Stories From the Road, Temples in Bangkok

More than 90% of Thai people are Buddhists, which is perhaps the reason there are so many temples, many of which are in Bangkok. In this blog I will share only a few as I did not see them all!

Wat Benchamabophit is a beautiful structure made of white Italian marble and one of the most unusual temples we saw in Bangkok. More modern looking than the others it’s a striking contrast.

Wat Intharawihan or Wat Intharavihan is a wat located in the Nakhon District of Bangkok, Thailand. Wat Intharawihan predates the founding of Bangkok in 1782. One of the main features is a 32 meter tall, 10 meter wide standing Buddha. It took over 69 years to complete and is decorated in glass mosaics and 24-carat gold

Wat Arun is on the West Bank of the river. Its image is on Thai currency and is one of Bangkok’s most ionic constructs. The Temple of Dawn, or Wat Arun, is also one of the most ornate in the city. We visited this temple on our first trip to Bangkok. The temple derives it’s name from the Hindu god Aruna. The first light of morning reflects off this temple with pearly iridescence.

Wat Pho, one of the oldest and largest temples in Bangkok, featuring the famous reclining Buddha. It’s located next to the Grand Palace. Wat Pho (or Wat Phra Chetuphon), is located behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It’s one of the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant reclining Buddha that measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf. It’s an easy ten minute walk between here and the Grand Palace, and I recommend coming to Wat Pho second, because even though the golden Buddha here is just as popular many people don’t take the time to wander around the rest of the complex so the experience tends to be far more relaxing. This is also a great place to get a traditional Thai massage. Wat Pho is often considered the leading school of massage in Thailand. Wat Pho is considered one of the most pleasant places to visit in Bangkok according to many.

Wat Pharos Kaeo houses the famous Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue, is in a standing form, about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall, carved from a single jade stone (Emerald in Thai means deep green colour and not the specific stone) and is considered the most sacred temple in Thailand.  It is carved in the meditating posture in the style of the Lanna school of the northern Thailand. Except for the Thai King, no other person is allowed to touch the statue. The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons, an important ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.
The legendary history of this Buddha image is traced to India, five centuries after the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, till it was finally enshrined in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in 1782 during Rama I’s reign (1782–1809).

Sri-Maha-Mariamman is built in the style specific to temples I’ve seen in southern India . It is one of only two Hindu temples in all of Bangkok and was built around 1879. It is the oldest of the Hindu temples and devoted to the goddess Uma and is a special gathering place for thousands of transsexual devotees. The annual Navratri Festival, held in October, is also know for its Burmese and Vietnamese restaurants crowded with thousands of fire eating powder dusting worshippers.

No matter what your preference, Bangkok temples are an amazing adventure and I’m thrilled to have experienced many of them.

 

Stories From the Road, Adventures on Koh Chang

There are many things to do and see in Koh Chang and for us it has mostly been trying out various beaches – all which are lovely – and hanging out with friends. This week we ventured out a bit further and rented a boat for the day to take us to several other islands and enjoy a day of snorkelling. It was nice to be out on the water and fun to putt along seeing more of the area and surrounding islands and of course, any time spent with our friends Terry and Siri is a delight.

As clear as the water looks, I have to say I was saddened at how really murky it was as we saw while snorkelling. Also, the coral was completely void of colour which I understand means it is dying, or dead. Of the islands we visited, only one had fish and while beautiful, not many and very little variety. Belize here we come!

On one of the recent days we took a taxi to Lonely Beach, which is a hot spot for back packers and 20 – 30 somethings. It reminded me just a bit of Nevada City during festivals – lots of young folks wandering about and lines of shops going up the hillside. We met a lovely Thai couple and their two children who own a little open air restaurant and found our way there twice in one day. The first time we stopped in I noticed their young son, maybe 6 or 7 with a handful of bananas walking across the street, which is narrow and dangerous. As I stood up to make sure he was ok I saw the reason he’d crossed. A dozen or more monkeys flew out of the trees, flipped across telephone wires and dashed down to grab the bananas. It was a monkey menagerie; babies clinging to the underside of mamas and big daddies grabbing for the bulk of the food to further their size and dominance I suppose.

