REST IN PEACE, Tom Langlais

Forty years ago, I met a hotel man that  inspired me to become who I am today.  This morning, I am saddened to learn of his passing. I am flooded with memories of what I learned from him-not only about hotel operations- but more importantly, he taught me to follow my instincts, deviate from expectations, and most of all, have fun!

We shared some great success stories at the Radisson South, beginning in the early 1970s with Winnebago Dealer Days and continuing well into the 1980s when I returned to Minneapolis and was employed at Carlson Marketing Group. The Radisson South was still the flagship hotel at Carlson Hospitality in those days, so our paths crossed frequently from company and departmental  holiday parties to internal meetings, and of course, the South was the preferred site to house and entertain visiting clients.

One ocassion in particular stands out.  We had just been awarded the Control Data 100% Club – a long-time client of another local incentive house (and my first travel coordination project as I began my journey in the world of incentives and performance improvement when employed by that same competitor).

So I knew the client personalities well, had hosted them in that favored suite overlooking the pool, and was not looking forward to more of same to celebrate not only the holiday season, but also the signing of a three – year agreement with them. I instinctively knew the client would not be looking forward to yet another cocktail hour mingling on best behavior with their new vendor any more than I was going to enjoy it.

So off I went to meet with Tom, having explained I was on a mission to find someplace NEW and EXCITING to hold this celebration.  We started at the top of the hotel, in what was once Mr. C’s, and looked at every empty space, every restaurant and bar, every ballroom and meeting room from the main building to the newly opened annex and “new” lobby area. Since chef’s tables in facility kitchens were an emerging trend at the time, we even wandered through the kitchen.  Nothing was clicking.

We finally sat down for coffee, to discuss how we might be able to make the new lobby area work, and yet still have some privacy…and in the course of the conversation, I mumbled something about I wanted this to not be the same old, same old – that  I wanted the evening to demonstrate that CMG was different, good things were ahead, and I wanted to demonstrate we were starting with a clean slate.

That triggered an “epiphany”…I believe it was Tom who mentioned the hotel laundry room and as they say, the rest is history!

We were off to tour the space and within minutes “The Clean Slate” Laundry Room party was born…we quickly had a plan and both of us had some work to do – to sell the idea at the hotel, and at CMG. On my end, this was no easy task…the account executive agreed, but the CMG president, although he followed my logic, was not totally convinced.  So permission came wrapped in a threat – if this was not a success, I would no longer be a CMG employee!  Undeterred by the doubts, and with Langlais encouraging me, we went forward.

Invitations went out for holiday cocktails at the Radisson, and as expected, we got the RSVPs- most with caveats that the person would “stop” but had another commitment that evening.  This fed into my original  instincts and encouraged both Tom and me to do all possible to make this surprise location become the background for an experience all attending would long remember.

And yes, considering it was the 1980s, it was a little too “themed” but it communicated our message – CMG was not going to be content with the same old, same old  and we would be a great partner for CDC.

Did it work?  I can only say that at midnight, Tom had to ask me to shut down the 6 PM gathering so that the hotel could get the laundry done and be ready for business the next day!  Who knows what happened to all those commitments our guests had for later in the evening.

Was it memorable?  Many of the 30-40 guests assembled that night in the laundry room at the Radisson still are in town, many still in the business, and whenever we cross paths, once the greetings are over, the first topic of conversation continues to be the Clean Slate holiday party!

And yes, the event’s success ensured we both kept our jobs at Carlson Companies!

Thank you Tom Langlais for the memories.

IT KEEPS ON GIVING…

The March Issue of BIZBASH Chicago featured yet another gift we have received from the CRV EXPERIENCE this past summer. Yes, we knew BIZBASH was including us in an article, but what a surprise to open the magazine yesterday to “14 MOST INNOVATIVE MEETINGS…New ways of thinking are revolutionizing content-driven events, and such gatherings are experimenting with new formats, technology and strategies-and seeing their ingenuity pay off.”

And there we were, right after the TED Conferences and along with Oracle, NTEN, SAP, The Cable Show, Cisco, IBM’s Lotusphere, and several other innovative companies that are working hard to escape the bonds of old thinking to bring the meetings and event business into the 21^st century. 

