Your Conference Is Unbalanced! April 1, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Your conference is out of balance. And most conference organizers don’t even know it. Sure as a conference organizer you know that creativity and innovation are important to your planning. You probably even realize that collaborating with others on the schedule and programming make for a better conference experience. However, as a conference organizer most … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference design empathy, conference empathy, customer empathy, design empathy, empathy, empathy mapping, strategic empathy
Putting Design Empathy Into Conference Practice March 31, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Empathy is powerful! It plays a fundamental role in our connections, our networking, our learning, our problem solving, our innovation and our collaboration with others. According to research, when we are empathetic, we actually enhance our cognitive abilities. (Decety and Ickes, 2011). Putting ourselves into others shoes helps us improve our thinking. We improve our … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference design empathy, customer empathy, design empathy, empathy, empathy mapping, strategic empathy
Most Keynote Speakers Fail At Providing Audience Learning & Performance Improvement March 30, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Most keynotes fail at actually providing learning and retention. Sure, many keynotes are inspirational, motivational and provide an engaging story. And if that’s all we’re looking for from a high-paid professional speaker for a keynote, it works. However, when an organization pays $10,000-$75,000, or even a higher fee, for a 45- to 60-minute message, we … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, general sessions, keynote, presentation strategies, professional speakers
Your Conference Needs To Adopt Design Empathy Practices March 25, 2015 by Jeff Hurt The group kept returning to this word. I thought we were finished discussing all of its nuances and implications. Then another small group would underscore its importance. It’s as if this word was a floating bobber in a lake constantly tossed around due to wind and waves. It wouldn’t disappear. Just when we thought no … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference design empathy, customer empathy, design empathy, empathy, empathy mapping, strategic empathy
Four Deeds Your Conference Must Exploit March 13, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Your conference should be something to be experienced! It should be an action verb, not a passive experience. It should be something that participants do, not consume. The following four deeds are how to create an active unforgettable transformative conference experience for your participants. You need these deeds to grow your conference. They are the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , authentic community, conference best practices, conference experience, fearless conversations, radical hospitality., relevant anticipation
Develop An Organization That Succeeds Through A Culture Of Learning Infographic March 2, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Modern organizations need to develop a learning culture… …If they want to survive in the rapidly changing world in which we now live. A learning culture is a work environment that supports all employees constantly learning, unlearning and relearning. Our knowledge and skills can become outdated quickly. Successful organizations hire those that embrace life-long learning. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, context, culture of learning, learning, organizational learning, unlearning and relearning
Revamping Your Strategic Brain To Be A Rock Solid Leader February 27, 2015 by Jeff Hurt The challenge you face as a conference organizer or meeting planner is taking on the role of being a ridiculously in charge rock solid leader. Or not! You can decide to be a meetings’ transactional order taker and fulfiller. You may decide that’s all you want to do for the rest of your life. Or … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , becoming a conference leader, conference leadership, leadership, strategic thinking, strategy
The Growing Majority Of The Conference Declined February 26, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Who are the people that don’t regularly attend conferences? What are the traits of those that devalue the traditional conference experience? It seems that what attracts some people to conferences actually repels others. Some see the traditional conference experience as stale and predictable. They are uninterested in spending $1,500-$2,000 in registration, airfare, lodging and expenses … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , attendee experience, conference best practices, conference experience, traditional conferences
Myths Your Conference Should Stop Perpetuating February 19, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Your conference is spreading the cult of myths, traditions and rituals. How so? What do you mean? You ask. Providing conference education is not as intuitive as it seems! Science shows that there is a right way and a wrong way to design, deliver and implement conference education. Unfortunately, most conferences ignore the science. Instead, … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult education, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conference education, conference session, learning myths
Successful Conferences Link Learning To Business Performance February 16, 2015 by Jeff Hurt A new study finds that successful businesses focus on linking learning to business performance. And the most successful conferences link their learning opportunities to their target market’s strategic business interest. Ultimately, these conference organizers understand that what happens back in the attendees’ office after the event is much more important that what happens at the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , business performance, conference best practices, conference session
