Clubs changing venues - Angela's Report as GE to IFPAS - a new venue
Ifpas is a financial advisers' group. Their website and Facebook page look good and the Toastmasters International website and District 80 Directory list them as meeting in building near Dhoby Ghaut and Rochor MRT train stations in Singapore. What could go wrong. Their Facebook page shows a smartly dressed group, in shirts and ties. What could go wrong?
However, because of developments in their original building, they have been floating about. I received a confirmation from the Sergeant At Arms confirming the time and day. However, on the day, I picked up the website information as it has links to find directions. Fortunately I emailed two people to ask them to confirm the nearest MRT, then discovered I was going to the wrong place!
I'd already wasted a lot of time checking directions to the first supposed venue, along with printing out directions. Then I had to search for directions it all over again.
A bus took me almost door to door. I was worried about finding the stop. But I had checked the bus stop number at the destination.
When I arrived at the meeting the SAA started by apologising and her charm completely disarmed my irritation. Instead I felt sorry for the poor club members, struggling with uncertainly and changing venues, no club banner, possibly losing potential visitors or members. It shows you need clear directions on the day emailed to everybody likely to attend, drawing their attention to the new venue in the email, as well as directions correcting the Toastmasters International site.
For attending members, at Chinese New Year, and all occasions, it's essential to phone somebody in the club to ensure the meeting is actually taking place at the time and venue specified. The printed District 80 directory does not have any provision for changes. Perhaps Toastmasters International needs a page for directory or meeting venue updates.
What else do clubs need? Arriving at the building, the concierge in the skyscraper office blockers ground floor desk had no knowledge of our meeting, nor the company, nor individuals working in the building. I was quite relieved not to be asked for a passport nor photo ID. In house clubs are often in places where you cannot get past the desk without surrounding an identity card. Nobody wants to give their passport or NRIC or driving license to an unknown person on a desk.
(You can come back, staff have changed shift, and your ID is nowhere to be found. Come back tomorrow. Oh, yes, that's all I want - a night of anxiety, a two hour round trip tomorrow, and if it's lost, a huge fine from NRIC issuing authority because every time you lose your card or have it stolen the fine doubles.)
Anyway, we arrive in the venue. An indoor, windowless room. No light. No fire escape through a window - you can't even wave to say you are trapped or safe. Claustrophobic and oppressive.
In the UK in a communal building for area or division contests we have a welcome to Toastmasters sign inside the building entrance door, a sign with an arrow at any point where there's a choice of directions, and a welcome to Toastmasters sign on the door.
The club has no banner to display in photos, no mechanical lights, but the pastel coloured cards for the timer work well enough as he is sitting right in front of the 'stage'.
On the plus side, we enjoy a room small enough to feel cosy with our small numbers, yet an abundance of spare chairs if anybody else turns up. Also handy, a drinking water machine outside by the toilets. Another plus point is the toilets are nearby and on the same floor.
We are not short of speakers but have four, including one slide show presentation.
We also have both a screen to write on, and another screen for projecting slides.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker and author, CL, ACG.
However, because of developments in their original building, they have been floating about. I received a confirmation from the Sergeant At Arms confirming the time and day. However, on the day, I picked up the website information as it has links to find directions. Fortunately I emailed two people to ask them to confirm the nearest MRT, then discovered I was going to the wrong place!
I'd already wasted a lot of time checking directions to the first supposed venue, along with printing out directions. Then I had to search for directions it all over again.
A bus took me almost door to door. I was worried about finding the stop. But I had checked the bus stop number at the destination.
When I arrived at the meeting the SAA started by apologising and her charm completely disarmed my irritation. Instead I felt sorry for the poor club members, struggling with uncertainly and changing venues, no club banner, possibly losing potential visitors or members. It shows you need clear directions on the day emailed to everybody likely to attend, drawing their attention to the new venue in the email, as well as directions correcting the Toastmasters International site.
For attending members, at Chinese New Year, and all occasions, it's essential to phone somebody in the club to ensure the meeting is actually taking place at the time and venue specified. The printed District 80 directory does not have any provision for changes. Perhaps Toastmasters International needs a page for directory or meeting venue updates.
What else do clubs need? Arriving at the building, the concierge in the skyscraper office blockers ground floor desk had no knowledge of our meeting, nor the company, nor individuals working in the building. I was quite relieved not to be asked for a passport nor photo ID. In house clubs are often in places where you cannot get past the desk without surrounding an identity card. Nobody wants to give their passport or NRIC or driving license to an unknown person on a desk.
(You can come back, staff have changed shift, and your ID is nowhere to be found. Come back tomorrow. Oh, yes, that's all I want - a night of anxiety, a two hour round trip tomorrow, and if it's lost, a huge fine from NRIC issuing authority because every time you lose your card or have it stolen the fine doubles.)
Anyway, we arrive in the venue. An indoor, windowless room. No light. No fire escape through a window - you can't even wave to say you are trapped or safe. Claustrophobic and oppressive.
In the UK in a communal building for area or division contests we have a welcome to Toastmasters sign inside the building entrance door, a sign with an arrow at any point where there's a choice of directions, and a welcome to Toastmasters sign on the door.
The club has no banner to display in photos, no mechanical lights, but the pastel coloured cards for the timer work well enough as he is sitting right in front of the 'stage'.
On the plus side, we enjoy a room small enough to feel cosy with our small numbers, yet an abundance of spare chairs if anybody else turns up. Also handy, a drinking water machine outside by the toilets. Another plus point is the toilets are nearby and on the same floor.
We are not short of speakers but have four, including one slide show presentation.
We also have both a screen to write on, and another screen for projecting slides.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker and author, CL, ACG.
Labels: changing venue, check website
posted by Angela Lansbury Author at 7:34 PM
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