Each of us took a different approach, but oh, the wonderful experimentation that was represented in that article!  Just look at the results this group accomplished:  Building attendee engagement, Getting Green-Long Term, Integrating Social Media, Bridging Live and On Line Conferences, Curating Conference Content, Managing Noise, Integrating Mobile Technology, Boosting On-line Interaction, Engaging Exhibition Layouts, Connecting Buyers and Sellers, Luring More Exhibitors, Sparking On-Line Content, and Streamlining and Tracking Content.  I am sure there is not a good producer or designer in our industry that has not wrestled with these very same issues.  How many of these concerns have you encountered in your own world of meetings and events? And how have you dealt with them?

Yes, it was a spectacular “high” to be grouped with this awesome list of industry-leading events, but more importantly, what fabulous brain food for us as our thoughts are slowly turning to CRV 2011 to bookend the journey Boston Scientific is taking this year following the launch of CRV last August.  It reinforced our initial thinking is on track, and sparked new thoughts about how we can best keep that interaction between employees and leadership moving forward. 

Over the last several months, I have often used this blog as a platform to air my passion about innovation, interactive meetings, social learning, and how to address new thinking about adult learning through good event design, experiential marketing and the birth of a new meetings and events industry that has risen from the ashes of the old.  

So although the recognition of CRV 2010 is a very fulfilling “high”; the gift we received from Bizbash was much greater:  More good ideas to stimulate our movement forward in this very slow process of changing our world.  There is more to this industry that the WOW of a pretty party!

Check out the whole article. Anna Sekula, the author says it best:

“When choosing the events to include, we looked at organizations that are pursuing these new avenues, and that are seeking long-term solutions beyond gimmicks and one-off experiments to build bigger brands and relationships with attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and other partners.  With tangible results, each of the 14 gatherings highlighted demonstrate how such options are setting the stage for smarter, results-driven meetings.  They also help prove the power of well-produced meetings and their value in a larger business context.”

That succinctly sums up the purpose of my own life’s work and why I continue to describe CRV 2010 as the Pinnacle of my own 40-year career in this business.

That SLOW 1st QTR, 2011

One of the benefits of the Minnesota events world has traditionally been a slow down mid December after holiday events, that extends into January and often bleeds into early February.  For me, it has been a time to recharge, reorganize, and regroup and thus a time I look forward to.  I clean out my office and prepare for the coming season; I curl up in front of the fireplace in my “library” and read – attacking the ever-growing stacks of trade publications and books that deliver not only inspiration and “what’s new” but food for thought as they challenge me to examine my own “best practices “ and incorporate new thinking. 

But here I am on January 30, surrounded by chaos.  An almost stripped Christmas tree stands abandoned in the living room; the dining room filled with crates and containers waiting for all that decor still strewn across the table and floor; stacks of books and magazines remain in my office and covering the fireplace hearth; papers and files are everywhere, and my last THURSDAY’s unfinished to-do list sits before me – where it has kept me occupied three days and promises to hold me captive all day today as well.  WHAT HAPPENED?!!!

Coming off my best year ever for Creative Events, I don’t have the excuse that the down-turned economy allowed me to get into bad habits and work less efficiently over the last couple years, and now I am out of practice…so as I headed towards that awful place of mental whining and complaining, I have had to stop and take stock.

Oh yes, we kicked off a new season for the riverfront Visitor Experience this month, and I’ve been spending some time absorbing the results of the design competition for short and long term plans for the river “above the falls” that were unveiled this week…

Oh yes, we celebrated my brother and sister-in-law’s sixtieth wedding anniversary, as well as their birthdays…acknowledging I now have siblings in their 80s…really?  I still vividly remember them both before they were married!   It’s comforting to see that my pledge to remain an active player in my own industry “until I am 80” has some credence, as they both are active in maintaining their antique store!…

Oh yes, I have devoted some fun time traveling memory lane as I have reconnected with college friends, and some BI friends, and several CMG friends via Linked In, Facebook, and several meet ups for coffee, drinks or lunch, and along the way, I’ve squeezed in some time to keep connected with new faces I met over the summer…

Oh yes, we are in the final countdown now for the Catersource/Event Solutions Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas, and I am absorbed in overcoming a bad design problem in the construction of this hotel  as I struggle, along with the Dock scheduler to figure out how we can get a load in for both conferences attended by several thousand persons, all accomplished in ONE DAY with one or two docks available only from 10Am to 4AM…

Oh yes, I am still spending time telling our success story of CRV 2010, with two new articles due out in March, as well as preparing for a live telling to influential corporate executives -TED-style -at RETHINK which launches simultaneously February 14 in Minneapolis, New York City, Paris and Copenhagen …

