A Girl and her fake press conference

Today was a bit of a mismatch.  Like yesterday, I met what seemed like 100s of people (but it wasn't quite that many) and learned that VMS instructors like to make people laugh... especially the ones from Melbourne (as in Australia... Down Under... home of Crocodile Dundee... yeah, that place).  In an effort to concentrate my thoughts into a specific area, I wrote down a few blog topics that came to me through out the day. 

They are (in no particular order):

• Why do you work in this industry if you don't like working events?
• Why do you work in this industry if you're going to complain about me booking a show?
• Why do you work in this industry if you can't even remember we're presenting Bon Iver in Little Rock tonight?
• Why do you... 

wait, see the trend?  None of it positive.  I think I blogged a couple of years ago about being positive, so I better stick to it, right?

The more I heard today, the more the thoughts above ran through my head.  But how do I blog about that without hurting someone's feelings or making a few enemies?

I don't.  I blog about fake press conferences instead. 

One of my courses today was Media Relations.  We talked briefly about how we, as a venue, are beneficial to media and vice versa (I know, what a concept).  However, the main point of the course was media relations in a time of crisis.  After a quick exercise introducing the class to a made up tragedy, I found myself volunteering to represent said venue in a press conference.

Wait, back up here, did I really raise my hand for that?  The instructor wanted someone who wasn't good at it.  I've never done it, so I fit the bill, I suppose.  But why on earth did I raise my hand?

Someone must have slipped me something in my lemonade at lunch.

After a few minutes to myself to prepare, I stood in front of my peers (a lot of them), a camera, a microphone and a sea of hands ready to ask VERY difficult questions.  Guys, I have to tell you, fake press conferences regarding a death at your venue is tough stuff.  I found myself getting frustrated with the questions.  "What do you mean you don't know what a mosh pit is?" is not a good response to a fake reporters question and thankfully those words didn't fall out of my mouth.  Neither is "Maybe the kid was in over his head and shouldn't have been in the mosh pit, in fact, no one should go to mosh pits.  I learned my lesson at Rock Fest 1996 - mosh pits are dangerous and I blame his testosterone for doing a dumb thing in the first place".  Yes, that answer ran through my head.  To fan the flames a bit, we had to watch it all over again on video.  Yay.

Yay me.

Yay me for volunteering.

I think my volunteering to do that was the single most important thing I did today.  Had I watched someone else do it, I wouldn't have learned what I did while doing it.  I was critiqued, dissected, and thrown into the oreo method a bit (you know, good - bad - good), but most importantly, I learned exactly what I did wrong and think I could take on another fake press conference with much more confidence and would better represent my fake venue.

We'll save the real press conference for another time!

Someone remind me that just last year I was a wallflower and perhaps I should slow down a bit.  No need to jump into the deep end.

Actually, the deep end is kind of fun.  Maybe I'll stay in for a while... but can someone please pass me the life vest.  A little help never hurt anyone.