Want to get together with me next weekend? Well, if you are in the General Santos City area, or can get there by next weekend, it’s a great chance to do just that! Today, I wish to announce that I will be speaking at the Blogfest Soccsksargen 2.0 event, which will be held in General Santos City next Saturday, November 26, 2011.
The event will be ongoing from 8am until 5pm, and will be held at the Sun City Suites Hotel Complex, which is along the National Highway in GenSan. The theme of the event is “The Emergence of Blogs and Social Media.” My particular speech will be on the topic of the history of the Internet in Mindanao, and blogging in Mindanao.
This won’t be my first time to give a speech to an event like this, but it has been several years since I have done it. In the meantime I have given more informal talks to smaller groups, but this one will be more formalized and a larger group. I’ve been told to expect perhaps about 200 people to be at the event, so I am having to psych myself up to speak to a crowd of that size. It should be fun, though. If you are in or near General Santos City, I’d like to urge you to come and see my talk, as well as that of the other speakers at the event.
I know that there are at least a few readers of this site who live in GenSan, and I would sure enjoy meeting each of you if you can make it to the event. I tend to get to interact and meet with a lot of foreign readers when they visit Davao, but I am looking forward to this opportunity to see and meet more of my Filipino readers at the Blogfest next weekend. I would like to encourage anybody reading this, if you see me at the Blogfest, please do say hi to me, and introduce yourself, it will be my pleasure to meet you and talk for a few minutes, depending on how much time is available. So, don’t be shy, please give me a shout!
Another thing that I am looking forward to is that Feyma and I will be spending a few days in GenSan and will touch base with a number of friends and family in that area, which should be fun. I also have some clients down there that I have done some work for recently whom I’ll be meeting with, and it’s always nice to have a face to face meeting like that.
I would like to invite my two Kompares, Orman and Avel Manansala for inviting me to speak at their event, I’m looking forward to seeing them next weekend, as it’s been a while since we saw each other.
If you wish to attend the Blogfest, please register here.
Hi Bob!
We are excited at the prospect of finally meeting you and Feyma. We have a wedding to attend on Saturday so we cannot meet you at the bloggers convention. Please leave a contact number in my email so we can arrange a meeting when you are available. We live about ten minutes from GenSan so if you would like we would be happy if you and Feyma would join us for lunch or dinner while you are here. I am quite sure that Feyma will enjoy Maries company and her flowers.
Hi Tom – Sorry we won’t be able to see you at the blogfest! You need to get your priorities straight, my friend… what is more important, a wedding or the blogfest? Ha ha 😆 My cell number is (0915) 216-0300, but I ask that calls be during business hours. Hope to see you! Not sure if we will be able to do lunch or dinner, but we’ll see!
good on mate
i just wont to say bob alll the best for the blogfest and i hope it alll work out for u there asi love to have been there my self but at ths time i canot see my way cleer to come over befor nexst year mate as i am at this time waiting to have a op on my back and are at this time in a lot off pain but i know one day i will get down south there for a look and ge to meet u and ur famliy so god bless and all the best mate i hope it all work out……peter martin tassie
No problem, Peter. I’ll be looking forward to meeting you someday.
Bob:
Judging by the number of speakers, I’m guessing 20-30 minutes presentation and 30 minutes Q&A? Piece of cake! Just be yourself… The idea of speaking in front of a large audience is far more intimidating that the actual speaking.
hi John – Yeah, I have spoken in front of this size of audience before, but it’s been a few years. I am not nervous about it, but I probably will be on the day of the event. One thing I do which is probably different from most speakers is that I don’t make up a speech, I always just speak off the cuff. If you know your subject well, that should be relatively easy for a speaker.
Bob: That’s exactly how I do it… If you read from a prepared speech, it sounds “canned” and puts people to sleep. Honestly, if you have a power point that is done well, that should be the only notes you’ll need.
The largest audience I’ve ever had was on an NBC news interview… THAT was far more intimidating than any in-person speech (With my ugly, you would be intimidated, too).
Hi John – Yeah, I have always been most comfortable speaking without anything prepared in advance. Speaking about something that is a personal experience is usually pretty easy. NBC news? That’s big time, my friend!
It was an interesting experience… I was involved in sponsoring some Pearl Harbor survivors going to the 60th reunion (10 years ago). NBC in Honolulu taped a report on it, which was to be played on the national NBC broadcast. I was in Hawaii with our cameraman (an employee), who was a really big help in keeping me calm and on topic. His best advice: “Don’t get too worried. This is taped and they will edit out any really big mistakes… and stop looking directly into the camera… BTW… You are an *sshole!” The last remark caught me off guard and laughing enough that I was relaxed!
Ha ha… that last comment was just what you needed!
I don’t use notes or any written prepared material either, I’d rather be looking at the audience, talking about something I know well, and if it is something I have ever written about I can usually remember what I have written in the past. Reading from notes or any kind of teleprompter can be too easy to mis-read something.
Yep, I totally agree Bob!
Sorry Bob but it is party time at our house on that date. Maybe next time. Yes it has been planned a year ahead of time. Best of luck.
No prob, Gary. Enjoy your party!
Bob,
Congratulations for being selected to speak at the blogfest. It’s something your well deserving of. You will do just fine, no worries. The only way i could see it is if it was live streamed on the internet lol. Hopefully one day when i retire i will make down there to see it and visit with you. Take care and be safe.
Thank you, Papa Duck.
Bob, what about Manila? He he. Just kidding! 🙂
Maybe next time! 😆
Best wishes on your presentation, Bob!
Thank you Tom!
Hi Bob,
Good Luck at your Blogfest.
Btw, i had a little chuckle about your addition of Like/Dislike/Rating buttons, since we very briefly mentioned it on FB the other week. I like it.
Regards,
Chas.