Peter Hillary Review

Finally have found some down time during the buys Holiday season to post patron reviews from the Peter Hillary engagement that took place on November 30th. Before sharing the collective patron feedback, thought it appropriate to share my observations from backstage, etc.

Mr. Hillary was a complete delight to work with. We had heard he was very accommodating, easy going, flexible, and inspirational. From our standpoint he lived up to his reputation and than some. From the point he landed on American soil to the time he left us, Mr. Hillary was a complete class act: respectful, thankful, interested, engaged, and a complete pleasure to deal with.

Knowing that during his expeditions, Mr. Hillary might spend months at a time out in small groups and countless days and nights alone, I expected him to be a very quiet, almost anti-social type. However, to my surprise, our conversation was lively, genuine, and easy flowing.

While his conversational strengths surprised me, it is not what I will remember most of Peter Hillary. I was amazed at how lean and wiry the man is from a physical stature. He may have been one of the leanest people I had come across; but you could tell he had major strength. It all made sense, knowing he has been using his body to climb to the highest peaks our globe has to offer; but still amazing to see up close and personal.

At any rate, below details how the collective voice of the patrons judged the engagement, followed by some quotes from individual attendees:

All judged on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best / 1 being the worst)

Overall Engagement 4.6 (highest of season)

Lecture 4.6 (highest of the season)

Q&A 4.4

Lighting 4.3 (highest of season)

Acoustics 4.0

91% suggested it was "money well spent" (highest of the season)

92% suggested the engagement met their expectations (highest of the season)

"Mr. Hillary was one of the most entertaining speakers we have had in the series (and we have been there since it began). Going into the night I was not sure what to expect, nor was I anticipating much. However he did an excellent job and was well prepared at entertaining such a group. Great job."

"Mr. Hillary was a very good and interesting speaking. A great story teller. He kept my interest like a child being read an exciting bedtime story. He acted out scenes that added excitement and clarity. The videos were beautiful and you could just feel the cold and the wind. What an interesting father and fantastic to grow up in that environment."

"An engaging speaker, but Mr.Hillary is another mountain climber. Reaching the top of Everest is now old hat and I don't think he added anything to the crowd."

"Peter Hillary was one of the best speakers I've heard. I loved that he spoke without notes and came out from behind the podium. His stories were not only informative but made me feel like I was on that ice step drinking tomato soup with him! Loved, loved, loved him."

Based on the feedback we received from attendees, Peter Hillary is a speaker who I believe supports our theory about our Series. In general, patrons sign up for the series for the first time based on the big names and personalities that we may offer. However, most patrons renew their subscriptions based on the performance from the speakers and personalities they know little or nothing about.