It's just this side of the Millenium. It's the MGM Grand. It's the JCI World Congress. I am standing at a flipchart, customised with their lion logo, pen in hand. The room has 50 seats. All of them are empty.
My three hour session, Passionate Oral Communication, starts in less than five minutes. It looks like being a long commute to a party for two. The Snip is hovering at the door. Big audience gigs present a particular challenge, one I am happy to meet. No audience gigs are a bit of a bugger.
Then they came. In an instant the room was full. People were standing at the back, sitting on the floor down the front and in the aisle. The Snip had to close the doors. Game on!
Eighty or so delegates from maybe 20 countries created sparks before I even spoke and carried the whole damned thing on a wave of enthusiasm. I have no memory of the details, but the buzz was tangible. I feel it still as I type.
I had been a lecturer and debater and after dinner speaker for a while but the Vegas gig was the first big audience event as Kissing With Confidence; the first statement of intent, if you like.
One thing I do remember is the look on the faces of the few colleagues at the back of the room; they were loving it as much as the others in the audience: my biggest critics were with me all the way.
And on one level those three hours in Vegas take some beating as my favourite ever gig, but on another there really is no contest. My all time favourite gig is the next one.
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Russell Wardrop is our Chief Executive. If you would like to know more about this subject, drop him an email and we will be in touch.
