Focusing on my next challenge after Leade.rs Paris
I took a much needed break after Leade.rs Paris and Val d’Isere. I know you’re busy but please forgive me if I start by thanking who really made it happen: Havas, Microsoft, Facebook, Silicon Valley Bank, Salesforce, Google , BNP Paribas, Yellow Innovation (La Poste), La French Tech, Devialet, Pernod Ricard and all of you who bought tickets.
You really made it happen. It sounds like another standard thank you but it’s not. It’s from the bottom of my heart. We could have never had 1,200 participants from 50 countries and 100 speakers join without them. Special thanks to my team and all the 100 volunteers who helped us too. Thank you.
Here are all the videos from the main stage and from the digital brands and workshops. Of course, there is a lot that I want us to improve for next year.
Here are my top 3 mistakes and I won’t do them again.
1/ I will start by not doing it during easter holiday or passover. I was an idiot picking those dates, sorry, I went too fast. It’s a miracle that more than 1,000 people still showed up. Save the date for next year May 23–24, 2018.
2/ Inspired by SXSW I had a main stage content and tens of workshops running at the same time. People did not know what to choose and had FOMO. They did not have enough time for networking. Next year we will run either the main stage or the workshops but not at the same time and give much more space for networking.
3/ Many of you reported in our survey that I was using my phone all the time while doing interviews on stage. It’s true and I get that it was annoying. I was basically managing many things backstage and in production while doing an interview such as with a top speaker like DJ Patil. It’s a a bad idea. I will be less on stage next year or be entirely focused on my interviews even if other things aren’t as I expected. I will trust my team more and leave my phone backstage.
All in all I think most people were happy and I am proud of my team and all the volunteers. I have read all the surveys and suggestions everyone sent back. I have had feedback from every single of our key partners. I am proud of what we achieved in such a short period of time. Sure it can be improved and we will improve it.
If you have more feedback or suggestions just hit reply and tell me, I read all emails and learn.
The highlight of the whole event for me was our closing. The Leade.rs platform helped identify 450+ new young French entrepreneurs. Business Insider loved it and wrote a profile of 100 of them.
We closed the conference featuring 8 new young entrepreneurs and my own son Arthur Le Meur hosting it. I was watching seated first row. I can tell you that was one of the best moments in my life.
Oh and yes, I love running events and being on stage so again, thank you!
We are now focusing on launching our app to help event organizers find and book speakers for their events. You can already tell us about your event and we will help some events find speakers as well as signup as a speaker. We are helping manually for a few weeks using our own tool internally as it is getting ready soon for event organizers and speakers.
I will talk to you next week, I’m back alive and kicking!
NB. thanks Olivier Ezratty for writing such a complete post about your experience at Leade.rs Paris.
