Sam McNeill, general manager of SongDivision, believes music is the best tool on Earth for creating connections amongst peers. This will be obvious to you, too, if you join him at MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), March 3-5 in Luxembourg.
McNeill will lead attendees through a learning journey focused on “Team Harmony” packed with tactics based on six fundamental elements: team cohesion, storytelling, belonging, feedback, creativity and engagement. Attendees will write an original song and experience first-hand how music brings people together.
In advance of his EMEC session, we spoke with McNeil about what makes a high-performing leader, how the power of music helps to connect peers and his encounter with Richard Branson.
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What are the attributes of a high-performing leader?
Personally, I think high-performing leaders are the ones who serve their team and not the other way around. In general, they should be empathetic, great listeners and communicators. A great leader also puts the right people in the right positions to execute the strategy, and then let’s them actually do their job—and supports them where needed, rather than micro-managing. .png?sfvrsn=5c5f4755_1)
How do you use the power of music to help event attendees connect with their peers?
Maybe I’m biased, but I truly believe that music is the best tool on Earth to create connection amongst your peers. There is actual science to back this up—when we listen to and perform music, our brain releases oxytocin, which activates the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for bonding, creative problem solving, collaboration, creating connections, promoting positivity, reducing stress and so much more!
SongDivision leads attendees through the process of writing original songs onsite at events, including at EMEC. Can you share an inspirational story about one of these songwriting activities from a past event?
There are honestly too many to choose just one, but it’s hard to beat our event with Virgin. We helped 1,500 staff write an original song about what they love about working for Virgin and Sir Richard Branson, which we then performed for him as a big surprise. He arrived by helicopter, crowd-surfed and even gave me a big old kiss on the cheek on stage (see photo)!
Why are you excited about leading attendees through your EMEC learning journey?
Personally, I think the days of “traditional” leaders and organizational dictatorships are long gone. I believe that in 2024, we are all “leaders” in some way or another. The quality of attendees at EMEC is always incredibly high, and I look forward to sharing this brand-new SongDivision workshop with those who are as passionate about running harmonious teams as we are!
