Nine superpowers you wish you had at a development conference

Conferences—we can’t live with or without them. But what if we had superpowers to help us get through the most annoying parts?

by Rachita Vora, Zarir De Vitre

2 min read

1. When your sponsors keep adding to their list of demands before the event, and you can’t say no.

2. When you slept in on the day of your own keynote speech.

3. When the EMCEE cancels at the last minute and you have to step up.

4. When you’re having ‘technical difficulties’.

5. When you’re moderating a panel and, instead of asking a question, someone from the audience gives a seven-minute speech.

6. When you’re trying to avoid someone during the networking break.

7. What you need when you have to meet new donors during breakout meetings

8. When all you want is for people to work together.

9. When conferences are irrelevant because you have the most important superpower of them all – you are rich!

Disclaimer: The author is related to a team member at IDR.

Tags: Nonprofit Humour

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rachita Vora

Rachita is co-founder and director at IDR. Before this, she led the Dasra Girl Alliance, an INR 250 crore multi-stakeholder platform that sought to improve maternal, adolescent and child health outcomes in India. She has over a decade of experience, having led teams in the areas of financial inclusion, public health and CSR, and functions across strategy, business development, and communications. Rachita has an MBA from Judge Business School at Cambridge University and a BA in History from Yale University.

Zarir De Vitre

Zarir De Vitre is an independent sustainability consultant with experience across the corporate, consulting, and nonprofit sectors. He advises and supports clients on a range of services, including sustainability strategy, corporate social responsibility, research, communications, and reporting. Previously, he worked at the Tata Sustainability Group, EY, and the Mahindra Group. He has a master’s degree in environment and development from King’s College London and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Knox College.

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