The other day I got invited to speak at a marketing conference in India. I get invited to speak at quite a few of these conferences, and I often accept, particularly if the location is interesting. That way, after my speech, I can explore. (I'll let you know what I thought of Mumbai if I end up going there in November.)
But even if the location is boring, there are usually one or two excellent speakers to make the trip worthwhile. Over the years I've noticed that conferences have a cast of archetypes, a bit like Agatha Christie novels. The line-up goes like this: the author of a new book (that's usually me); two or three advertising agency people presenting campaigns (the challenge! the solution! the results!); an expert in customer relations management (these are now interchangeable with social media experts); a research company presenting a study («How to target Indian youth»); and a client, also presenting a campaign («Breaking into the bottled water market in India»).
There's usually one left-of-field speaker (a rock climber, a physicist, a wildlife photographer) to give the conference that all-important creative edge. This person is always the day's most fascinating speaker - and certainly the one you want to have a drink with in the bar afterwards. Because, as anyone who is in Cannes this week knows, that's what conferences are really for: socialising.
