WHAT WE DO

Conferences and Workshops

Invite us to join your conference or workshop program.
We’ve all had the experience of being bored stiff at a conference or study day. The breaks can become more interesting than the sessions and we count the minutes until we can hit the caffeine and conversation with friends. Yet it doesn’t have to be like this. It is possible to keep people stimulated and entertained while they learn.
You can excite your attendees with the promise of laughter and learning.

Even the most serious, scientific or technical information can be made more acceptable with humour. In addition to our presentation, we are happy to brainstorm ideas to make your event more humorous and enjoyable. (see Conference Ideas.)

Open with impact by having us start your conference, workshop or study day with our special blend of energy, enthusiasm and humour. Our clients tell us that our light-hearted presentation puts everyone in a good mood to feel relaxed and receptive to for what lies ahead. People enjoy our simple message “Let’s take the information seriously, but ourselves a little less seriously.”

“Thank you for making the ‘Teachers Big Day Out’ such a wonderful success. Your humour, enthusiasm and expertise were greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all.”
(Pat Edgar, Qld., 2008)

Celebrations

Celebrations call for laughter. Lots of it.

Celebrations may include project completions, special awards, restructures, new services, anniversaries and special events such as Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, End of Financial Year, Melbourne Cup, Halloween, Christmas etc.

Celebrations can be a way of making people feel valued for their efforts and energising them for whatever the future holds. Once briefed on the significance of the celebration, we combine this information with inspirational humour to link the theme of the celebration with lasting benefits. These may include:

• How to stay energised and positive for the task ahead.

• How to work better together.

This is achieved in a session of laughter, friendship and fun. We are also happy to offer creative ideas for the celebration.

Your own seminar

The main benefit of having us present within your organisation is to align our message with your objectives and unique workplace conditions. Our pre-seminar research determines the best information with ideas that can used immediately to get results.

You won’t die laughing! – the presentation
This is a staff training initiative with a difference. The first is that while stress can be complex, some of the rememdies are quite simple. Many of these can be easily explained and demonstrated. They have have the effect of restoring hope and optimism and people rediscover the feeling of control over their lives.

The other difference is the way we use humour to make learning more enjoyable and memorable. Most of the humour is prepared in advance and relevant to the audience and topic. The interactive humour on the day is what surprises and delights our audiences. They love the sponteneity and can see how their own sense of humour could help them to see the funny side of things they can’t change.

People love to laugh. In this training session, staff have a chance to laugh together instead of just working together. They see the fun side of each other and can be surprised when they see some co-workers laugh for the first time. Laughter is bonding and can be a team-builder. The shared experience of laughter can revitalize a team and lift morale back at work. It can also lift possibilities and perspectives towards more creative thinking and problem solving.

“You manage to get into the heads of our staff. You understand their everyday problems and use humour and ideas to deal with them.”
(Susan Patten, HR, Vic Roads, 2007)

Public seminars

From time to time, we schedule the seminar You won’t die laughing! to enable people to attend personally or in a work group. Clients, such as schools, health care, councils and community services can join together for greater cost effectiveness.

Presentation Content

You won’t die laughing! Is the title of our book and our most popular presentation. Subtitled How to have less stress in your live and more fun, it develops a happy expectancy and gets people smiling ahead of their attendance.

Session content varies with client requirements and our research but usually includes the following:

1. Mood management includes using the power of the mind to cope better with the demands of busy lives. We show how to change unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and words that may be causing or adding to stress. This flexible thinking allows people to decide how they want to feel about what is happening to them, especially that which is beyond their control. (Examples include relationships, finance, change, technology and workloads.)

People understand that their moods can lead to stress or relaxation and that they can choose which it is to be. They also discover that moods can affect everthing they do - their work, decision making, safety, problem solving, and relationships.

2. Sense of humour training helps people to keep things in perspective. Being amused is a beneficial emotion whether or not it leads to laughter. When people do laugh, it can reduce stress, promote health and wellbeing, friendship (the essence of teamwork), creative thinking and as a way of influencing the behaviour of others. People learn how to strengthen their sense of humour by accessing, collecting and using humour.

3. Other information that people find helpful may provide the focus for You won’t die laughing! or include extra information, such as:

• Teamwork: which may be called Thank God it’s Monday – job satisfaction through teamwork (from our DVD of the same title).
  When people get on well together they work better as a team. Yet we are all capable of unthinking behaviours that can lead to conflict and stress.
  Three characteristics of successful teams are included. These are “attitude”, “people skills”, and “sense of humour”. People skills includes letting someone know how you feel about their behaviour, how to apologise, giving praise, making and refusing requests. Attitude concerns “mood management” (see above) and Sense of humour is applied to having more fun at work. The essence of teamwork is friendship and fun the glue of friendship. Laughter is what people do when they’re having fun. Ideas are included for having more fun at work.

• Health and wellbeing: includes mood management, sense of humour and healthy living. Health information and ideas are based on the latest research and directed towards the interests of most people. These include: staying young, having more energy, and weighing less.

• Customer service: explains the behaviours that best meet the needs of customers. Based on the DVD of the same title, it identifies Seven Service Skills which are adapted to suit different generations of service givers. We demonstrate the skills. The importance of having a good attitude and sense of humour are included. Customer service in health (also a DVD title) is specific to hospitals, nursing homes and medical practices.