Conley's Running Order

Brian Conley could possibly do more corporate conference work in Britain than any other celebrity. His brand of family entertainment includes song, comedy and both game and chat show hosting.

I’ve attended several such events and have strangely noticed how a star turn can flop.

Brian Conley knows this too. From bitter personal experience. And he finds the remedy is simple. Always avoid going on cold at the end of the evening.

The company concerned try to change his mind when he insists on this. And he reckons they acknowledge that last year’s act bombed when bounding onto the stage after dinner’s over.

He advises going on at the start. Not for long, around ten to fifteen minutes tops. Then pop back for a quick visit between courses. Only then return after the meal and ease into your full act.

It’s a fascinating insight. Otherwise, do both drink intake and expectations build to render any attempt at entertainment less than satisfactory?

There’s possibly repercussions here for any presentation, not just a full blown major event. We’re used to wheeling out the big guns solely for a climactic fireworks ending. Does this approach mean that you can benefit from surprising your audience with the brief morsel of a key player’s input before their main event?

It’s an interesting angle, and one that suggests that if you want to maximise the impact of a certain turn, then you can get creative and veer away from the standard regimented bobbing ducks parade.