Going Off the Cliff with No Slides
I recently attended my company’s Summit 2007 at the Austin Convention Center.
My employer Builder Homesite designs technology solutions for the home building and home product manufacturer industries. 
The Summit was designed to bring our customers together to learn about new products and solutions and to share best practices with one another. The Summit was a huge success and will hopefully become a yearly event.
The highlight of the event for me was the keynote speech by Gary Hoover. (check out his interesting read — Hoover’s Vision)
If you don’t know Gary, you should check him out. He is a serial entrepreneur who started up Bookstop, which pioneered the bookstore/coffee shop model which we all enjoy today, as well as Hoover’s Online, the outstanding business information that has helped companies and individuals make sound business decisions for decades.
Gary is a GREAT speaker.
He is a great speaker for two reasons.
1. No slides.
His keynote lasted about 45 minutes and he displayed no slides (not a one..). The audience dodged and weaved as he spun personal, captivating stories about business trends, observations, and key learnings. He had us laughing, chuckling, and marveling at the deep, profound insight that this man so willingly shares with the audience.
2. Off the cliff.
Gary is not afraid to take chances. He talked about eight keys to business success. A ‘typical’ speaker would place each ‘key’ on a slide and then focus on it rather than the audience. Gary kept the audience riveted by sharing a personal story around each point. He took chances with his storytelling and the barrier between audience and speaker was removed. I felt as if Gary was shooting the breeze with me on the couch. He wasn’t up on the pulpit preaching to us.
Thumbs up to Gary Hoover and to Builder Homesite for putting on a great event.
Until next time,
Dan Naden
