FourCs that Compel People to Attend Conferences BY PRADEEP ANAND A friend asked me: Why should I attend the IIT 2013 Global Conference? I said: It depends. It depends on what motivates you in life. Such as?: he asked. I replied: It depends on the FourCs that motivate you. Forces?: he asked FourCs, as in the number 4 and C as in the letter C. FourCs. Ah!: he said and pleaded: Pray, do tell me about the FourCs that compel people to attend conferences. Well: I continued: there are those people who attend a conference because they like the First C of the conference — Content. It’s my alternate word for Knowledge. So you can call the First C— (Knowledge) Content. The best among us are constant learners. They have an in-built radar for garnering and gathering new knowledge. Some of the best minds in the world, including a Nobel Laureate, are converging on Houston and this gathering will attract those (Knowledge) Content seekers. So, what’s the Second C?: my friend asked. The second of the FourCs is Career Opportunities. There are those who are motivated by developing their careers, which, as we all know is a combination of not only “what we know” (Content) but also “who we know”. Any professional in the Sustainability, Technology, Education, Energy and Life Sciences/Health (STEEL) sectors would have the opportunity to not only learn from the best minds but also meet them and meet colleagues, superiors and recruiters from these industries. Likewise senior executives, founders and owners of companies have a great opportunity to meet and attract some of the best engineers and scientists in the world. The conference offers a risk-free, non-threatening environment to evaluate and
recruit engineers and scientists, that too at the lowest cost. It’s a great place to either develop one’s own career progression or help someone else’s career development. I continued without pausing: The third of the FourCs is Camaraderie. People go to conferences to meet colleagues and rejuvenate old friendships. They also discover new allies and relationships that are based on common experiences. And when two friends and like-minded South Asians meet, it’s time to socialize and party. Social networks are as old as human history. Thousands of years ago, we discovered that we needed the strength in numbers to survive. This insight turned into a trait that, over several millennia, created societies built on social interactions, and rules for maintaining harmony. We are not called social animals for nothing. We, especially South Asians, like to meet people, converse, communicate and party, in a spirit of camaraderie. And now my friend couldn’t stop me. I continued relentlessly: The fourth of the FourCs is internal to the individual; it is Conscience. People attend conferences because their conscience tells them to do so. Conferences with altruistic purpose ignite in people a consciousness that transcends known boundaries around the individual and the self. Such conferences educate and inspire people to move out of their comfort zones, into zones that help them reach greater heights. (That’s one of the many outcomes the IIT 2013 Global Conference aspires.) Wow: said my friend. And asked: Are there any more Cs behind why people attend conferences? I replied: Yes. However it’s personal. To me, the additional Cs are Charity and Community but then, for you, you need to develop that list through self-discovery. Come to the IIT 2013 Global Conference and discover them for yourself. Pull yourself out of your comfort zone and create a new you, to build a better world.
Pradeep Anand is president of Seeta Resources, www.seeta.com, a consulting firm that helps business leaders cope with change, resulting in accelerated growth. He is the author of An Indian in Cowboy Country: Stories from an Immigrant’s Life. www.hummagazine.com
July 2013