The tenth edition of the event will be held from today, Monday 26 November, until Wednesday 28 November, at the “Franco Anelli” Speleological Museum in the Castellana Caves (Ba). “Training course for managers and guides”, promoted by AGTI – Italian Tourist Caves Association in collaboration with the Italian Speleological Society and Grotte di Castellana srl.
The course aims to explore various topics related to the underground world and its use, and to communicate this in a scientific and engaging manner, while also addressing the various aspects of managing, administering, and organizing a tourist cave. This edition of the course will explore the concept of communication in greater depth.
The course, which has as scientific director Giampietro Marchesi, former SSI president, is structured into theoretical lectures, practical cave lessons, and plenary discussions. It is open to cave managers and guides who are both Agti members and non-Agti members.
It starts in the afternoon of Monday 26 with greetings from Francescantonio D'Orilia, president of AGTI, and Victor Casulli, president of Grotte di Castellana srl, and with the interventions of Vittorio Verole Bozzello, honorary president of AGTI, and Giampietro Marchesi himself, former president of SSI.
In the day of Tuesday 27, instead, insights by Massimo Max Goldoni, Italian Speleological Society, Salvatore Inguscio, Apulian Speleological Federation, Mario Parise, University of Bari, Marco Vattano, University of Palermo, and Paolo Forti, Italian Institute of Speleology Bologna.
In the morning of Wednesday 28, finally, closing with Alessandro Reina, scientific director of Grotte di Castellana srl, and a visit to the Castellana karst complex. In the afternoon, a discussion, conclusions, and certificate presentations.
The guide, the main interpreter of the show in the tourist cave: how to best represent a script made of information, history, and suggestions.
The guide is one of the cave's voices, the decisive one, because he or she speaks. Unless you're a geologist, naturalist, or speleologist, caves can all seem the same. What makes the difference? The cave's narrative, which is presented on the web, on social media, in books, or in flyers. It's the guide's narrative that becomes the cave, with the content he or she conveys, with the ability to connect and connect. This is a very concrete topic, because the relationship with the guide is crucial in evaluating a visit, reflecting the quality of management and laying the foundation for positive developments. Correct and effective communication for those who guide tourist caves.
Communicating effectively means conveying accurate information, captivating and seducing, encouraging reading and introducing visitors to a different, unfamiliar environment. Communicating isn't just about talking. Communicating is about being, positioning yourself, creating rapport and connections. A cave guide is often a kind of magical assistant. The underground world, even if illuminated and tamed, is still a place that can be met with suspicion, if not fear. The guide is a stranger you trust; he or she knows the secrets and rules of the game. He or she must be reliable, credible, and make you feel unique, even in a large group, even if you know there are countless visits. Communicating is seeking and receiving feedback. Communicating is breaking away from a necessarily structured conversation to pay attention to an observation, respond, or refer to further exploration. Communicating is conveying information and intentions with your voice, your body, and your intentions.
PROGRAM
Monday November 26 2018
14,30pm Registration of members
15,30 pm Greetings and presentation of the course: Francescantonio D'Orilia, president of AGTI, and Victor
Casulli, president of Grotte di Castellana srl
16,00 pm Self-presentation of the guides present
17,00pm – 18,00pm History of the Tourist Caves, Vittorio Verole Bozzello, honorary president of AGTI
18,00pm – 19,00pm History of Speleology, Giampietro Marchesi, former SSI president
Tuesday 27 November 2018
9:30–10:30 AM: The voice, body, and mind to communicate – The words we speak illustrate the cave. They can be captions or representations. Each visit is a performance to be performed. A performance of suggestions, knowledge, history, but still a performance… Massimo Max Goldoni, Italian Speleological Society
10,30 – 11,30 Iconography of the caves, Giampietro Marchesi, former SSI president
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Same script, different audience. Routine kills effectiveness. Let's respect
the “uniqueness” of our interlocutors, do we make them protagonists of a relationship? Massimo Max Goldoni, Italian Speleological Society
Lunch break
15,00pm – 16,00pm Biology in caves, Salvatore Inguscio, Apulian Speleological Federation
16,00pm – 17,00pm How karst systems are formed and how they evolve: not one, but many possibilities to tell the story of caves, Mario Parise, University of Bari
17,00pm - 18,00pm When the caves come from below, what are hypogenic caves, Marco Vattano, University of Palermo
18,00pm – 19,00pm The concretions explained to tourists, Paul Forti, Italian Institute of Speleology Bologna
Wednesday November 28 2018
9,00 – 10,00 The microclimate of the Castellana caves, Alessandro Reina, Scientific Director of the Castellana Caves
10,30 am Visit – lesson at the Castellana caves with Paul Forti, University of Bologna, Mario Parise, University of Bari, Marco Vattano, University of Palermo, and Alessandro Reina, Castellana Caves.
Lunch break
14,30 pm Debate, conclusions and delivery of certificates
