Improving Your Conference Operational Effectiveness Is Not Strategic Positioning January 6, 2015 by Jeff Hurt It’s one of the biggest confusions in the meetings industry today. That improving your conference operations—registration, food and beverage counts, room capacities, room sets, project management, vendor practices, partnering, benchmarking, following industry best practices, conference management tools—improves your strategy. It doesn’t! Improving your conference operations is not strategic positioning! Sure improving your conference operations improves … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference experience, conference strategy, convention operations, operational effectiveness, strategic positioning
Four Visionary Leadership Conference Mindsets Needed In The 21st Century January 5, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Vision…it’s easy to talk about. It’s hard to create and implement. And it’s often even harder to upgrade. What’s your vision for the 21st Century conference? How are conferences evolving? As the new year starts, there’s no time like the present to think about creating a fresh vision and adopting a new frame of mind … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, meeting industry trends, meeting professional, mindset, trends
Gratitude, Holiday Tables And Mercy December 23, 2014 by Jeff Hurt The holidays are a time of traditions. Macy’s has a Thanksgiving parade. Washington DC has the national Christmas tree lighting. A former boss decorates her yard in honor of the Jewish Festival Of Lights-Hanukkah. Another holds her annual Winter Solstice Snow Party. During the holidays, the Velvet Chainsaw Consulting team turns to thanks and gratitude. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , holidays
Four Commitments That Block Conference Reinvention December 22, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Some conferences keep pace with changing times. Others seem stuck in a time warp. Tradition led them to success in the past and they expect it will in the future. Most organizations respond to changing times in some way. Many respond by increasing the flurry of activity that has resulted in past success. Usually, that’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference reinvention, mindset, revolutionary conference, strategic thinking, transformation
The Future Of Learning And Technology 2020: Preparing For Change December 17, 2014 by Jeff Hurt The education landscape of 2020 will be characterized by the blurring of boundaries. Learning anywhere and anytime will be commonplace in many different ways based on the ubiquitous and innovative use of technology. Our organizations face a duality of change—conceptual and technological—regarding the practices of education and learning. The practices of teaching, presenting and learning … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, association future, brain science education, digital media and learning, metacognition, neuroscience, technology
License Attendees To Drive Their Brains To The Streets Of Increased Conference Value December 16, 2014 by Jeff Hurt The majority of your conference attendees believe that their conference learning is all about self discipline. They think that the more conference education sessions that they attend, the more information they can absorb. The only strategy they know is to strive hard and fast to physically hear as many speakers as possible. That intentional effort … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, Event ROI, metacognition, neuroscience
Since We Are Already Doing What We Are Doing It Cannot Be Too Risky-NOT! December 9, 2014 by Jeff Hurt We frequently avoid change. We take comfort in doing the same thing over and over again. It feels safe. When it comes to making changes to a conference or association service, we opt to do what we’ve done in the past. It’s easier. We know the outcome. We believe it’s less risky than changing. Putting … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association issues and challenges, conference best practices, risk, status quo, strategic thinking, thinking
The Traps And Transgressions Of Traditional Thinking December 8, 2014 by Jeff Hurt That won’t work for us because we are different than everyone else. We’ve always done it this way. We don’t need to change. We’ve tried that in the past and it failed. These are just a few of the traditional thinking excuses we face every day. Whether we are trying to create a new conference … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association issues and challenges, conference best practices, strategic thinking, thinking
Letting Go Of Past Conference Planning Experience To Foster New Ideas December 1, 2014 by Jeff Hurt I have a fairly inquisitive mind. I like to ponder things and ask tough questions. Wondering who, what, why, why not, how and when. I’m always chewing the cud so to speak. Thinking about how to improve things. Make them better. Thinking About Questions And Experiences I think a lot about how to improve a … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , association, conference best practices, conferences, curiosity, leadership, meeting planner
Activating Attendee Heart Coherence Thru Intentionally Crafted Conference Experiences November 24, 2014 by Jeff Hurt What type of emotions does your conference experience activate? “Huh?” you say. “My conference is supposed to connect on an emotional level with attendees?” Whether you like it or not, your conference does initiate some type of emotion. Unfortunately, many conference experiences are bland, sterile boring events. They lack passion, enthusiasm and emotional highs and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult learning principles, brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, Brain-in-heart, conference best practices, education best practices, heart coherence, neuroscience
