It’s football season meeting planners, and no matter the team you are hoping to follow from kickoff on opening day to Super Bowl Sunday, we love our football teams. And why not? It is as American as Apple Pie, though beer and chicken wings are more its style, and it showcases stellar athletes in tackles and touchdowns.
The “star” of the field is many times the quarterback. According to Football for Dummies there are certain qualities that the most amazing of amazing quarterbacks display. As I looked through this list I realized how meeting planners have these exact same qualities! So, are you ready for some football?!
Arm Strength: The faster the quarterback can throw the ball, the better the chance it will not be taken, deflected or intercepted by an opponent. Not that meeting planners have any opponents, we are simply too charming! But we do need to be quicker than the quickest of thinkers. We scan the horizon at all times to find the perfect moment to make our play and we know exactly when to throw the ball.
Competitiveness: Competitive in the sense that the quarterback is willing to take the lead. Therefore, the quarterback will work harder than the rest of the team, and the team looks to the quarterback for guidance and support. Quarterbacks have a willingness to hold the ball if necessary, even knowing that a tackle is imminent. Sound like anyone you know? Yeah, just take a look in the mirror.
Intelligence: Well, this goes without saying. Outstanding quarterbacks memorize, envision, and hold the keys to hundreds of plays and possible scenarios. Just like the outstanding meeting planner who is the keeper of crazy amounts of information and are always at the ready to shift, move and create whatever is necessary in order for each event to go off without a hitch.
Mobility: Move quickly, move forward, move backward, move sideways, defy gravity and do so with grace; these are the trademark moves of the quarterback worthy of many a football jersey sale with their name and number on it. I always thought it would be amazing to track the footpath of a meeting planner before, during and after an event; pretty sure it would mimic that of a quarterback! On top of it, the meeting planner’s mind does the exact same thing. A nimble mind serves the expert meeting planner well.
Oh no, we are not done! We have only reached half time. We break now for a word from our sponsor, HelmsBriscoe. Be sure to come back next week to see the rest of the game!
*Yes, as a matter of fact, that is I with none other than the amazing Peyton Manning. Thank you to Collinson Media & The Knoxville CVB for the image!
