Do we really respect Knowledge more than Money?

Do we really respect Knowledge more than Money?

Please recall stories you must have a heard few years very good artist or poet or sports person died in poverty, because no one was there to pay for his or her talent. Has situation changed now? Have we started valuing intellectual capital in this country? I don't think so.

Recently, I was at Press Club, while sitting with journalist friends many were coming there after attending seminars. Few of them commented what a waste of time and money.  When asked why so…the answer was same issues, same people, same routine discussions, nothing new, even minister’s speech was same.

This took an interesting turn and initiated an interesting discussion on why there are so many seminars in India all the time, but nothing happens on ground.

Now, we all have to ask the basic question:

Are they really required?

Are they really making any difference to anyone, other than organizers (because they collect money from all)?

Why people come to these events when all government information is on internet.

All relevant information and case studies are already there on the internet, even better sources of information is there.

What is the motive of the organizers - are they really serious about knowledge transfer or they are doing it just to make money for themselves.

Now, let us do a small exercise...

Pick-up the balance sheet of any manufacturing company, you will find major cost is raw material, Transport Company will spend maximum on fuel and vehicles, Entertainment Company will spend maximum for artists, service provider will spend maximum of staff providing services and on their tools, etc.

Now, Pick-up balance sheet of any seminar or conference organizing association or company or Event Knowledge Management Company and find out where all they are spending money to run their business.

You must have attended many seminars, conferences, knowledge events organized by industry associations, event managers in various parts of the world.

Please recall what all you observed there in these knowledge events:

Let me try to help you - you may have seen banners, lunches, dinner, stationary, tea, coffee, food, refreshment, flowers, decoration, lighting, camera man, hotel rooms, tables, chains, dustbins, etc. etc.

You must have also seen resource people or speakers, sometimes, you were also invited to speak, without them these events have no meaning, because you went there to listen to them or to interact with them not to have cup of refreshments or meals. Isn't it?

Who are the biggest exploited of Knowledge providers?

Next time, when you attend any seminar, ask have they paid to the people those who contribution intellectually for the event as experts.

Have you even seen any transaction by commercial organizations where only one side gains all the time at the cost of other and that to without giving any consideration to the major contributors except few claps and words of appreciation and all funds and financial gains collected is pocketed by few in the one form or the other? 

Many private organizers those who make so much noise about respecting intellectual property are the biggest exploiter of intellectual capital at no cost or not willing to pay for knowledge providers. They charge for their events from participants and also seek huge funds from sponsors and pay for tea, biscuits and refreshments but don’t want to pay for intellectual worth. In fact, they don’t even have policy to make payment for intellectual contribution.

Knowledge Seminar and Knowledge Conferences are such commercial activities where knowledge providers are not paid for their services, but all others are paid because their services are valued are more by organizers. Is this the respect of knowledge and expertise in India?

Ultimately, it appeared that "Means have become the End". Like entertainment industry, Success of events depends how much money is collected by organizers. At least in entertainment industry artists are paid for their effort but in intellectual events, nothing is paid by organizers.

So, seminar and conferences are actually events like any other commercial activity. End motive is commercial gain by the event managers. There is nothing wrong at all, as long as long as they are following ethical practices and fair to all.

Why they use Unfair Trade Practices to push their vested interests?

When they invite people to speak at their events at some of the best five star hotels, they use their name to promote these events. They use name of some of the people even without seeking their consent and promote the event.

As audience, we plan our visit to these events and suddenly we notice the list of people is not the same which were mentioned in the promotion literature. Don’t you think it is breach of contract under Consumer Protection Act?

One of the reasons why people many eminent people don’t come for these event is because they don’t feel there is nothing to justify “return on time invested”.

Are these events paying to the people whose name they use and market the event?

No. These event managers spend lot of money in promoting and organizing these knowledge events. If you ask their expenditure account you will find, they is no head to pay for knowledge providers. For them intellectual worth of knowledge is useless or even less than the cost of cookies and tea, and that is why free.

Are you not becoming party to these unfair trade practices?

Will you feeling happy that you are paying for something but the knowledge service providers are not getting for their efforts?

This ‘middlemen’ including NGOs and event managers, in various shades grab all the funds for their person use.

I feel they must have some respect for speakers and behave less greedy.

The standard shameful excuse used by organizers for not paying for speakers in India is ‘We do not have policy to pay for resource people, speakers and knowledge workers’. 

Can you imaging, that Event Management Company or organizers is planning for every thing except paying to the speakers.

What type of mindset is this? They only know how to exploit systems and people?

Don’t you think that such people must be using pirated software, bypassing tax laws, violating all laws to pocket more money and also calling themselves event organizers on intellectual topics?

Why such exploitation continues?

Should we expect a leading expert ask for his payment from professional event manager, or these companies must develop a policy to pay suitable honorarium based on their capability and expertise.

If any company wants to use their forum to promote their product, in that case their can be exception but not when public sector scientists, professionals, retired experts and policy makers are called by organizers to share their knowledge at paid event.

In India, asking money upfront is considered as sign of greed and this social taboo is exploited by smart selfish event managers.

If the event is free and delegates are not charged, I can expect that organizers are doing it for cause and adding value to society. 

How to change the situation?

I feel resources persons invited at the paid events are worth more than cookies served with cup of tea and event organizers are happily paying premium for it.  

Sponsors of these events should also ask, like government departments do and ask them to submit the bills, how money was utilized.

You, as delegate, have to think as well, are you going and paying for cookies or for knowledge from the resource person, at the event. 

You should also think about it.

The best way to change the situation is as participants, like you and me; we should ask, are they paying to resource persons because we have paid delegation fee for the event.

Suggestion:

Let there be criteria for event managers, how much they want to pay to any leading expert as honorarium to their important resource persons and speakers, as mark of respect for their talent and efforts made by them for their program.  This will further improve the quality of the programs.

They are free to decide to keep the money with them or if anyone is not keen to keep the honorarium, let him send the amount to "Prime Minister Relief Fund for National Cause".

Next time, when you attend any event, ask the event managers are they paying for resource persons?

Your questioning may force these exploiting organizers to respect the knowledge more than money. This will be your additional contribution in 21st century.

If you are sponsor, make sure are you are not party to this exploitation.

Feel free to share with your friends and seek their comments on the title.

Have a Great Learning Time.

Keep thinking.