I’ve never really been one for job titles, director of this, master of that, but Comms Hero is one that I have to admit I quite like.
So this morning I set off to my first ever #CommsHero event in Leeds. Along with my invite (a proper paper invite I’ll have you know!), with it came a super hero mask. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put in on in the last few weeks.
Train Fail
As all Comms Heroes know sometimes things don’t go as planned. And so my morning began. I arrived at my local train station, hubby dropped me off (thanks love), only for me to be told by a random stranger that no trains were running from that station. I frantically fumbled for my phone, called him back and he dropped me off at the next nearest station, leaving him just enough time to get home and take the boys to school (thanks again love!).
So, a mere 30 minute wait later and I was on the train to Leeds.
Falling from grace
I arrived with enough time to walk to the venue. I confidently strode past the queue of people waiting for the taxi only to do one of the most spectacular falls I’ve even done.
My new birthday shoes must have been a bit shiny at the bottom, which caused me to slip on the Leeds pavement, my ankle gave way and my knee (yes the one with bolts in it) hit the ground along with my right hand (the left hand was in the air – there was no way I was smashing my iphone).
So there I was sat on the floor at the front of the taxi queue in utter agony with a kind woman trying to help me up. ‘Better leave me here for a moment’, I told her, scared to death that if I put any weight on my knee it would give way (only people with multiple dislocations under their belt would understand).
Up I got eventually and decided I wouldn’t be able to walk to the venue, in my current state, so I got in line and waited for a taxi.
In the queue I almost fainted, due to the shock and the pain, but not wanting to make any more of a fuss I managed to put my head down long enough for it to pass.
Table 13
Arriving at the venue in time for the event, I was directed to table 13, unlucky for some I thought! Thankfully I was sat with a table of great people and we had lots of fun together. There were a number of interactive parts to the event and we bonded by drawing cartoons together and created a t-shirt slogan based on our #CommsHero lives.
Speakers
Thankfully the hassle of getting there soon melted away because the event was really engaging. With speakers from Innocent, Doncaster Council and the NHS to name a few, there was plenty to listen to and learn from.
Top Tips
The top tips that I took from the event regarding social media were:
Be human
Keep it personal
Respond, respond, respond
Make the hard sell interesting
Embrace the power of nonsense
Learn by doing
Be relevant
And don’t wear new shiny shoes when you are walking fast!
After a terrible start it ended up being a great day. I got a fab swag bag, including a superhero cape (which I will be wearing when I can walk without limping!). But I do think I might have broken my hand (if that is an actual thing), now what was it the lady from the NHS was saying…….
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