Forever First Lady, Michelle Obama

Barrack H. Obama, the former US president, gets 400 thousand US$ for each of his commercial public speaking. His wife former First Lady Michelle Obama gets 200 thousand US$.

Michelle Obama did not get paid for the last talk she made for the students, but in that speech, she called herself "Forever First Lady". Michelle Obama told around 8,000 high school students who were attending the 2018 College signing day at Temple University in Philadelphia.

"I know that you are me, and if I can be standing here as your Forever First Lady, then you can do anything you put your mind to, " she added. This definition she made for herself will be a matter of discussion for a long time.

Former US President Bill Clinton receives 200,000 US$ per speech in the USA. It was reported that he received 600,000 Euros for his latest speech in Sweden. An invited keynote speaker in the USA is paid between 20,000- 40,000 US$.

The numerous "International Energy Conference" are organized in luxury venues in Istanbul, and their announcements come to me in the course of the year. They invite market professionals to speak, often they do not pay any fee to local speakers.

Meanwhile they invite a few foreign speakers. They provide them free accommodation in conference hotels plus paid "business" round- trip airfare.

More they pay 1000-5000-10,000 US$ for the foreign speaker depending on the market. The foreign speaker repeats the same off-the-shelf ppt presentation he has made for audiences in a contemptuous atmosphere, with polished fancy English, perhaps he already has made same presentation tens or maybe hundred times before. "We do this in this way, you do the same," they say.

However in our environment, that is not applicable. It is for sure that our native local speakers are as good as foreigners. They know our local market, our legislation, local practices, our bureaucracy better. They can give much more useful information they know better, but they do not get money for all these valuable information.

The organizer company says, "We'll not give you money, what's your personal advertisement, for your personal promotion to have more business, what else do you need more?". Company advertisers already do keep this promotions in their presentations, and they do not need money anymore, their company sponsors the conference, company pays for speakers expenses.

Authorized senior political authority comes to the conference on the first day, he joins the opening, cuts the ribbon, gets a plaque, then he usually makes a standard speech and he leaves the venue. As for the high level of political authority, it is absolutely expected that other senior bureaucrats should participate in the conference. High-ranking bureaucrats from the same institution always accept the conference invitation. Their public institution pays them per diem for their travel spending. They make an old presentation that has already been passed - all known by you earlier.

The former senior bureaucrats who have just left the ministry, new retirees who are looking for a prestigious post in the private company supervisory boards, they always join the conference if they get an invitation. They hope to find a new job on this events Newly separated elderly professionals from senior staff of large private companies view such meetings as new business opportunities for themselves

The organizer gets 500-1000 US$ per company, participant or listener. They also get other fees from sponsors. We notice that organizers would even try to get money from the speakers. Speakers do not usually pay the conference fee.

Your writer give a standard answer to conference invitations,

"Thank you for your invitation to your conference (fair, congress) for the public speaking on energy issues in our environment, I expect the organizer company to pay my business class return plane ticket, pay my accommodation in conference hotel plus pay a reasonable fee for my presentation."

Does anyone have concur? Sometimes yes, but I do not feel sorry for missing an invitation when they can not pay.

We are told that institutions such as CNN, BBC, and Deutsche Welle pay those specialists who show up in their programs to speak on their specialist field. TV channels pay 100-500 US$ per speech. This figure is also paid for the technical or expert article you write.

If you have made a good comment and you have received nice comments from the audience, then the institution is looking for you for more, then they ask your bank account, they send a reasonable amount of money.

It is difficult for the organizers to monetize and pay local tax in this situation and it is easier for them not to give money. What happens next? Market is filled with people who do not know details.

The invitation to the TV news programs is another case to avoid. The anchor of the program comes out with a ridiculous question every 50 seconds of your talk, you forget what you are telling. It's better not to join the programs.

Professional newspaper columnists are paid 50-250 US$ or more per article. Some journals put their writers into their payroll in order to pay, while asking them to write minimum one article per week, four per month. Newspaper articles have a tax exemption of up to 15 thousand TL (3750$) per year for local columnists. Those who do not get paid for a while so that they advertise their names.

At conferences, you can share audio and video recordings with your friends, In "public speaking", everyone can record- write- and share notes.

In panels we make in the METU Alumni Association conference hall, first we get permission from the speaker for sharing, if not, then we do not let him talk. Private speeches in closed meetings are subject to the rules of "Chatham House", ie the information provided in closed meetings are available but not given reference, the speaker's name is not disclosed.

In my age group, we no longer need personal advertisement, promotion, since we are in this a game, we already are known by players. However participation is a compulsory task when there is an invitation to a conference which would be organized by universities, chambers, professional unions and there can not be a money expectancy in those presentation, all for courtesy.

---

Haluk Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.

This article is released in the "EurasiaReview" news web site.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/author/haluk-direskeneli/

Prinkipo, 06 May, 2018