on January 29—two days before the 52nd annual Grammy awards at Staples—will support the nonprofit MusiCares.

The 2010 gala will begin with a reception and silent auction, including one-of-a-kind experiences and celebrity memorabilia. A dinner, award presentation, and tribute concert will follow. Warner Brothers Records chairman emeritus Mo Ostin, Lookout Management president and founder Elliot Roberts, and Warner Brothers Records chairman and C.E.O. Tom Whalley will co-chair the ceremony.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bizbash, LOS ANGELES, Neil Young, Uncategorized

Awesome Corporate Meeting Transition Idea

August 10, 2009 By MeetingsPodcast Guys Leave a Comment

Have you seen this before or anyone like them? I would love to have something like this for clients to do transitions or to punctuate the theme or creative ideas of my clients on stage. Creative ideas like this keep audiences really engaged. I think its pretty amazing. What do you think?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: creative ideas, event transitions, Meeting tranisitions, sand art, sand stage, Uncategorized

Meeting Planners are Savy Flyers but Regular Travel Customers get Pinched

July 23, 2009 By MeetingsPodcast Guys Leave a Comment

I saw this video on CNN.com and thought it might help some folks who are traveling. As you know we travel all the time but those extra weight charges for bags can be a killer. I recently flew to the World Education Congress event Meeting Planners International put on (as you know) and I was hit with a huge fee for the podcasting and booth equipment I had. Since I had booked the ticket before the new rates went into effect (Was $25 with Southwest Airlines now it is $50) I was charged the overweight fee of $25 dollars each way. I was going to pull my Mixer and carry it on but I decided to just send it and pay the fee. Why is it that you have to pay the fee to put it in the bag yet you could carry it on the plane? Strange huh? Same weight on the plane… When you are over 3 lbs is this truly fair? Maybe you are paying for the baggage handlers chiropractors fees? As the Clark Howards says – Pack smart and don’t pay any extra fees.

Meeting Planners are Savy Flyers but Regular Travel Customers get Pinched

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: airline luggage, airlines, clark howard, cnn, cnn.com, overwieght fees, travel tips, Uncategorized

American Airlines Flight Attendant Seems Not to Care about Customer Service

July 22, 2009 By MeetingsPodcast Guys Leave a Comment

I flew American Airlines yesterday from Miami to San Francisco yesterday. I would have guessed they have given up on customer service all together. I realize that Flight Attendants are there for our safety but as I boarded the flight they seemed to be put out by any questions I asked. I sat in my seat after a nice short vacation and wondered what the movie was going to be. As we pushed out they said that the video portion of the flight was not working and they were sorry. End of story. Not there fault. I cursed myself for not getting a new book at the airport. But I did have my iPod and plenty of podcasts to listen to. I reached up to flick on my reading light and it did not work either. I asked the flight attendant for a glass of water when we were in flight. She said we will be bringing the service through momentarily. 20 minutes later I walked back and they were sitting down. I asked her again if I could have a quick glass of water and she huffed and got up and pulled the drink containers out and poured me a glass and then she said. “You cant stand here.” I said it was bumpy and I was going to drink it down fast and head back to my seat so I didnt spill on anyone.” She just stared.
I am probably one of the most easy going guys, but the ride was now getting to me. I guess customer service is a lost art on the older airlines. Maybe this is due to the crappy economy and financial mess we are in but I did pay for a ticket and water is free and plentiful in the United States.

I am used to Southwest Airlines and Virgin Airlines where they genuinely seem to be happy to get my business. I fly all the time and I was just discouraged that AA didn’t seem to care about me as a client. I know stuff happens, but smiling and pretending to care would be nice. I know I appreciate my clients so much more now that the economy is bad and I bend over backwards for them. We cant go back in time but we can work to the future.

Thanks for listening to my rant. When I have a choice next time I wont choose American Airlines. I think I will look for a Airline that values me and realizes customer service jobs are part of all our jobs these days.