And oh yes, the Creative Events opportunities!  We submitted our CRV entries for the MN-STAR Awards  and now await the announcement of finalists.  We have already begun preliminary planning for CRV 2011, space is secured and we’ve begun initial discussions on design as the I AM CRV communications campaign came to a close at the end of 2010 and has been replaced by BE CRV.  This will lead us through to the second all-employee meeting in which we will reflect on how well we did and what’s still to be done to keep this new division of Boston Scientific moving forward; we’ve concentrated on looking for new opportunities and are excited about our positioning for a couple.  We have started the movement to increase our collaborative team of independents to include a few key support vendors and are polishing our collaborative skills together as we tackle some significant RFPs that have come our way.

And oh yes, the personal growth!  FINALLY, I have made the jump from talk of leaving the 20^th century behind and personally started the immersion into the 21^st century.  The purchase of the MINI began the process; the acquisition of not one but TWO flat screens and DVDs came soon after and this month I have now acquired a smart phone…with conversion to a new computer and probably an I-pad in the plans before the quarter ends.  I am determined to prove that even I can adapt without too much angst – a couple years late, but better than never! (Although I admit, I made the conversion only so I could personally experience the impact of its use within the meeting and event environment; as I was perfectly content with my old flip phone that allowed me to call people and people to call me  with no other complications or distractions!)

So as I review this list, I understand why my life is in chaos and realize it is all due to very good things.  I will try not to complain going forward, as I think about another Award entry due shortly;  meeting with my tax accountant on Feb 10; presenting at RETHINK; a possible trip to Boca for the NSM for CRV; and the approaching departure for Vegas on Feb 25 for Catersource/Event Solutions.  Maybe in March, I will get that Christmas evidence put away and be able to bring out the tulips and irises of Spring…and crack open some of the books still waiting.

FROM CRAZY TO INNOVATIVE

I don’t purport to understand at all the article in the STRIB this weekend that featured LVX Systems and the founder’s theory that lights are a better way to transmit data.  But as I read that he has been called crazy, I was reminded of something from my own long-ago past.

A wonderful Minnesota jazz group, Flim and the BBs, were among the first –back in 1982- to record their music on a CD.  Even three years later, after a recording session for an industrial show for Coke, when one of the “BBs”, Billy Barber, offered me a copy of that recording – I chose the audio tape version, not the CD.  Not only did I not have a CD player yet, I had never heard of CDs.  And yes, at the time, I was in the media production business.   I am sure I thought he was crazy despite being told the CD would replace tapes. It was only several years later, when the tracks were re-mastered in 1992, that I became a proud owner of the CD TRICYCLE- as well as several others that captured the music of Flim and the BBs. 

Little did I think then that CDs, as well, would become obsolete with the invention and popularity of the  I-Pod-yet another crazy idea that has changed our culture.

A good lesson, I think, for all of us.   It seems like most successful innovation starts with someone who is committed enough to their new ideas to push them forward-even when their peers discount or drag their feet.    That is a comforting thought to me as we continue to push for a new meetings and events model and are often met with criticism, misunderstanding, and fear of change.

SUSTAINABILITY:governments pass;businesses lead

Yesterday I read in the Strib that Sustainability was finally now emerging as a megatrend. The confirmation of this was not necessarily news, as client after client I interact with focuses on sustainability or at least “green” as part of their stated Corporate Social Responsibility program.

What I had given no thought to was WHY this was happening.  I had missed the connection that it has become a rich strategy in a global economy.  It lowers costs and boosts efficiency.  But what caught my eye was that it acts as a driver of innovation; creates new markets; and leads to new profit despite the recent downturn in economy.  In short, it increases corporate competitiveness. The article suggested businesses adapt and innovate or be swept aside, and ended with an interesting thought:  As scientists continue to make progress, companies and citizens are filling the void until government wakes up and catches up.

As I pondered that, it occurred to me that there is a message here for all of us in the events industry-not just for our corporate clients.  Oh yes, we recycle an event’s trash, we are big on bamboo serving utensils, we attempt to go “paperless” and occasionally, we give some effort to developing menus that include local, fresh grown products, or incorporate LED lighting to save energy.

But is it time to move the conversation up a step from a one day seminar we attend once in a while as a “refresher” to those we participated in a few years ago, and really spend some time thinking about how we can be thought-leaders in this arena?  The argument that it is often more costly may be short-sighted if in the long-term we become more competitive, grow our client base, and find new ways in which to stimulate our profitability and grow our businesses.   What do you think?

