Nigeria Content Online

We
are no longer a courteous nation. We have lost our manners. What else
would you call it when you are holding an event and have confirmed
acceptances from the chief hosts, chairpersons of the occasion, and/or
special guests – all of whom will play key roles at the affair – and
they do not turn up?

How do you describe
an event for which a confirmed key speaker has being advertised as the
main attraction, and people pay to participate or to be delegates in
order to hear and meet that speaker, and then the speaker does not show
up?

We can lean towards
understanding when the VIP involved is of global or national stature
and whose time is at the mercy of critical events or stakeholders –
perhaps. But these days, any and every Tom, Dick and Harriet too often
do not take firm commitments to events seriously, regardless of whether
they are social, occupational or otherwise.

If you are lucky,
they are ‘ably represented’. This means that one hour before the event
is due to start, or 30 minutes before they are due to deliver their
paper, they conscript a staff member or a colleague to attend on their
behalf and read the speech that has all too often been pre-prepared for
them by the organisers of the event.

Phrases like “all
protocols observed” have become so hackneyed that some of us are too
embarrassed to use them. Now, we can add another phrase to the list of
clichés: “Mr. so and so, ably represented by Mr. here or Mrs. there”.

As an experienced
event organiser, you have not completed your preparations if you have
not already jointly identified with your VIPs, who will represent them
if they cannot make it. You had better have a copy of the speech so
that if they do not turn up, and the representative cannot make it, you
can still co-opt one of your team members or a friendly person of
importance present to read the speech.

Yes, they are busy.

Yes, the President
called them to Aso Rock. Please forgive me, but I have not yet heard
reasons like, “my constituents called an emergency meeting”, or “due to
an urgent situation in the organisation”, or “due to unexpected
ill-health.” What I HAVE heard are reasons like, “He had to attend a
colleague’s second wedding in another state”, or “she had to go to the
funeral of her colleague’s father-in-law”, or “they have gone to pay a
condolence visit”.

I have not heard
these kinds of reasons from international speakers and VIPs for events
either here or abroad. They check their diaries before accepting
invitations. When new demands on their time are made that conflict with
planned appearances, they consider them carefully and unless the new
request is unavoidable, they turn them down. When the unexpected and
unplanned occur, they either cancel their commitment or they contact
the organisers to arrange to come late or leave early.

If they are to be
represented, it is arranged at the time of commitment. On those
occasions, it is the representative’s name that appears on the
invitation card, not the VIP’s.

The representative reads his or her own speech, in which is also reflected the views of the VIP.

Show some respect

Why do our VIPs
think we should waste our time attending an event where their speech
will be read, sometimes badly, by a person we neither desire nor would
pay to see?

They could simply
circulate their speech or publish it and we could read it at our
leisure. I will want to stand for the president only, not for a
representative.

It is the height of
disrespect to the organisers and participants of events to expect them
to appreciate whomever you send. Say that you cannot make it and ask
the organisers if they will accept someone else who can bring a similar
perspective.

If a husband and
wife divide conflicting events on the same day between themselves so
that they can cover as many as possible, you could say that the
‘couple’ has been ably represented by the appearance of just one of
them. If an organisation is represented by any of its principal
officers, in their own right, the organisation can be said to have been
ably represented.

So, if the organisers are inviting you because of your organisation, ask someone else to do it.

If you have to
cancel your commitment, please do so. The event will survive. If a good
friend or political bigwig suddenly informs you about the wedding of
his daughter this weekend – a wedding that they have been planning for
several months – please tell him or her that regretfully you have
another commitment but you will visit them and the celebrants before
and after to show your support.

No one can ably represent YOU. We invited you because we wanted to see you, and hear from you, and have access to you.

If you cannot give us that, please have the courtesy to let us down with consideration, directness and with respect.