It was a good marketing ploy as soon the crazy tourists showed up, stopping on the very narrow edges of the road to capture photographs and as bizarre as it sounds and seemed, trying to get close to the monkeys for a photo opportunity. One young couple arguing in a language I didn’t understand but the intention was clear; she wasn’t happy with him for not getting closer to them. I wondered if they knew about fleas, ticks, rabies and god-only-knows what else these wild ones might be carrying about. Evidently not as she bought another bunch of bananas and marched across the road to show him how it was done. I thought it might have been funny if one jumped on her. Perhaps I’ve been here too long? 😉

We then walked down to Lonely Beach and after getting there wondered what all the who-ha was about as it was very rocky and where there was white sand, very small and really nothing special. We were happy to go ‘home’ to our own beach and spend the day under the shade of my favourite tree and dining under the stars after a spectacular sunset.

This morning the fisherman came in to drop their load, this time fresh crab and squid. At night, especially when there is no moon or it is cloudy, you’ll see the lights from dozens of squid boats on the horizon when you are dining at a beachfront restaurant. Terry told me the bright lights are used to attract squid to the surface where they can easily be caught. The seas around Koh Chang are fertile fishing grounds. When you head out on a snorkelling trip you’ll often see fishing boats out at sea or moored in some of the coves.

Fishing is still a way of life for many people on Koh Chang but nowadays, the advent of tourism affected the fishing as it’s far easier to make money by converting your trawler into a tour boat and running snorkelling trips than it is to go out for days on end catching fish. But thankfully for us there are enough fishermen still in the trade to support all the delicious food Koh Chang has to offer – some of the best I’ve eaten anywhere!

It’s time to sign off and head out for another day of adventure and for more material for Stories From the Road. Until then!

 

Thailand, a Country of Contrast

Not much more than a decade ago Koh Chang didn’t have 24 hour electricity; a problem common on the islands. Perhaps that is why this little piece of heaven is off the big tourist scene like the more popular Koh Phi Phi, Ko Pha-Ngan or Ko Samui. This little-visited rustic isle is a long way – in every respect – from its much more popular Trat Province namesake.

Thailand itself is a country of contrasts; from the green tropical jungles and mountains to the white sandy beaches and clear waters it’s truly a visual delight. While there certainly are no shortages of hotels and resorts the majority of housing is somewhat primitive. Take our little hideaway for example – Chok Dee which means good luck – we jumped on it after driving around, three to a scooter, searching the resorts along the beach. Only 900 Baht per night with air-conditioning and breakfast which is $15 US dollars each per night. Indeed it was our good luck to find this spot. It sits at the edge of the gulf with a nice grassy area shaded by big trees and a breathtaking view of the clear blue waters and white sand beach that stretches for miles. The cute little bungalows are clean with refrigerators and air conditioning and as far as I am concerned, the best deal around. We can walk for miles up the beach, stopping at other resorts for food or drinks and one of our favorites so far is Family Beach. A sweet spot at the water’s edge shaded by big trees and beautiful trade winds that come in the late afternoon to cool us after the heat of the sun. The food there is better than any other place we’ve eaten so far and the prices are about 150 baht which is under $5. Amazing really. If you figure the room charge at $15, three meals at approximately $25 and you can live here, and live here well, for not more than $40 a day.

The food here is crazy delicious. We’ve tried many dishes here that were wonderful and after two weeks neither of us are tired of them. Fishermen bring their boats in to our little hotel each morning, delivering their catch from the day; squid and shrimp mostly. I watched as they dropped their load and moved on to the next hotel and sat with the woman while she cleaned the shrimp trying in my american way to communicate with her. She let me take her photograph, something they usually do not want you to do.