TOGETHER WE’RE BETTER

It started with a passage in “The NEW Social Learning” this weekend…

The 21^st century mind is a collective mind where we access what we know in our friends and colleagues brains.  Together we can be smarter and can address ever more challenging problems.  What we store in our heads may not be as important as all that we can tap in our networks.  Together we are better.

And someplace in the depths of my brain, a switch turned on…”Together we’re better; we’re better together…There’s just no mountain we can’t move” and try as I did, the melody just would not go away.

So five days later, I caved in and this morning, searched everywhere for NARRATIVE BEDS – which I was sure I would have more luck locating than “BB plays CMG” or a box of show tapes packed away for the last 25 years. I did find it, and have now been on a mental tour that began in South America and progressed across the US from sun-up in Florida to sun-down in Seattle as I listened to the Minnesota Orchestra play Billy Barber in the longest opening mod I have ever heard or seen. And along the way, images of dewdrops on an orange, and coffee beans and light trails of semis at a distribution center on the west coast merged with a barbecue at the farm, entertaining the client in our box at the Dome, no air conditioning in our hotel as fear of “slide amebas” grew, freeze-frames from 16mm to slides, two green-sprout girls on their first show, as we taught them to steal hotel furniture for stage props,  and after an aborted balloon drop, a crazy creative director jumping into the middle of a net stuffed with inflated balloons. Oh my.

And of course, once I was playing the CD, how could I resist the 9370 Reveal or the Navistar Open/Fit and Finish and more images…from that gorgeous silver 9370 coming over the hill, to the shots of a red logging truck coming down the mountain trail as Al hung in a harness from the helicopter in the rain to shoot it, to over a thousand giddy grown men crawling like ants over and under and into the new trucks.

And then there was Billy and Hollywood calling from New York to announce they were recording the Navistar track on a synthesizer (a what?) and trying to convince me I would love it; we did not need the MN Orchestra for this one.  They fought hard, and finally we compromised.  Record it; bring it back for the client to hear, and in the meantime we would hold the sound studio and orchestra – just in case.  And I wasn’t paying, if the client didn’t like it. From there, a whole new menu of “firsts” was launched: machine-made musical tracks, graphic laser effects mixed with atmospheric lasers, and a stage that parted to reveal not a truck but the orange diamond road…at the dawn of a new beginning. And somewhere along the line, we even let video replace the superior 16mm!

Wow! We had an innovative and creative group producing great meetings for great clients. And all before we even knew what a pectin was!  Lots of good memories of all the team.  Al and Hollywood, I am missing you today and all that you taught me! Together, we WERE better!  Wishing you and all those that survived us a very happy holiday!

(I should have skipped the CMG Prism track however….good images of that Dayton meeting? Not so much. Although, that is where, over a bloody mary, Wikstrom and I dreamed up the product expo concept so we would never again have to be breakout speakers at the national sales meeting-especially with Daytonians in the audience.)

SOCIAL LEARNING

A new term in my vocabulary, and perhaps in yours…and if so, make note of it; remember it; seek out more information because I am convinced, we will all hear much more about this as we move forward into the second decade of this century…some of us still dragging our feet and holding on desperately to the familiarity of what we know and excel at in our past.

Thanks to the big winter storm here in MN, I was given a precious gift-two “found” days this weekend to lose myself in “The New Social Learning”  -with a short break once in a while for a peak outside or a quick escape into the world of Tom Clancy, to allow my mind time to process what I was discovering.

When I read the forward by Dan Pink, I knew I had found a gem…”Twitter, Facebook, and their social media kin are not all about marketing.  They’re equally if not more so, about learning….”  YES, finally a resource that positions social media not as a personal or corporate marketing tool but as a collaborative aid to facilitate learning! 

With that to peak my interest, I delved right in and before I finished the introduction, I was impressed with the authors’ realistic and thoughtful approach to this topic.  After an opening chapter on trends reshaping the workplace, the challenges and opportunities of these shifts and how social learning fits in this environment, the authors address, chapter by chapter, a specific social media category, its application, how these practices overcome business challenges, and how to address the critics of each.

