Conferencing at The Bronte Hotel

Today, networking is about building alliances and it is something we are all obliged to do, whether we feel secure in our jobs, are candidates for a downgrade or are staring redundancy in the face. 
Social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are hugely popular, and Google Inc is on the verge of presenting Wave, a service offering e-mail, multi-party chatting, sharing of photos, videos and maps. Undoubtedly, the Internet is becoming a one-stop destination for entertainment and socialising, information and commerce.
As technology races forward, it is not only the Google generation that are familiar with the Internet. Older generations are no longer confused by the possibilities of the information age and understand the advantages of live interactive conferences using a web-based interface.
But in the midst of the demand for ever-faster broadband and more powerful computers, physical conferencing is a highly attractive alternative.
Zimbos are fortunate in that conference facilities exist in almost every beautiful tourist destination throughout the country. Whether you are at an upmarket resort in Victoria Falls, or a boutique lodge on the outskirts of Harare, you will have every amenity at hand.
Besides having flip charts, overhead projectors, bottles of iced mineral water, and tea and biscuits in abundance, you will be in personal contact with the keynote or motivational speaker. Real rather than virtual contact must be more effective, no matter how high the resolution of any video and audio transmission.
Earlier this month, the Advertising and Publicity Club in Harare, a networking organisation, invited guests to the Bronte Hotel, to attend a talk given by Gordon Graham, doyen of publishing in Zimbabwe since 1967.
This inspirational address, “A Lifetime in Publishing”, took place in the Emily Room. A cool breeze wafted in through open French doors, as visitors sat down at long tables covered with green cloths and crisp white overlays.
A cymbidium in full bloom relaxed the eye and light from a brass candelabra glowed softly from the ceiling. Before Gordon Graham took the floor, a delicious lunch was served.
Barbecued honey drumsticks were served with crisp, freshly made French fries, and several large mixed salads of fancy lettuce, red and green peppers and rocket. Slices of fresh white bread and crisp pats of butter were constantly replenished. Cokes were ice cold and served in long glasses. After tea and coffee were served at the table, with a choice of cold milk or hot milk, all attention turned on the guest speaker.
In 1967, at the age of 32, Gordon Graham made the bold decision to start Graham Publishing, an enterprise that he has run successfully for over forty years. Besides publishing a raft of outstanding recipe, poetry, travel and historical books, his most notable achievements include the launching in 1968 of the country’s first national fortnightly consumer colour magazine, ILLUSTRATED LIFE RHODESIA.
Graham Publishing first published one of the world’s favourite coffee table books, BENEATH A ZIMBABWE SUN, in 1987. Deliveries of the ninth edition have just arrived in Harare, in time for Christmas.
Anyone who attended Gordon Graham’s talk, whether a nascent publisher, a journalist, a lawyer or a banker, will have been inspired by the variety of his experiences and range of achievements.
They will also have perused signed first editions and flipped through magazines dating back to the 70s, an impossibility with even the most sophisticated video conferencing.