Feeling a little anxious about meeting in person? Is your public speaking rusty?
At the beginning of March I arrived at the airport to make two trips. One trip was to California where I filmed a new online course in their studio. The second trip was to Dallas to emcee a three day women’s conference. I have to admit I was both excited and nervous. I hadn’t been in an airport in over two years! And this was also my first in-person speaking engagement since the pandemic. It felt a little weird.
Had air travel changed? Would I recall the process? Everything was as I remembered it, except for one thing. The airlines required carry on bags to be checked with a $35 dollar charge per bag depending on the price of the ticket. Once I got to the gate I relaxed but I felt like this was the old me-my old life. I no longer traveled to see clients after becoming a virtual business. Could I get back in the saddle or was there going to be a re-entry phase? Fortunately, the planes took off in time and there was no hassle. So what did I experience?
A big difference with in-person meetings are the safety protocols. You may or may not need a Covid test. Some conferences require masks and other events leave it to the audience’s preference. As a way of respecting the comfort level of attendees, each person could choose to wear a button that said, Handshake, Hug, or No Contact. Wouldn’t it be great if we all came with signs that let people know how to communicate with us?
Another issue is hybrid meetings. You may be asked to facilitate or speak to a full hybrid meeting. In my case, the conference planners allowed 25 people to attend by live stream. It was important to greet the live stream people from the stage but the AV team handled Q&A. Part of a hybrid meeting is taking live questions using an in-house microphone for the audience and then checking to see if there are questions from the remote attendees.
Feeling a little rusty, I approached the stage and it all came rushing back. It was like riding a bicycle. By the end of the conference I was feeling confident again. What a good feeling to be in the same room with people, sharing meals and networking breaks. By the end of the conference I extended my arms and said “I feel so normal!”
Getting back to in-person meetings was a positive experience. Here’s what I learned:
The meetings and events industry is opening up for in-person meetings but it can change at any time. Be flexible and adapt.
Keep up-to-date on protocols for airlines and conference venues. Are vaccine cards and masks required?
Respect people’s preferences. You may want to hug old friends but ask permission first. One of my friends brings a travel size hand sanitizer with him and uses it before shaking hands. He explains to the person what he’s doing.
Practice safe networking. Meet outdoors or allow some distance. Don’t sit right next to the person. Give them some breathing space.
Ease into in-person meetings slowly. It may be too taxing to book back-to-back events even if you were a road warrior in the past. Develop your speaking/traveling legs before you go full throttle.
Consider the audience. How do they feel? They probably feel a little anxious being in-person. Address the elephant in the room. Review the safety protocols and give them permission to distance if that will make them feel safer. Arrange the room to create both space and intimacy.
Provide a live stream option so those who are not ready to mix with a crowd can still attend the meeting. And it’s a good back-up in case the in-person event is cancelled.
Are In-Person meetings here to stay? They’re coming back, but I believe we’ll be a hybrid world. So smile and have fun. Brush up on your in-person public speaking skills. There’s no greater energy than speaking in front of a live audience. Give them an opportunity to laugh and enjoy the ride.