I really love the Thai people. Their gentle ways and kind hearts break through any language barrier we may have. I’ve completely fallen in love with Terry’s sweet Siri who has as kind a heart as anyone I’ve ever known. It will be hard to leave her, and Terry, when we go next week up to Chiang Mai but I am already thinking about the next trip back here so perhaps it won’t be too long before we get to see one another again, and there is always SKYPE.

Despite of the rural feel of Koh Chang, there are many things to do and see. Pass the time exploring the island’s tiny village capital (where the boats dock during the dry season) or wind your way around the island on one of the dirt trails. Sea eagles, Andaman kites and hornbills all nest here and, if you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of them floating above the mangroves and the jungled east coast; an area we have yet to explore.

The wide, west-coast beach of Ao Yai has gorgeous marbled white and black sand in the south, which obscures the otherwise clear water. A short trail leads over the bluff to Ao Tadeng, another marbled beach strewn with boulders and the island’s best sunset spot. White-sand snobs will be happiest on Ao Yai’s north end.

There are no banks and very few cars on Ko Chang, but the internet has arrived (thank you God) and most locals ride scooters or tourists rent them. Bungalow operations on the island can arrange boat trips to Ko Phayam and other nearby islands for around 250 Baht per person (including lunch) in a group of six or more. Dive trips are also possible. Aladdin Dive Safari runs PADI courses and offers a range of live-aboard dive safaris. A five-day live-aboard trip to Myanmar costs 28,500B; a four-day trip visiting both the Surin and Similan Islands costs 20,400B, none of which we have done, so far.

Trails lead south from the village in the island’s interior to the national park station on the east coast. That’s where you’ll find the island’s best stretch of intact jungle. Elsewhere it’s all been tamed into cashew orchards and rubber plantations.

As for me, what I find myself doing most days is laying around at the beach, talking to friends, reading books, eating and writing. I think tomorrow will be much the same. Until then!

 

Stories From the Road, Sick in Koh Chang

As much as I tried to will it away, the creepy croup has gotten my full attention and after another fitful night of hacking I called Siri today to ask her to take me to the clinic. She picked me up on her scooter and whisked me away to a tiny clinic on the main road. As we entered the receptionist informed us that the doctor had to leave to go to the bank. While we waited I looked around and noticed a man laying on a gurney about five feet away. All I could see was his head but he was clearly in pain. I wondered how they’d manage his pain and soon I would find out; they didn’t. No morphine shots for this guy. He had to lay there and take it. Tough to watch.

My experience with the doc was quite pleasant. She returned from the bank and asked why we were here. I coughed and she prescribed me antibiotics and something for the cough. No exam. No listening to my chest. Just medicine. She told me to go to bed, stay out of the ocean and stop drinking cold drinks. I was in and out in ten minutes and with three prescriptions and a bunch of what looked like Emergen”C” for a total of $60 including the visit, I was happy. Not so for the fellow screaming in pain behind the partial wall.

About all I could muster after that was lunch in bed and a nap. I woke up in time to watch as the sun set and made my way across the road to grab some chicken for dinner. Then back to bed, and computer.

I did get a chance to learn more about the island today. Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand, after Phuket. it’s in the Trat providence and has 9 villages in the district. The natives are farmers and fishermen, no wonder I like them so much. Earth people. There are 42 islands that surround Koh Chang which the locals refer to as satellite islands. Filled with flora and fauna, birds, white sand beaches and clear blue sea with colorful corals and waterfalls with surrounding green forests, it’s a spectacular visual place.

The fishing villages are located in the southwest of Koh Chang and the area is popular for it’s fresh seafood. The local lifestyle is very laid back and in spite of many folks seemingly not speaking any english, they are very willing to attempt to communicate through gestures and photographs. I did download an app, ThaiLite, which is helpful as long as you can access wifi, which to my dismay is sporadic at best. Tonight we ordered dinner by pointing at various photographs and laughing at how silly we must seem to these kind hearted people.

