I trekked down Highway 169 to the famous Okoboji Resort area of Iowa for the first time since moving to the US in 1999. It is January with freezing temps and whipping winds but I did manage to get there in time to catch a beautiful sunset and a small piece of open water!
The event was for a Community Bank for it’s employees and partners at the historic Majestic Pavilion. I did some research on the area and found lots of interesting facts that I could weave into my presentation. One of the connection points when I present, is making the connection between Ireland and where I am booked. Ireland and Iowa have a rich history to the point there is a town called Emmetsburg which was founded by Irish immigrants and named after the famous Irish revolutionary, Robert Emmett. I made sure to tell that story when I got warmed up.
This was a pretty straightforward event for my skillset. Introduce myself, assure the audience that they could trust me and then bring them into the fray. After some comical moments connecting Irish place names with my own interpretation of various Iowa cities (Des Moines in particular) I knew we connected when I told them I thought Dubuque was pronounced “Do-Bee-Q” and I knew it connected when one team called themselves Dubuque BBQ! Reading out and having an opinion on every team name may seem a little tedious but for those teams, it is their chance to have the spotlight shone on them and it solidifies the bond they are building up to take part. Funny team names get everyone’s attention.
The Trivia was intersected with some raffle prize drawings which I find to be a great opportunity to bring in some comical riffs. A beach tote set was an easy target given it was -15 degrees outside with the wind chill!
I also noticed how encouraging it was to read out scores for each team so they could feel connected both to their progress and encouraged that they were worthy of a mention.
When the final scoreboard was announced, the winning team had managed to eek out a victory by one point! I love when it’s that close. I asked the organizing committee if we could finish with some prize drawings to keep the momentum of positive energy going right to the end. It was a privilege to be part of a great event and my request for a selfie was warmly accepted (see pic).
That was that…or so I thought.
The next morning while enjoying some breakfast in a local diner, before hitting the road north, the server announced to me that my tab was covered by a group that had since left. They left the message as a thank you for the fun they had the night before. I was genuinely touched by that act of kindness.
A little bit of Irish history, a great event and kindness. Who could “Iowish” for anything more!
Let’s create something your audience won’t stop talking about. Reach out today to book John Cosgrove or to learn more about customizing an experience for your event.
