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
Too Many Exhibitor Pre-Show Emails Are Spammy And Hazardous April 24, 2014 by Donna Kastner I attended a great trade show, but overzealous exhibitors nearly pushed me away. In the weeks leading up to the show, I received a barrage of pre-show exhibitor emails. They lacked relevance and made me wonder if this show fit my needs. In a cab from the airport with a fellow attendee I asked, “What … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , Exhibitor marketing, Trade Show best practices, Trade Show booth traffic, Trade show marketing
Three Detours That Derail Conference YES Decisions April 8, 2014 by Donna Kastner Your email marketing blast generated plenty of clicks, but the registration needle hardly moved. What’s up with that? For every smooth registration, there are many more frustrating moments that cause people to bail on your conference invitation. You worked hard to earn that “maybe” click. Your next move must be stellar to convert that “maybe” … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference niche campaigns, email marketing
Do Not Poke the Conference Feedback Bear Unless You Are Willing to Act March 13, 2014 by Donna Kastner There’s a local meeting I attend each year. What I value most about this event is the chance to reconnect with colleagues. Every now and then, I meet new and intriguing people, but it’s the “regulars” who keep me coming back. Sadly, that crew of regulars has been thinning out lately. Then there’s the programming … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference evaluation, conference survey, feedback
Using Gamification As A Crowdsource Channel To Improve The Conference Experience February 13, 2014 by Donna Kastner Gamification is catching more attention in conference and expo circles. Typically, conference organizers will create a game within the context of an event to increase attendee exposure to a product or service. Gamification is often used to shine a light on sponsors and exhibitors. Things like “Visit these exhibitors and get your passport stamped for a … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conferences, crowdsourcing, Gamification, Social Media, twitter
Helping Conference First Timers And Solo Attendees Get Plugged In February 4, 2014 by Donna Kastner Imagine that you’re a first-time attendee at a conference that draws thousands. To make matters even more challenging, you’re flying solo. No safety net of colleagues to meet-up with every now and then. The Solo Attendee By day, you move from session to session, trying to make eye contact with strangers. You even manage to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, engagement
Could Old School Exhibitors Damage Your Expo Brand? January 16, 2014 by Donna Kastner I just Googled “Trade Show Sales Tips” and retrieved 2+ million results. No big surprise, as hardly a week goes by without spotting articles like these. Unfortunately, the people who need to read these articles never do. Does Acceptance Of All Exhibitors Come At A Cost? Some expo floors are run like well-oiled machines, where every … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , exhibitors, exhibits, tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
Home For The Holidays? Stay On The Lookout For Conference Ideas December 18, 2013 by Donna Kastner Some families have everyone in close proximity. They share day-to-day life experiences all the time. As one with family spread from coast to coast, I have to admit, sometimes I envy that proximal edge. But when families like mine board planes, trains and automobiles to spend the holidays together, it’s quite a celebration. Interesting, but … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best moments, connexity, holidays
Communicating Your Conference Value Proposition To A Short Attention Span World October 28, 2013 by Donna Kastner As the digital wheel accelerates, we find ourselves buried in a tsunami of information… emails, texts, blog posts, newsletters, whitepapers, podcasts, apps. All this noise is making it harder to spot the greatest hits. Now think about your conference audience. They’re in the same predicament, yet what do we do? We bombard them repeatedly with … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Business Model Tagged With: , Attendee Acquisition, conference marketing, Conference Value Proposition
Building Your Conference Community Drip By Drip October 14, 2013 by Donna Kastner Seth Godin has tremendous influence, particularly in marketing, publishing and entrepreneurial circles. At last count, he’s written 17 bestselling books. Earlier this year, Seth published his 5,000th blog post. While other bloggers float in and out of my daily must-read list, Seth’s been there for years. He’s been dripping valuable insight into my brain, one post at … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference marketing, content marketing, learning