Tomorrow is another rest and recuperation day followed on Wednesday by exploring the island and snorkeling. Until then.

Stories From the Road, Koh Chang

From one end of the spectrum to the other, Koh Chang’s relaxed vibe is a blessed contrast to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
The trip from Bangkok to Chang Mai was an experience. We purchased a first class ticket on a tour bus who’s brochure promised air conditioning, reclining seats and clean restrooms. Of course things were different when we got to the bus station but we were committed and after throwing our luggage below we climbed into the purple plush seats and began the journey to Koh Chang. We wobbled through traffic for what seemed like hours before settling down to a serious game of Gin with my travel friend. It was not an unpleasant journey but for the toilet, which I am not going to speak about the restroom as I’m still not over it — and this from a woman who travelled India for two months!

We made it to the other end fairly unscathed and popped into the back of the taxi for the half hour ride to the ferry for our final leg of the journey. Once on the other side we caught another taxi to meet up with my friends, Terry and Siri and had a wonderful meal with them under a balmy night sky. Afterwards we sat on their covered porch telling stories and laughing until wee hours of the morning. The next day we spent the whole day on the beach, napping, reading, swimming, Thai massage, and relaxation. I could get used to this pretty darn fast!

Koh Chang is the second largest island in Thailand with lots of beautiful beaches and many elephants. It’s an island with sparsely populated villages dotting the shoreline and very little traffic. I’ve not seen a stop light yet and have been driving my little scooter around the island for the past three days. The people are friendly and kind but very little English is spoken and very few Americans are here. We have really kicked back since arriving and have little to report at this moment other than to tell you the beaches are plentiful and lovely and the food is delicious. We can walk in any direction and within a minute have a plethora of choices for dining. There are also several cooking schools and if this laziness ever escapes me I may find my way into one.

Stories From the Road

Bangkok, Thailand days 2-3

It’s been a wild ride here in Bangkok the past couple of days; everything from sight seeing to being whipped across the city and back in a tuk-tuk, shopping for silk and rubies (note shopping, not buying) to seeing the splendor and extravagance of the Grand Palace. Like India, it is a country of extremes–from wealth to poverty; beauty to decay. As bad as the air quality is in Bangkok it is light years better than in India and for that, I am extremely thankful.

The Thai people are beautiful, gracious and kind. I love the traditions, the respect of elders and the gentle hearts that exude love and generosity. It is easy to understand why so many Americans want to live here–such an easy going lifestyle in comparison to the states.

Yesterday we were tourists, today is all business. I will see a dentist and hopefully be fitted for a desperately needed crown. The cost is less than half of the US prices and most of the better medical professionals are US trained. I understand why many come here for medical issues and I have been doing some research the past couple of days on stem-cell therapy as I have a few friends with severe health issues back at home that may benefit from this. More to come on that subject.

Our hotel is really beautiful as I mentioned in my last post, and the staff superior; however if you plan to come here it must be said you should be prepared for a language barrier. It’s the little things, nothing earth shattering, but worthy of mentioning. Most of the staff understands some English however they are lacking in the food service department. Not once have I gotten exactly what I ordered. I now just laugh about it but at first I was a bit miffed. I think it’s the ‘entitlement’ issues we Americans bring with us when we travel (or maybe it’s just me). We are used to service, used to getting our own way, used to paying for what we’ve ordered. Not so here so just prepare yourself to relax into the Thai way and you’ll have an extraordinary experience.

During yesterday’s trek through Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace. Nestled on the east bank it’s gleaming gold towers are unmistakable. It was by far the most crowded spot we visited thus far with multi-nationals buzzing about in swarms through the huge complex. Wandering through the interconnected courtyards of the GrandPalace it’s hard to imagine these elaborate temple-like structures have stood here for over 200 years. King Rama I is credited with the flowing symmetry and design of the complex; the layout said to mimic the legendary palace in the fallen kingdom of Ayutthaya. Truly a fascinating place we would have enjoyed it better had we chosen an early morning visit or perhaps after sundown as the temperatures and humidity, combined with the thousands of visitors was a bit daunting and exhausting. Plan your own visit accordingly.