Criticism.  Now that is a phenomenon I have encountered most of my life, and certainly recently as I have used this blog to contemplate ideas gleaned from industry thought-leaders  re adult learning, alternatives to consider when structuring conferences going forward, and possible options to minimize ineffective general session costs.  I recognize that criticism is a normal reaction to defend the familiar status quo, and generally, after the first sting, adds value to the innovation process, as it points out weaknesses to be overcome, or sometimes simply prepares one for that natural phenomenon of naysayers that are lurking in the wings.  But Bingham and Conner reassure the reader that the criticism generally falls into 3-4 predictable categories; then they build the case of how to dismiss its negative impact, and offer up success stories of those national and international organizations that have already forged ahead to embrace the change.  They even include top-notch examples of Governance of social learning use within some impressive corporations.

And best of all, they did not write this book frozen in time, but as two of the most respected names in training and development, they recognize that the tools discussed in the book may have dramatically changed by the time the book is read, so they created a complimentary website to keep the conversation current; provide more about applications of interest to each of us, and even “getting started guides”.

All that and I had not even started the book yet!   Needless to say, by the end of the weekend, the book was filled with margin notations and my ideas journal reflects a long list of action items; including some quality time devoted to that website! Today, let me end with some memorable thoughts put forth in the Afterward of this new treasure chest of ideas:

Once you move away from the push of information to the pull of learning, you liberate creative powers  in your people to succeed in this rapidly changing environment…once you make it easy for people…and you create an environment where people are not afraid to fail, you allow them to ask the really hard questions. …It’s about making learning a priority and using the tools of social media to facilitate a culture where we get better at getting better. It’s no longer about just being a better competitor.  It’s now about being a stronger contributor and a savvier learner. 

AMEN to that.

FIGHT VS NURTURE

As many know, as election time arrived, I had not been able to resolve my personal concerns I had about Mark Dayton; hence after much angst, I cast my vote for Tom Horner who represented to me, the pragmatist in the middle.  No, I had not converted to a Horner disciple, I merely thought his stand on issues gave us the best chance to move forward in consensus-building to save our state and get us back on track.  I expected Dayton to win, but voted my beliefs and hoped Dayton would then find a place for Horner in his organization.

Through the recount, both Emmer and Dayton behaved as adults – despite Republican Tony Sutton’s diatribes and finally, reprehensible behavior in leading his party to vote several great Minnesota statesmen and former Republican leaders “off his island”.  Ugh to that brand of any political stance! On one hand, it most likely makes Tom Horner ineffective as he is now deemed the spoiler by the Republicans, but at same time, it opens up to Dayton  a wealth of knowledge and advice of those that have been marooned!  The time to fight is over; the time to nurture is upon us.

So now it is official; Dayton is Governor-elect and so far, so good.  Dayton pragmatically reappointed Pawlenty’s Transportation head so that Minnesota did not lose his knowledge, insight and plans to fix our badly eroding infrastructure (and hopefully his influence on federal transportation dollars despite the Oberstar loss?)

And then today, his appointments made me smile, as led by Tina Smith, his key top aids are all women! YES!

No, I am not a feminist.  But early on in my corporate career, I learned that a man’s reliance on caveman “fight or flee” mentality generally resulted in more power struggles than positive results- as so much time gets lost in pontificating and lining up allies and too little time is spent in strategy.  Somehow, as a young green spout, I sensed that I needed to recognize, understand, and learn how to quietly circumvent that men’s club-not take it on head to head. And so my own competitive spirit, stubbornness and tenacity led me in another direction.  During the 20+ years I played in the corporate arena, I tried hard and generally succeeded, to depend on strategy and consensus–building (despite never being able to conquer that female “emotional” trait).  And surprise, despite not having the “power”, I got things done-and spent very little time assessing whether I had “won”. I tried to live by a mantra of “I have not failed; I just have not yet achieved success”; and slowly, slowly, I moved forward.  When I left that world, I left behind me, a whole new generation armed with the knowledge and tools to push forward in the continuing evolution of change that should occur in any organization. And I have watched with pride as they did just that and trumped my successes over and over again.

And so, as I have watched Mark Dayton in the last six weeks, I’ve been encouraged that we just may have a chance to recover…and show the country that purple states- when they put aside their childish antics- not only excel but can become role models for others.  It’s time now to put the fight behind us and after these long dark years of Republican/Democratic impasse, refocus to nurture and help our state grow.  Minnesota has done it before in many arenas; and I am looking forward to working together to do it again!

