Wednesday, June 14, 2006

C'est Fini...Banff Day 3...

...not too much to add as I wrapped up Banff TV Festival today.

This is a funny business - ended up cancelling or rescheduling my remaining meetings this morning to go play a round of golf at the Banff Springs course with the network honcho I spoke of yesterday that was interested in the series idea that I didn't think was appropriate for their network (which goes to show you..nobody knows anything - including me). It was his suggestion, asked of me last night (after hearing some of my golfing at Banff with industry players when I was a nobody (and thats changed wc?) anecdotes), and ended up being a fun few hours whacking the white ball while yacking golf and life...and concluded with some business/deal talk on the way back to conference centre.

That golf game might well be the most productive 'meeting' I had all week.

I've had this happen before - where a dinner or a card game or a golf game or something like that evolves out of the event, and it becomes invaluable because you are getting to know who you are dealing with away from the implicit hierarchy of the pitch meeting and all of that pressure. And they get to see you in a different context. It isn't that the pressure is completely gone, but its a very different dynamic.

And since this is ultimately a people business as much as its an ideas business, or an entertainment business, or all the other businesses it can be....those kind of meetings can be the best kind of meetings. But they have to grow out of the situation - you can't 'book' them. You just have to recognize them when they arise and do what you have to do.

Caught my plane home and arrived safe and sound. Bagged and heading to bed. Thanks for understanding.



SONG & ARTIST? - If I have to sleep on your doorstep,
all night and day
Just to keep you from walkin' away
Let your friends laugh even this I can stand
Cause I wanna keep you, any way I can.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't play golf, but next time I can, I'll ask a development exec to a game of Risk, and see where it goes from there. (I'll let him have South America)

DMc said...

Oh please, c'mon. You're gonna give us Sugar Pie Honey Bunch by the Temptations and try to stump?

BTW, I was standing right where that was recorded on Monday afternoon.

Funny world.

Crashdummie said...

You poor thing? Nope, not quite. But maybe after you are done with my revenge I might have to reconsider - cuz guess what, you are tagged!!!

wcdixon said...

DMC:

Now I'm not wanting to be startin' something here, and The Temptations is correct... but those lyrics are from 'Ain't To Proud To Beg' my friend - consider yourself partly stumped.

And is very cool where you were standing Monday afternoon...which ever song they recorded.

Callaghan said...

Congrats on the network interest! Next time you're in Toronto maybe we can set up a round of 18.

kathi said...

It seems like every great break I've had has come from this sort of meeting (not golf, but casual out of the office type of thing). I think people see the real you and not the you that you put on in an office with your hopes showing.

Oh, here by way of Heart of Darkness. :)