Behind the Scenes at Two Melbourne Corporate Events

Last week was a big one.

I had multiple keynote events across Australia, followed by two incredible corporate events in Melbourne with Bob Jane T Marts and Bizcap Business Loans.

These events were another reminder of why I love working as a Keynote speaker in Melbourne. Two completely different companies, audiences and topics, all within two memorable days.

The funny thing is, both events came out of nowhere.

They were booked only about a week beforehand, which is pretty rare for corporate events of this size. Somehow, they also landed on the only two available days I had left in the calendar.

It was also the first time I had delivered corporate presentations every day for an entire week.

I have had plenty of full speaking weeks over the years, but they are usually a combination of school presentations, teacher professional development sessions and corporate keynotes.

This week was all corporate. It felt like a pretty big achievement.

Thank God.

Speaking With the Bob Jane T Marts Leadership Team

After speaking at an event in Sydney, I flew into Melbourne on Monday evening ahead of my session with the Bob Jane T Marts leadership team.

To be honest, I was excited and probably a little nervous.

I grew up hearing the famous Bob Jane T Marts jingle, and now I was walking into their Melbourne head office to present to some of the most senior people in the organisation.

Life is a trip.

The audience included their CEO, CFO, COO, national department managers, and ten state and regional managers.

There were seventeen leaders in the room altogether.

The organisation had recently experienced changes to its management and reporting structure, with more responsibility being given back to leaders at a state level.

They wanted a sharp one hour leadership keynote covering what it takes to be a strong leader.

Leading from the front. Setting the example. Taking responsibility. Building trust.

Holding yourself accountable before expecting accountability from others.

I adjusted parts of my usual leadership presentation to make sure it spoke directly to what their team was experiencing.

That is something I have really enjoyed about working with larger organisations.

Every company is different. Every leadership team has its own challenges, personalities and opportunities.

Being a professional speaker is not about delivering the exact same presentation everywhere you go.

It is about understanding the room, learning what the organisation needs and making sure the message connects with the people sitting in front of you.

The session was short, sharp and honest.

We spoke about leadership through change, taking ownership and the importance of leading through your behaviour rather than relying on a job title.

The feedback afterwards was epic.

Thank you very much for your email. You left a very positive impact on the group yesterday. The presentation was exactly what we were looking for. Short, sharp, raw and very impactful.Well done mate and we will reach out again in the future. Keep writing that story and I am looking forward to the next chapters.

That message meant a lot. After the session, I went home and had a chance to reflect on what had been a pretty special day.

From singing Bob Jannnneee T Marttttsss as a kid to speaking with the company’s leadership team at its Melbourne head office.

You cannot plan moments like that.

Two Practical Wellbeing Sessions With Bizcap

The next stop on the Melbourne tour was Bizcap Business Loans in Toorak.

Bizcap was holding a lunch and learn event for its team and wanted a keynote speaker who could present practical wellbeing strategies within a tight timeframe.

Because they needed to keep the business operating throughout the day, the event was divided into two groups of approximately fifty to sixty people. That meant delivering two thirty minute presentations, one immediately after the other.

Thirty minutes is not much time when you are trying to share a personal story, create a genuine connection and still give people practical strategies they can use after the session.

Thankfully, being the epic professional I am, I can make almost any timeframe work (Get over yourself, Luke).

I had been speaking with Alex from Bizcap in the lead up to the event, and we connected straight away.

You can normally tell when an event is going to be a good one because the conversations feel natural before you have even entered the room. Alex explained that the team wanted practical wellbeing strategies rather than a presentation filled with theories or complicated frameworks.

That suited me perfectly.

My approach as a speaker on mental health is always grounded in real life.

I share parts of my own story, but the session is not just about what happened to me.

The goal is to help people recognise the accidental habits and rituals that may be increasing their stress, impacting their mindset or draining their energy.

From there, we look at simple changes people can actually make.

The two sessions were out of this world.

They were short and straight to the point, but there was still plenty of depth.

We spoke about stress, identity, resilience and the small choices that influence how we feel and perform each day. I also got to meet some genuinely special people within the Bizcap team.

Before and after the presentations, several people opened up and shared parts of their own stories with me.

That is something I never take for granted.

We have all got a story to tell.

Some people carry those stories quietly for years, so I appreciate anyone who feels comfortable enough to come forward and share theirs after a presentation.

Those conversations are often just as meaningful as anything that happens on stage.

Two Different Events With One Common Thread

These two Melbourne events were completely different.

At Bob Jane T Marts, the focus was leadership, ownership and leading through organisational change.

At Bizcap, the focus was practical wellbeing, stress and creating positive changes people could use immediately.

The common thread was connection.

People do not need another speaker standing at the front of the room telling them what they are doing wrong. They need honesty. They need stories they can relate to. They need practical ideas that work in the real world. Most importantly, they need to feel like the person speaking understands that everyone in the room has their own pressures, responsibilities and experiences.

That is always the goal.

Whether I am speaking about leadership, resilience, confidence, mental health or workplace wellbeing, I want people to leave feeling understood and ready to make positive changes.

Booking a Speaker for a Melbourne Event?

Organisations looking for a Keynote speaker in Melbourne can learn more about my corporate presentations, leadership sessions and customised keynote topics.

A huge thank you to the teams at Bob Jane T Marts and Bizcap for inviting me in.

Two memorable Melbourne events.

Two brilliant groups of people.

And one very grateful speaker.