Tonight we’ll take a river cruise and visit another temple along the river front and then tomorrow depart for Koh Chang to see friends. I’m ready to leave the city and am very excited to visit friends in Koh Chang, an island called Elephant Island. More great stories to follow! Until then. Namaste.

Stories From the Road

Bangkok Temple

After an arduous flight lasting over 30 hours we had a smooth landing on the runway at the Bangkok airport. A bustle of excitement as multi-cultural people exploded out of the plane and bounded toward customs, which turned out to be an easy experience in spite of the hundreds of people in line.

As is typical for my journeys I met a lovely couple in the Taipei airport during our multi hour layover. Dang is Thai and her husband George, American. I first noticed them on the flight from SFO to Taipei. Our flight out of SFO was scheduled to leave at 12:05 AM however there was some difficulty with the aircraft and we were delayed over three hours. At 3:30 am we peeled ourselves off the floor and shuffled our way into seats and to the sleep we all so desperately craved. I saw them sleeping on one another, entwined in a peaceful embrace and remember thinking, “How sweet.”

After the 13 hour flight into Taipei we landed and confirmed what we already suspected–we’d missed our connection to Bangkok. The five hour layover gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs and have a bite to eat. It was delightful to be free of the confined seating China Air offered =us and the airport was really quite beautiful. Clean. Modern. And loads of shopping should one be so inclined. Surprisingly some people were.

I saw Dang and George again as we waited to board and again noticed how ‘happy’ they seemed to be together and I’ll admit, it pulled on my heart strings a bit. They struck up a conversation and we laughed at George’s comical description of the flight and as fate would have it, my seat was right next to them on the next flight. We laughed our way into Bangkok and thankfully Dang was able to help us secure transportation to the hotel. Smooth sailing. We exchanged contact information and I hope to see them again.

Like other Americans I know, they too are thinking of retirement in Thailand. George is a contractor and they also own a Thai restaurant in Clear Lake CA. He enthusiastically described his dream of building little vacation cottages along the water front in northern Thailand. They’ve already purchased the land, 5 acres for $4000 and will spend the next two weeks arranging for septic, etc and looking at building materials. I loved the twinkle in their eyes as they spoke of it–individual bungalows on “stilts” about five feet off the ground with walk ways raised and foliage everywhere to cover the separation of ground from structure. George figures he can live here for little to no expense by renting the ‘condos’ and supplying one meal a day to vacationers. It does make one wonder of the possibilities.

Luckily, I’d run into a friend, Debbie Dugan at Briarpatch, a local food coop in our town the previous week. She’d recently returned from Thailand and gave me several helpful tips, including a hotel recommendation for Bangkok. I’d booked three nights there, at the Chatrium River Hotel and we were not disappointed. Our room, a corner unit over looking the river was spacious, clean, modern and had both shower and tub; something I hadn’t expected. The service is excellent and the food good. But the very best thing, for me, was the bed. I can’t think of another time I’ve slept so well and in spite of the pretzel position I stuck myself in on the plane and after a ten hour sleep I woke with no severe back pain–a huge blessing!

Today we launch out into the city to see the temples, people, and experience the culture–stories for another day.

Seasons of Growth

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In New Mexico, you don’t need a calendar to know it’s the first week of October.  The trees tell the story as their leaves change from shades of green to bright vibrant shades of orange, red and yellow. At the peak of the fall foliage season, it’s truly a magnificent sight that draws people from all around to behold the beauty. The season progresses and the leaves fall to the ground one by one where they become nourishment for the grass, flowers and gardens in the spring.

As I spent Sunday collecting some of the fallen leaves with my 6 year old daughter, I wondered what would happen if a tree stubbornly held onto to its leaves – refusing to let them fall to the ground and nourish the new season that awaits only a few months from now. How would that tree be affected? How would the rest of life be affected?

