Conference Education Value Soars With Walk & Talk Discussions June 12, 2014 by Donna Kastner Many conference organizers are being asked to step up their content delivery game. One-way “Sage on the Stage” presentations to audiences held hostage for an hour or more won’t cut it in today’s conference environment. “A body at rest, stays at rest.” A Brain At Rest, Stays At Rest Same thing goes for a brain … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices
Escape Your Conference Comfort Zone To Become Happier And Smarter April 7, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Conference organizers, whatever scares you when planning your event, plan to do it now! That’s right, run to your fear and escape your conference comfort zone! Why? Busting out of your conference comfort zone leads to a longer, happier, smarter life with increased confidence, gratification and satisfaction, to paraphrase author Ken Budd. Boredom Kills Too … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, conference best practices, meeting planning best practices, meeting professionals, neuroscience
Too Many Meeting Professionals Are Bored With Work March 25, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Are you part of the 87% of workers that are bored at work? According to Gallup, the bulk of employees, 63% are not engaged at work. They lack motivation and are less likely to invest initiative in organizational goals or outcomes. 24% are actively disengaged. They are unhappy and unproductive at work. And their negative … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, conference best practices, meeting planning best practices, meeting professionals, neuroscience
The Neuroscience of Networking: Why Networking Matters To Your Conference February 18, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Your brain is passionate about one thing. So much so that when it is not thinking about a problem or focused on something specific, it defaults to doing this one thing. Neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Lieberman says that our brains have a passion of their own. “We know this because our brains seem to devote all … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, conferences, connections, connexity
Conference Education List Sessions Are Deliciously Temptatious February 6, 2014 by Jeff Hurt “37 Mobile Apps In Less Than 60 Minutes!” Tina Brown’s “12 Tips For Engaging Events.” “15 Industry Trends You Need To Know.” Lists! We love them! We are drawn to them. We fancy them. The Lure Of The List Conference session titles that contain a numbered list have become ubiquitous ways to attract a crowd … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Event Planning Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conference marketing, conference tips, conferences
Avoid The Conference Zombie Zone January 13, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Do your conference’s education efforts result in the living dead or do they create life-transforming moments? Meeting professionals who understand Evidence Based Education (EBE)—the science and evidence on learning –and those who apply EBE strategies derived from the research, will find their conference education efforts becoming more effective and exciting. Here is the slide deck … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , brain science education, brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, conference, conference best practices, education best practices
The Art Of Changing The Attendees’ Brain: Conference Style December 3, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Usually our view of conference education is an expert at the front of the room doling out their knowledge through witty repartee. The speaker stands on a stage, behind a podium, towering above the audience as if dispensing expertise from on high. Conference organizers and speakers view the audience as those that need the expert’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning strategies, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, learner-centric, lecture
Your Conference Attendees Avoid And Crave Change Simultaneously October 30, 2013 by Jeff Hurt It’s quite ironic actually. Our brains do everything they can to avoid change. Yet at the same time, our brains increase their engagement and focus when change is involved. Our brains crave change to keep us connected to the situation at hand. Wired To Be Risk-Averse Our brains are naturally wired to avoid any type … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, change, conference best practices, conferences
Smarter Attendees Make a Smarter Conference October 24, 2013 by Sarah Michel We have known for a while that networking is one of the top reasons people attend conferences. But who knew it actually makes them smarter? According to a new study published by Scientific American on 5 ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential networking was cited as one of the best ways to expose yourself to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conferences, connections, informal learning, networking
Q&A Will Not Satisfy Conference Audience Cravings For Participation September 9, 2013 by Donna Kastner Mary: Impressive presentation, John, but I’m a little concerned that there’s no audience participation. John: No problem, we’ll open the floor to Q&A at the end. Mary: Okay, but there’s still 45 minutes of one-way lecturing going on. John: Good point. Let’s add another Q&A segment midway through the presentation. We interrupt this blog post with an important … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , active learning, adult learning, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, Education & Adult Learning
