Declan Coyle- Founder of The Green Platform

Whenever I travel overseas and participate in events or conferences, I come back to Ireland and I’m always amazed at the talent, the professionalism and the sheer “joie de vivre” that I find at conferences here at home.

Sometimes we call it the “craic,” or the fun … the joy of living. It’s about the great and powerful life affirming, life transforming face-to-face conversations.

We live in a world that is connected and interconnected. We have texts, emails and all kinds of social media. Without a doubt social media does a great job. But it falls short when it comes to really connecting. Really communicating. Really transforming.

To really connect you need the human interface. You need a real, live person. Right there in front of you. Making eye contact. Smiling. Nodding. Raising the odd eyebrow. That’s real communication. That’s real connection. That’s where we hear stories and life experiences about learning and growth, personal development and organisational transformation.

You simply can’t make eye contact with a screen. It won’t nod back. It will never lift your present moment with a warm smile.

This is the real invisible power of Connect17.

CONNECT17 is a LIVE Irish Showcase of the events industry featuring over 220 hotels, venues and event suppliers, tastings per region, the best of entertainment and 30 educational seminars where people can network and meet face to face.

I’m honoured and privileged to be one of the Keynote Speakers at Connect17 this year. The theme of the presentation will be the power of The Green Platform to change and transform the culture your company or organisation into a positive, innovative, creative can-do culture.

Culture is the key and culture will eat strategy and plans for breakfast. Culture is your competitive edge.

It’s about creating the culture where people can become more than they’ve been before, more than they’ve ever dreamed of being. It’s about the team member being committed to a purposeful, meaningful vision for the future and implementing that vision with energy, enthusiasm and excitement.

It’s about each person becoming the best version of themselves so that those around them can flourish and shine and be the best that they can be.

More information at thegreenplatform.com