The tree would become burdened by the accumulation of dead leaves it collected each year. Its branches would begin to sag under the weight of those useless dead leaves. Future growth of the tree would be impossible as it ran out of room for new leaves to bloom in the spring. It would soon lose its beauty as the lifeless brown leaves cluttered its many branches. Eventually the tree wouldn’t look like a tree at all but only a pitiful brown clump waiting to die and fall to the ground from which it once sprang with such vitality and zest for life.

And what about the grass, flowers and gardens that use the fallen leaves as nourishment and further growth in the spring? Certainly there are other sources of sustenance but none as natural and readily available as is provided by the fallen leaves. Instead, they would have to rely heavily on human intervention for their growth and survival – the tree no longer offering its own natural gift of nourishment. The entire circle of life would be burdened by the refusal of the tree give up that which no longer serves it.

Sometimes we are like that tree. We refuse to give up beliefs and memories that no longer serve us. We hang onto them, preventing our further growth and the growth of others. We become burdened by the accumulation of useless dead thoughts that should have fallen away long ago to be used as intellectual and spiritual nourishment. If we’re not careful, we can become – like the tree – a miserable creature who’s lost our vitality and zest for life, eventually living in quiet desperation, refusing to be a natural source of nourishment for the rest of the circle of life.

Spend a few minutes each day this week to think about what beliefs you’re holding onto that may be burdening you – thoughts that should have fallen away long ago to nourish yourself and others. Some of them may be very old, dating back to childhood. For me, one of those useless beliefs came from the memory of a day when at 7-years-old I began to believe that people I loved would abandon me. Once I finally let go of that belief, it became a source of further growth for myself and others.

Try this exercise. Watch a movie of your life. The movie starts with your earliest memory and progresses chronologically through your life up until now. What memories stand out as painful and what beliefs did you create from those memories?

Maybe you remember your own bully or perhaps a time when a parent or guardian was particularly angry toward you. Maybe you tried to accomplish something and failed in your attempt. Perhaps you still carry the guilt of a wrong you committed against another. Whatever you come up with, write your thoughts in a journal. Write everything that happened in the experience and the useless belief you developed from it. Then ask yourself how you can use the experience to nourish yourself and others. What can you learn that empowers you and others to experience further growth and learning?

Shed those old limiting beliefs just like the trees shed their leaves in the fall and make ready for the new season of growth that awaits. Send me an email and tell me what belief you’re going to let fall away this week. I’d love to hear from you. Have a great day, week, year…. Life!!!! It’s your life. Create it the way you desire!

And remember….Dream Big!

Cynthia

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© Cynthia Stewart is an international speaker and the author of many books, which include Dream Big! and Creating Wealth on The Web. Through many challenges that she has fought and won, Cynthia knows first-hand how to dream big and has dedicated her life to empower other’s to stand-up, step-out, and reach their dreams. She can be reached at Cynthia@cynthiastewart.com

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Reader’s comments are always welcome and appreciated and may be used in upcoming newsletters.  Please forward your comments, thoughts, or feelings to Cynthia@cynthiastewart.com

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Subscribe to DreamBIG at CynthiaStewart.com with “subscribe dream big” in the subject.

May good fortune smile on you today!

Face to Face

When you finally realize there is nowhere to run,

and nowhere to hide.

There is no relationship

safe and free from discomfort or pain.

Then you can decide,

Do I want to live in a box?

Alone?

Or just drag bodies in,

on occasion,

for warmth and comfort?

Temporary companionship?

Ease the pain of alone?

And if not that, then what?

Because getting ‘involved’ means being vulnerable.

It means losing the (imagined) control you feel you have over your life.

It means losing your grip from time to time.

And it might mean falling down and skinning your knee, or worse.

you might get your hands dirty on occasion.

Life can be messy.

I gave you my heart.

But lived, really truly experienced, it is also rich.

And warm.

Erotic at times.

