Glenna Fulks* plumbs 20 years of experience planning and running meetings to find suggestions for making your next conference memorable.
For those of you who regularly attend corporate conferences and workshops, there is a strong likelihood you have some well-defined expectations.
You know there will be networking and an opportunity to meet new contacts and create partnerships, as well as renew established relationships.
More than likely, you register for these events in anticipation the content and agenda will be delivered in a fashion that introduces you to new ideas, fresh perspectives and knowledge that will be immediately useful.
Your time is far too valuable to waste on an event that is nothing more than a yearly gathering.
So here’s my list, based on 20 years of experience of planning and organising meetings and conferences, of what you should consider when planning your next meeting.
Get Fresh:
Agendas and content become stagnant very quickly.
Just because a meeting received stellar remarks and high survey responses three years ago, doesn’t mean you should continue repeating the same format and agenda.
It takes creativity and originality to give a meeting fresh appeal year after year.
Take a chance:
Often that means going out on a limb with your theme or topic, or inviting a keynote speaker that may deliver a presentation that is less than the usual mainstream message.
This might seem dangerous, but frankly, if you don’t take a few chances, the risk of stagnation is even worse.
Get your attendees involved:
Every registered guest has a phone.
You know they are going to carry them into the meeting, so put them to use.
Have attendees use their phones for live polling inside the meetings and get instant feedback.
Allow them to text questions to the speakers while on stage.
Yes, it will mean your speaker will be put on the spot, but it may also mean a very direct and pointed question is responded to with ground-breaking insight that no one anticipated.
Engage:
This is similar to being involved, but takes it a few steps farther.
When attendees register and commit to attend, allow them to see who else is registered.
Create a registration website that shares the attendee list so they have the opportunity to communicate well before the planned arrival.
They can make appointments and send messages to other participants.
Having attendees who are engaged before the start of the conference means they will be more involved once they are on site together.
A more active and involved attendee will translate into greater return on investment.
Get comfortable:
Forget the old theatre or classroom seating options.
There are so many fun and comfortable ways to set a room that no longer requires the use of chairs.
Use beanbags and allow your sponsors to print their corporate logos on them for a fee.
Make it personal:
There are hundreds of ways to create experiences for your attendees that will be positive and entertaining without breaking your budget.
It’s all about personalisation and customisation, and it’s fairly easy to accomplish.
Whether it is a question asked during the registration process, or data pulled from the attendee’s LinkedIn profile, do a little research and have some fun creating a more personalised meeting experience.
Remember, the more personal the experience, the more memorable the overall conference will be.
*Glenna Fulks is a partner in Kite Meeting Management with experience in sponsorship campaigns, event marketing and strategic planning. She can be contacted at kitemeetings.com
This article first appeared at LinkedIn.
