Four Essential Elements To An Incomparable Face To Face Conference And Tradeshow Experience

What type of experiences do you crave?

Have you ever had any of those types of experiences at a conference or tradeshow?

Conferences and tradeshows have a long way to go to merge the experiences we crave and want with those that actually occur at the event.

Four Critical Elements To Success

The recent report, Scenarios For The Future: Convention Exhibits & Tradeshows of 2016 by The ASAE Foundation, Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation, Freeman, Gaylord Entertainment and PCMA Education Foundation, discusses what people want and expect from today’s conferences and tradeshows. The report identifies four elements that have the potential to change conferences, events and tradeshows dramatically.

1. Disorientation That Leads To Full Engagement

Participants experience something different than traditional conferences and exhibitions. It causes a sense of disorientation at first because they are unsure how to behave and act. This feeling of disorientation causes them to be more present as they read cues about how to respond and know what’s expected of them. Ultimately, they become fully engaged in the experience.

2. Personalized Customization That Creates Great Value

Individuals experience something extremely meaningful and relevant to them. The experience feels significant because of very meaningful and practical information and activities. Individuals can adapt and tailor the experience to their own needs which increases the experience’s value.

3. Self-Improvement And Augmented Connections

Many people belong to organizations and attend conferences, events and tradeshows because it is about their own identity. They want to find ways to improve their professional and personal lives. The robust conference and tradeshow helps individuals further develop their identity while creating and cementing personal connections with others. As individuals grow during the experience they are also able to connect with their own tribe.

4. Co-Creation And Ownership Of The Experience

When attendees have the ability to customize and co-create the experience in real time along with their tribe, the experience becomes much more meaningful, germane and pragmatic. This type of experience requires intentionality, insight and forethought on the planners’ part in order to resonate with attendees.

Which of these four essential elements will be the most difficult to plan and why? Which of these elements resonate the most with you and why?