And deeply loving.

It’s exciting and exhilarating at best,

And crushingly difficult at worst.

A relationship will put you face to face with yourself in a manner of which no other experience in life will ever begin to compare.

A relationship will give you a magnified view of every fear (imagined or real),

every insecurity,

every character defect within your entire being.

And that is when you really get to choose.

Do I grow?

Or do I go?

And if you go, where?

Because the next relationship will either end fairly quickly,

Or if not, eventually bring you right back down the same road…

The road back to yourself.

Again, and again, and again.

The magnifying glass and the mirror.

Face to face with yourself.

Reflected in the face of another.

But you nonetheless.

And again, you choose.

Grow?

Or Go?

I love you.

Are you perfect?

Not hardly.

Am I?

Most definitely not.

Is anyone?

I’ve never known one who is, or was.

If you want to run, then go.

And God bless you and help you.

But if you want to explore,

The richness of life…

Explore… the world, and

the vast world within your soul…

Travel the depth and breadth of yourself,

Your own fears,

and witness mine,

Together,

And try to find out what is really possible,

To work together to develop richer communication,

Deeper intimacy,

Overcoming fears,

Creating dreams,

Living life…

Then you might find you actually want the exact same thing as I do.

Manage Successful Webinars – Check List

Welcome to Dream Big Now, the motivational newsletter for winners. Here is your bi-monthly dose of encouragement, insight, and cheerleading to get you thinking more powerfully about the success in your life.

Enjoy, and pass it along to a friend!

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First Thoughts From Our Readers:

You are extraordinary CiCi!!! Thank you for creating such a wonderful place to go for inspiration and encouragement. We all need it!  And I love the video too!

April Miranda, Nevada City, Ca

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How To Manage Successful Webinars – A Check List

What does it take to produce a successful webinar, one that executes flawlessly and provides an enchanting experience for your audience?

Webinars can’t be taken lightly. Even though online events have established themselves as a staple in the marketer’s diet, managing successful webinars goes way beyond meat and potatoes.

The audience is granting you their time and attention, two of the most valuable things a busy executive has to offer. In exchange, your event should provide significant value to those that have chosen to participate.

Two of the best ways to provide value in a webinar include: giving the audience something they can take and make their own and being a facilitator for social connections.

With this in mind, we have been constantly evolving our webinars up to a point where we would like to share our tips. The following is a checklist of things we do pre-webinar to help ensure a successful event.

Pre-Webinar Checklist

Create the event in your webinar platform. 
After you’ve chosen your topic, speaker, and event date; this is the first small milestone in planning a successful webinar.  There are numerous webinar platforms available, covering a range features. Some now also integrate with next-generation API’s and connectors, allowing them to easily sync registration information with select marketing automation platforms.

Build a webinar-landing page. This is the main interface between your potential attendee and your webinar’s value proposition. Choose a catchy title, and in the messaging, focus on how this will specifically benefit the person deciding whether they should register or not. Make the registration process as simple as possible. Don’t ask too many questions on the form.  Consider giving users the option to only get the slides without attending. From tests we’ve conducted at Market, we’ve found that 1/3 of registrants like to choose this option.

Create the registration flow. A typical registration flow involves the user getting a follow-up email with access instructions to the webinar. Don’t forget to set up a lead scoring campaign to measure this engagement. Depending on the type of webinar, registering for the event could be a mild or strong sign of future buying intent.

Enable social sharing. 
The follow-up email, and the ‘thank you’ page that appears after the registration form, should allow for social sharing. At this moment, you have the full attention of the newly registered lead. Let them help you promote the event to their peers, who will likely be just as qualified as they are.

Make it easy for registrants to add it to their calendar. Using Outlook, or your preferred email/calendar client, create a Calendar (.ics) file, which contains the date, time, login information, plus a quick summary of the webinar. This file should be included in the registration follow-up email and/or thank you page. A lot of marketers forget that this calendar event description is a deciding factor in whether a registrant will ignore the calendar reminder on the day of the event, or attend.

