Recently, I accompanied a writer to a professional conference. He was scheduled to present one of the seminar sessions. These events can be very stressful because the speaker is almost always walking into an unfamiliar room. Sometimes the light switches are hidden. Sometimes the mics don’t work. Any audio-visual needs are going to be a puzzle.

As an assistant, I helped bring in and organize the needed materials. I also compiled and distributed the literature for the attendees. During the presentation, I operated the video camera to tape the segment. After it was all through, I aided in the packing and clean up.

Throughout it all, I was there to jump on any needs and issues that may have come up. The writer and his party said that support really helped him focus on his presentation. He wasn’t distracted by the possibility of having to improv because something wasn’t working or was not on hand.

Total hours: travel (1:00), assignment (3:00)