 POSTSCRIPT:  I realized this morning I did not get this posted yesterday, and reading it over in a different frame of mind, I was struck by how applicable these thoughts are in other avenues of my life as well.  As men ,and women both, experiment, learn and meld together those old cavemen instincts of fight or flee vs. nurture and grow, we cannot help it…our instincts oft-times won’t let us “let go”.  We all need a reminder – what we have fought to build needs the same chance we had – to experiment , change and grow – generally not in our likeness, but in an innovative and improved direction…and if we cannot do that, we become the poison that kills the growth.  A lesson I’ve needed to learn over and over again- in business, in organizations to which I belong, and in my volunteer work – how about you?

LESSONS LEARNED Pt 3 EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN

And now, some final thoughts on experiential design.  Over and over again, the importance of the Shanghai Expo to our event world is conveyed by various designers in various trade publications.  They communicate the same message – a message that has resonated with me and has driven me forward to improve my own skills and the experiences I create for my clients. Here are just a few more excerpts from EVENT DESIGN, October 2010 issue:

Each tells a simple story throughout the pavilion…

…meld architecture, media and message throughout…

Unique story telling…whimsical, interactive, artistically crafted…

The little gems discovered along the way are more memorable than the “over-the-top” elements

Use of building surfaces and advanced lighting technology to create art…building surfaces (became) a communication medium

Move from interactive to immersive

Unique storytelling …360 degree projections…floor, ceiling and surrounding walls

A different way of thinking won

Unify the exterior and the interior

An affirmation that there is no better medium to communicate a message than through design

Design plays a significant role in communicating ideas

The designer brings a story to life to deliver a message

You need a well-defined storyline and you need to use all parts of the experience:  the media, graphics, structure, space, and circulation through it in service to the messages that you want to communicate.  If you have a clear storyline and have everything support the few clear messages you want to communicate…

It’s not so much about the technology or materials; it’s about putting design in service to interpretation

High-level projection is everywhere and levels the playing field. It brings it back to content.  It is not about shiny technology…the resonant experiences were tied to emotional communication, not necessarily to technology.

For me, that sums it up.  The world of experiential design has spoken.  It’s time to put away for good the theme parties and pretty events without purpose of the 20^th century.  For now, save that for the social customer, although I predict they, too, will migrate to more personally meaningful events as time goes by.  Our industry is growing up. We provide a means to an end, and should not think of ourselves as the end by itself. Are you ready to join me in the exploration of this evolving world and its contribution to the New Economy of the 21^st Century?

LESSONS LEARNED

I have spent most of my free moments of late immersed in photos, videos and commentary from the Shanghai Expo.  I thought I was getting my arms wrapped around the hows, whys, and why nots, as my list of ideas inspired by the commentary from US visitors continued to grow.

But experience designer Keith Goldberg’s article in Event Design Magazine jolted me into a new perspective when I read his introduction to lessons he learned in Shanghai:

“I can’t help but draw a parallel to the legendary “White City” built for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Just as its expanse and majesty heralded the coming American century, the grandeur of the World Expo in Shanghai (and the efforts made by exhibitors to impress their Chinese hosts) heralds China’s modern-day rise…there is no more amazing window into how our world has progressed and changed over the years…you also realize what hasn’t changed is the motivation of host countries and exhibitors to put forth their best efforts, tell their stories in engaging ways, and create the kind of community that leads to relationships (a/k/a commerce).”

Like Goldberg, I am a history buff, so the US/China World Fair comparisons hit home immediately and pointed out that I was so engrossed in the detail that I missed a very important overview – that feeds into Lenderman’s “Brand New World” and his theories regarding the developing hypermarkets of the BRIC and their influence on our world of the future.  (see blog October 20, 2010).  Once again, I was jolted out of the safe world of US superiority in innovation/creativity/power over the last century into a whole new world – where unless we adapt, we will be left behind.

And more important, I was so focused on the details of the “how” that I failed to pick up on the more impactful “why”.   Oh yes, I was looking at the broader “trends” communicated over and over that pertain to my professional world – that of experiential event design – but I was shutting out the global impact of the phenomenon itself – and shutting out that nagging comment I heard in my first exposure to Shanghai a month or so ago…that comment about the American Pavilion being “underwhelming”. 

Lots of big thoughts here – but the reality is none of us can afford to continue to do over and over again what led to success for us in the past.  We need to keep engaged in the world and what is happening around us – and let our human curiosity for how does that work, what’s next, how can I do it better, guide us towards improving what we have done before.  A lesson we seem to have to learn over and over again – while we “rest on our laurels” and pontificate about how our experiences allows us to know what’s best, the rest of the world will pass us by.