Disrupting Our Own Conference Learning Models [Webinar] March 2, 2016 by Jeff Hurt The demands of our 21st Century conference participants mandate that we change our traditional event experience. Today’s workforce requires that our participants interact, think and work in collaborative ways. Yet our conferences persistently promote expert-directed, one-way passive monologues and panel dialogues. Our conferences continue to resemble the routines of the 19th and 20th century school. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adult learning, conference best practices, conference education, conference learning model, networking, peer-based learning, peer-to-peer, peerology, webinar
Two More Bear Traps And Five Practices You Should Steal Immediately (Part 3) March 1, 2016 by Jeff Hurt This is the third installment in this three part post on why you should not copy successful conference leaders. The first post looked at who we follow within the conference and meetings industry. It also established five bear traps to avoid when copying new ideas. The second post identified three big ole bear traps to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , copying great ideas, leading chage., mimicry
To Believe Or Not To Believe Conference Copying: Three Big Ole Bear Traps To Avoid (Part 2) February 29, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Why do we blindly copy another conference’s success? Too often, we try to find fresh ideas from leading conference professionals. Copying another person’s conference success is so much easier than investing the time to think it through for ourselves. Hat tips to Carey Nieuwhof’s Leading Change Without Losing It: Five Strategies That Can Revolutionize How … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , copying great ideas, leading chage., mimicry
To Believe Or Not To Believe: 5 Devastating Reasons You Should Not Copy Another Conference February 24, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Who do you follow today in the conference landscape? I can think of several conference leaders and a handful of organizations that you should carefully watch. I know I follow them—even if from a distance. Your list might consist of any of the stalwart traditional conference organizers. They’ve taken their organization to success. Or you … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , copying great ideas, leading chage., mimicry
Four Stupendous Strategic Steps You Should Practice Regularly February 19, 2016 by Jeff Hurt One of the biggest challenges we face—especially nonprofit association and conference professionals–is spending adequate time thinking. For some reason, we believe that doing is better than thinking. When we do something, we seem to make progress. Well, at least that’s what we tell ourselves. When we think, there doesn’t seem to be any forward movement. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , association executives, credibility, event professionals, hospitality professionals, meeting planning best practices, meeting professionals, strategic thinking, strategic value, strategy
Why Bother With Conference Education Peer Discussions? February 17, 2016 by Jeff Hurt How many conference speakers have you seen that don’t want attendees asking, answering, commenting or participating during their presentations? From the speaker’s point of view, the presentation seems to be moving along nicely as the content is covered. The room is silent except the speaker’s voice. And surely that means that the audience is attentively … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult education, adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conference education, discussions, lecture, paragogy, peer-to-peer, peerology
Nurturing Conference Experiences That Foster Skillful Collaboration To Create Progress February 4, 2016 by Jeff Hurt We can’t solve today’s and tomorrow’s problems with yesterday’s thinking says Dan Pink. Most of us only know one way to address our challenges. Our problem solving skills, our communication strategies and our capacity to bend our ideas as we bridge gaps have not evolved fast enough. We think there is only a right and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , collaboration, collaborative learning, conversations, fearless conversations, transformation, transformational conferences, transformational learning
How to Pick Forward Thinking Conference Topics January 29, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Forecasting! The mere word may cause fear, apprehension and the thought “I don’t know how to do that! Much less how to apply forecasting to picking future-focused conference and education topics for my customers.” Don’t worry you’re not alone. More Than Predictions Forecasting is more than predicting or foretelling the future. And if you’re under … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference curation, conference predictions, conference trends, curation, forecasting, forward focused topics, picking conference topics
Three Principles To Awaken Your Association Force Leadership January 28, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Have you seen the newest installment in the Star Wars saga: Episode VII “The Force Awakens?” I admit I’m something of a Star Wars fan. Just take a look at my Facebook page and you’ll see. One of the major themes in the Star Wars films is light versus dark, good versus evil. That same … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association governance, leadership, volunteer leadership
Conference Sponsorship As An Investment In Relatedness, Connections And Community January 27, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Often we feel that conference sponsorship is a necessary but unpleasant activity to support an event. We are uncomfortable asking organizations for money to support our endeavors. Sometimes that uncomfortable feeling is more a reflection of our personal beliefs about money than our beliefs about our conference’s impact. Raising conference sponsorship dollars should actually be … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference sponsorship, sponsors, sponsorship best practices, sponsorship sales, sponsorship strategy
