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Breaking Murphy's Law

There are a lot of things that can go wrong when you're a presenter (or when you are supporting someone else's presentation). This site is going to try to help you break Murphy's Law so Murphy's Law can't break you.
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Morning Sickness

Started by Lee Potts · 10 months ago

Rusty: You scared?
Linus: You suicidal?
Rusty: Only in the morning.
(Ocean’s Eleven)
Sometimes, the thing that is going to go wrong with your presentation actually starts going wrong long before you step up to the lectern. Sometimes, a disaster is sneaking up ... Continue reading »

4 comments

  • coachlisab

    10 months ago

    Thanks for posting my story, Lee! I'm glad I've only had that experience once! I would never want to repeat it.
    reply
  • Lee Potts

    10 months ago

    My pleasure Lisa, thanks for sharing it with us. I'll tweak the intro to indicate you're not falling ill on a regular basis.
    reply
  • Rick

    10 months ago

    I can remember one time similar to this. I was coordinating exhibits on a show in Vegas. On the last day of the exhibits I came down with something beginning about mid-day. We began striking at about 2:30 or so. By the time we got near the end I was bent over in pain and agony and, to put it quite grossly (sorry folks), I had to make several trips to the bathrooms.

    At one point near the end I had to go behind a booth and just lay down and curl up in a fetal ball til it passed. I am pretty sure I was suffering from delirium brought on by a fever.

    But, I had to be there. I was in charge. There was no one else to take my place. We came in the next day and it was a disaster. There was equipment sitting out not in the cases or even near the cases they were supposed to be in. It was crazy. That from all departments though, both Breakouts and General Session were in just as bad a shape as my gear.

    Somehow, in all the craziness and sickness, all I "lost" was the bracket to an Anchor speaker. Not too bad if I do say so myself.
    reply
  • Lee Potts

    10 months ago

    Rick: A trade show floor during tear down isn't a very comfortable place to be when you're healthy. Must be really nasty when you're having the kind of problem you had.

    The worse illness I ever had during a trade show was in San Francisco but it was only a really, really bad cold. I was there to make things easy for the sales guys, getting the booth set up, dealing with shipping, etc. But I was also expected to "man" the booth and chat with anyone who stopped by while the sales guys were already engage with other prospects. The show floor was opened in short blocks during during breaks in the conference activities. So basically I crawled back to my room and slept in my suit until it was time to go back. Luckily I was much better by ship out.

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
    reply

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