CNE GM David Bednar onstage with President Bill Clinton
The big day has come and gone, and what a big day it was. Once again, the CNE staff pulled off a difficult event and made it look relatively easy. For me personally, it was very big deal to get to meet President Clinton in person. I had a major case of butterflies in my stomach because I was to introduce him, stay on stage through his speech, and then ask him the questions for the second part of the program. My anxiety reached its peak just before he walked into the building; once I actually met him and we began to talk, it felt as if a weight had come off my shoulders. He is a genuine and engaging person with a remarkable ability to stay in the moment, so I was able to relax and move to the stage confident that the program would be a success. The audience displayed considerable warmth and a clear affection for him. They were terrific. They applauded frequently and stood at least twice to give him a standing ovation. I looked down to the first few rows to see my family there to cheer me: my grandson and his parents, my wife, my brother (who travelled with his friend from Austin, Texas, for the event), and my step-daughters. A few rows back sat the CNEA board and other friends. From the stage, the panoramic view of all the rest of the audience stretching to the top of the far stands was inspiring.
The day was not without its challenges. President Clinton’s attendance at the funeral for Senator Kennedy might have required a delay. In the end it did not, but it made some of us nervous nonetheless. The line-ups for last minute tickets were lengthy and still in place as the President was about to take the stage. A difficult decision had to be made to refuse entry at that point to those who had not purchased tickets in advance and some were upset about being kept out. I suspect they would have been more disappointed to have stood in line, bought a ticket, and then enter the stadium only to hear the last, or none, of the President’s remarks.
We will be analysing this part of the 2009 CNE for some time to come. As we do with all aspects of the fair, the management team will go back over the evidence to try to see how it could be done better, what worked, what did not, etc. Regardless, I believe that this speech was a very good thing for the CNE and tourism to Toronto, and I am extremely grateful to be working with such a dedicated team of professionals.
