On my last day in London, after being stranded for 10 days by the Icelandic volcanic eruption, I decided to go visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. This is a neat reconstruction of what was thought to be a likeness of the original Globe theater of Shakespeare’s day built about 200 yards from the original site. I took the guided tour and got to actually sit through 20 minutes of a last minute rehearsal of Macbeth which was to be performed that night.
The actors used real swords and weapons as they would have done in Shakespeare’s day and the guide explained that back in those days, people expected the actors to be good swordsmen and everything had to be authentic to be entertaining. He went on to tell us that going to see a play in the time of Shakespeare was equivalent to going to see a soccer game today. The crowd would be a little rowdy, drinking beer and wanting to be entertained. A good fight scene, compelling drama, bawdy jokes, witty dialogue and a good story were all essential ingredients to a successful play. Shakespeare was a master at this, and not only did he write his plays for the actors on stage, but he wrote them in a way to educate, involve and engage this audience of “soccer fans.” Famous scenes like Marc Anthony’s speech after the death of Caesar “Friends, Roman’s Countrymen lend me your ears……” is a good example.
In fact, the audience participated so much in one play that they actually caused the first Globe Theater to burn down after some soldiers in the audience fired-off a real cannon in the middle of a battle scene! Yes, “soccer hooligans” date way back in British history!
The education part was important too because most people in those days were illiterate and never attended schools. The plays were a great way to teach history, tell stories, inspire passions and provide life lessons.
The InfoSol Business Intelligence Seminar (IBIS) has incorporated some of the same concepts as Shakespeare did in his plays. IBIS is all about engaging and involving the attendees in Business Intelligence in meaningful and practical ways. That is why most of the tracks are hands-on, so you are participating actively. The boot camps and workshops are based on real world usage of the solutions, so they will be compelling and tell a good (and true) story of how they are applied.
The instructors and consultants are like professional Shakespearian actors in that they are skilled, not just in explaining their topic, but also in its practical usage. They know how to wield those Business Intelligence tools like those actors wield their weapons! They are also passionate about Business Intelligence and inspire their audience to go forth and do great things with their newly acquired skills.
IBIS is also all about education; making it interesting and entertaining to gain more knowledge. Outside of the main tracks, there are plenty of opportunities to interact with your peers over a drink or meal and exchange ideas and war stories just like the original Globe Theater audiences did before the play and between the Acts. In addition, plenty of Business Intelligence experts and developers are on hand to both demonstrate the newest solutions and field your toughest questions.
While at IBIS (June 6 to June 9, 2010 at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Nigel – view map), I only ask that you try your best not to get too carried away during the event and to definitely leave the cannons back at the office!