Create email promotional schedule. 
We find that 2 to 3 emails, spread out over around 8 – 10 days, are most effective in generating registrations from an email database. A typical email schedule is T – 8 days, T – 4 days, and T – 2 days.

Build promotional emails. 
The promotional emails, like the webinar landing page, should quickly and clearly communicate the value of attending the event. Explicit targeting tends to work well, e.g. “This webinar is recommended for (name job titles, industry, etc.)” When sending out emails, use the opportunity to A/B test your subject lines, messaging, and images. Consider adding incentives for registering and/or attending, e.g. a prize draw during the event.

Build reminder emails. Even though a lot of registrants will choose to add the event to their calendar – either by clicking on a calendar link you send them, or adding it themselves – a reminder email in advance of the webinar is an easy way to solidify attendance.

Promote in social media. 
Leverage your existing social networks – and your webinar presenters – to get the word out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and any other relevant channel. Especially here, where you’re limited to a sentence or two, it is important that you can keep the message concise. When sharing the registration link, use URL tracking parameters so you can later measure exactly where registrations came from.

Arrange a calling campaign. 
Increase engagement with your potential audience by using different mediums to reach out. In a previous post of mine which looked at ways to increase webinar attendance, I shared results from a test we conducted with automated voice mail reminders to boost attendance.

Design follow-up emails. 
A successful webinar experience doesn’t end after the last slide. Prepare your follow-up emails well in advance of the event so you can move quickly once the webinar is done. Create three different versions: one for those that attended, one for those that couldn’t make it, and one for the group that was interested but requested ‘slides-only’. The content of the emails should include the presentation take-aways, a link to the slides/recording, plus access to further information on your website related to the topic.

Build webinar slides. 
The topic of slide presentations could be a whole separate blog post, but in short, don’t forget these details: include an event Twitter hashtag, and a clear call to action on the last slide.

Conduct dress rehearsal. Use the webinar dress rehearsal to become comfortable with the webinar platform. Perform a sound check, advance through slides, and practice sending chat messages amongst the presenting team.

Build poll into webinar. 
Most webinar platforms allow you to build custom polls into your presentation. See this as an opportunity to a) make the event engaging through audience participation, and b) gather aggregate information on your audience.

Build an exit poll. 
Use this to ask attendees what they thought of the content, how they liked the speaker, and what they’re interested in for future webinar topics.

Upload slides to SlideShare.net. 
SlideShare is ideally suited to host webinar slides. When posting your content, set privacy settings for the time being to: [Private Only me], and check “Allow embedding outside SlideShare”. Remember to optimize the SlideShare post, title, and description for SEO. For more information, see our SlideShare cheat sheet.

Prepare a new page to house the archived asset on your site. 
Your archived webinar, with its related online assets, will need a home base. On this page, you can embed the SlideShare presentation. Prepare this page and keep it private for now.

Build a lead scoring campaign for the archived webinar. 
In your marketing automation platform, set up a lead scoring campaign, which measures engagement with the new page.

Prepare moderator notes. 
With all of the details you need to take care of on the day of the event, a set of moderator notes gives the added security you need. Prepare a few seed questions in advance for the webinar’s Q&A. And write out, word-for-word, the first and last few sentences of the webinar script. It is usually these parts, which can make a speaker most nervous.

Print out a hard copy of the slides. Have a paper copy of the slides ready for the event. If your Internet connection ever goes down, a co-presenter could still forward the slides while you speak from your printed copy.

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DREAM BIG NOW!

© Cynthia Stewart founder of Dream Big is an international speaker and the author of several books, which include “Dream Big! A Woman’s Book of Marketing” and “Creating Wealth on The Web”. Through many challenges that she has fought and won, Cynthia knows first-hand how to dream big and has dedicated her life to empower other’s to stand-up, step-out, and reach their dreams. She can be reached at http://www.cynthiastewart.com

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