Well yesterday was certainly a different kind of annual client event for me. I bounced out of bed excited that the big yearly masterclass had arrived, and then wondered how it would be – not actually meeting with any of our lovely clients.
I found myself pacing Avallenau House car park early that morning, waiting for imaginary guests to arrive!
It’s all very well and good offering a ‘virtual event’ but there is an awful lot that can go wrong. My mind very helpfully asked me if the internet might go down, or would our email accounts suddenly fail?
It is fair to say that we had really prepared for this. We had even posted out ‘goody boxes’ to our registered attendee clients with cake, biscuits, tax tables, chocolate, pens and agenda’s all ready for the big day.
At 8.15 am, Katy, Carys and I checked and rechecked every video link that we had prepared. In truth, I was ready days in advance for this, but it never hurts to check again. Then the countdown begun….
At 9.55 am Katy ‘pushed the button’ and we were off! The Thomas and Thomas 2020 Masterclass had begun!
My cunning plan was to bury quiz questions in the sessions, giving away locally handmade facemasks as prizes for the fastest correct answers to come in on email. We nervously waited for any answers…..….. Then, bang on 10.26 am, as the first main session ended, an explosion of client answers came in!
We had put together a presentation on the global economy called ‘what on earth is happening?’ which set the day up nicely.
From there, our feet didn’t touch the ground as we answered questions, replied to quiz answers and built the final video for the day.
The interview with Neville White from Eden Tree fund house was fascinating and received our clients’ highest commendations for the day.
Katy pitched in with two fantastic mini sessions on Tax Tips and Client Updates which were both comfortably under 10 minutes and really easy to follow. They were incredibly well received.
My annual portfolio update session was candid and the graphs really worked for our clients this year – based on their comments.
There was a break to enjoy those goody boxes, and prize giving at the end of the day via a video that I recorded in between answering all of those email questions!
We had no issues with anyone unable to follow things and no technology issues at all. Phew!
If you missed the morning and you would like to still experience the presentations from the comfort of your home – at your own pace – just let me know. We will send you all of the links in the correct order for you to follow and enjoy at your leisure. I know that those who attended yesterday would say it is definitely worth it.
Thank you so much to all of you who supported this years’ masterclass, it was a real success.
Thank you as well to Eden Tree for your generosity in lending us Neville and providing the goody box pens. Thank you Sarasin and Rathbones for helping me to compile all of those numbers, thank you Lisa for supporting me and thank you so much Katy and Carys for helping the day be an absolute cracker.
My best wishes to everyone and congratulations to the class of 2020 – you graduated with honours!
Darren
