She’s on a roll. Whether jive talkin’ as a TV fortune evangelist or headlining some of Saturday Night Live’s brilliant political spoofs.
And many of Melissa McCarthy’s roles also come with a few insights for planners. Here are some crowdsourcing tips.
Ghostbusters: Playing the “Who You Gonna Call” Card
Supply and demand makes the business world go round. In the meetings and events world, there’s always an unmet demand floating out there among your attendees. Get creative with pre-event surveys and fill this void in fun, thoughtful and surprising ways. And if all else fails, concoct a dramatic interlude (perhaps something paranormal) that will allow you, like McCarthy’s overzealous Abby Yates, to save the day.
Identity Theft: Inventing the Good Life
There’s a fine line between a fantastic lie and good ole role playing, and McCarthy’s Diana, a seemingly harmless Florida gal that is moonlighting as Denver businessman Sandy Patterson, is masterful at mucking it up. We can learn a few things about resourcefulness and inventing the good life from both characters—like how to create mind blowing experiences on a ho-hum budget, the very least we can be happy with and when to pack it up and move on—all of which have their own touch points in meetings, incentives and events.
St. Vincent: Passing the Buck
This film is as much about unexpected friendships (e.g., the relationship between a Vietnam vet and the child he kinda sorta is babysitting) as it is about passing the buck and knowing your limits. McCarthy’s Maggie, a single mom, needs help with her son and needs to trust someone, even if that someone is a grumpy, self-serving chain smoker. The point: everyone has something to offer and is often willing to offer if you ask nicely (or pay them a pretty penny).
The Boss: Second Chances
We’ve all messed up at one point in time or another, and those whoops-a-daisy moments are ripe for the picking when they happen to someone else. Everyone wants a second chance, even the wealthiest woman in America, Michelle Darnell, who steamrolled over everyone she met to get to the top, before being tossed into the slammer for insider trading, that is. What better way to build a team of sycophants than to zoom in on those who are begging for another chance. Just be sure, as Michelle warns, to “watch your assets.”
