A CAREER highlight ON THE horizon

As I write this article, I’m aware that in a very short time I’ll be participating in a lifetime career highlight. I’m excited and just a little nervous, but that’s appropriate whenever you approach significant events.

I’m going to be presenting at a conference. Not unusual for me as I’ve done this on many occasions over my long tenure, but this time it’s different.

It’s an international conference for our company’s brand and it’s taking place in South Africa, where I’ve learnt they have a strong presence.

I will present on the main stage to a sellout audience on 17th May – and here’s my quandary:

What to share with people whose experiences may be totally different at a cultural and business level? How do you create engagement so that their curiosity is piqued and how do you maintain that interest for the duration of the talk so that everyone derives some definite benefit despite my Kiwi accent potentially making hard work of things?

In thinking about all of this, I’ve rationalized that the best place to start is with a process that I’ve used many times before – and it’s stood me in good stead whenever a high level of professionalism is required.

Here’s my simple system.

Resist procrastinating. It never helps to wait so long that you find yourself in a corner, desperately looking for inspiration and losing vital time for fine tuning and practicing. I’ve never been someone who digs themself into this particular hole. I prefer to start early and move incrementally. So, it’s essential I select a potential topic – and soon – amongst the numerous suggestions I’ve been given.

The next step is always preparation and research.

Sure, you’ve settled on a topic, but is what you have to say the latest information or interpretation of it? I think of this as currency.

Currency is a concept that requires what you deliver to be relevant, up-todate and engaging.

It’s something I’ve come to respect given a number of conferences I’ve attended where often-repeated, outdated ideas were presented using data shows with no real sense of purpose other than for a box to be ticked, and I’d prefer to avoid this for obvious reasons. Then there’s the timing of everything, hitting your main points in the correct order, not relying on notes because they are distracting for you and your audience, and not going off topic.

I once went to an event where the speaker got so far off topic that no one, including the presenter, knew what was happening.

Lastly, what to wear, given a gal has got to look good, how to open (I’m thinking Te Reo), what resources to provide and how to finish well?

There you have it and soon I’m hoping I’ll have done it!!

Wish me luck.

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Christchurch-based readers – chances are you may have spotted an ingenious bus shelter takeover recently on Riccarton Road, the brainchild of oOh!media and community-based organisation The Commuting Book, who have come together with an initiative that focuses on making public spaces better and more enjoyable for Aotearoa. ‘Stories on the Go’ is a curated and ever-changing collection of reading material accessible through one of 50 QR codes at bus shelters. Commuters have access to an array of excerpts from Kiwi authors, from autobiographies to poetry to the first few chapters of brand-new titles. Commutes for those using public transport can be a little more entertaining – just scan and select for a daily dose of storytelling. thecommutingbook.org/stories-on-the-go

Best foot forward

Established in 1978, Scarpa has become synonymous with the very best international footwear brands through its bricks and mortar stores, as well as a burgeoning online business. Sisters Liz Savage and Pip Larner carried on the legacy from their parents, and have re-shaped Scarpa into a modern fashion force. The next step (pun intended), is its inaugural footwear collection. The 15 new styles tell the story of Liz and Pip’s sisterhood – inspired by their family, the women around them who have worked in the fashion footwear industry and their incredibly loyal customer base. scarpa.co.nz

New age natural

Arguably one of the world’s best natural perfumeries, Kiwi company Abel is pushing at the boundaries of art, ethics and natural science. Their latest scent addition, Black Anise, has been created to challenge expectations. Founder Frances Shoemack and master perfumer Isaac Sinclair were determined to break category conventions and show that natural perfume can be daring, dark and sultry. A vibrant, smoky amber with star anise top notes, a blackcurrant and cacao heart and a tobacco base, it’s moodier and richer than what many would typically associate with the botanical reputation of natural perfumery. abelodor.com

Premium pinot

Already renowned for the quality of its pinot noir, Central Otago is set to step things up a notch with the recent acquisition of Akarua by the prestigious Edmond de Rothschild Group. The Group, which also owns Rimapere in Marlborough as well as vineyards in France, Spain, South Africa and Argentina, has identified the growing conditions and soil quality in Bannockburn, a 350-hectare area of Central Otago, as uniquely positioned to help address a global shortage of super-premium wine, and are currently in the process of converting the Akarua vineyard to organic. akarua.com