Sculpting Customer Feedback To Design Your Conference December 9, 2013 by Jeff Hurt The voice of the customer is always right. Or is it? When conference organizers look for ways to improve the attendees’ experience, they typically turn to their registrants for feedback. They turn to their customers to direct their investment decisions for conference improvements. Gaining Conference Attendee Intelligence Conference organizers use a variety of ways to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference data collection, conference design, conference evaluation, customer feedback, data mining, speaker evaluations
Creating An Effective Event Website [Infographic] December 6, 2013 by Jeff Hurt What are the most important and critical components of an event website? Julius Solaris of the Event Manager Blog highlights the important elements of a modern event website in the following infographic. Full image and description here-> Event Technology Infographic Courtesy of Event Manager Blog Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference website, event marketing, event website
Establishing A New Model To Select Conference Content And Programming December 4, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Is it time to end the speaker call for proposals? Does the traditional open call for topics and speakers actually meet the conference audience’s needs? The traditional call for volunteer and professional speakers is a roll of the dice that the submissions meet the needs of the conference attendees. Too often staff and committees rely … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , association best practices, conference best practices, conference curator, content-strategist-curator, curate, meeting best practices, meeting experience, meeting industry trends
The Art Of Changing The Attendees’ Brain: Conference Style December 3, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Usually our view of conference education is an expert at the front of the room doling out their knowledge through witty repartee. The speaker stands on a stage, behind a podium, towering above the audience as if dispensing expertise from on high. Conference organizers and speakers view the audience as those that need the expert’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning strategies, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, learner-centric, lecture
Helping Speakers Move From Dispensers Of Information To Facilitators Of Learning December 2, 2013 by Jeff Hurt The greatest sign of success for a speaker is not a full room and positive smile-sheet summaries that only indicate attendees can successfully sit through long lectures. The greatest sign of success for a speaker is to be able to say, “The audience is now working on the content as if I did not exist!” … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conferences, facilitator, learner-centric, meeting professional, speaker tips
Leading Change With Brain Friendly Strategies November 27, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Change can be hard! All organizations face challenges of maintaining employee or volunteer engagement and motivation in the midst of uncertainty. Organizational change is challenging even in the best situations. According to McKinsey Quarterly, 2010, only about 30% of organizations are successful with organizational change. For many people, the unknown is extremely frightening. We default … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , association best practices, change, change management, strategic planning
Three Free Event eBooks You Should Read November 26, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Conferences, events and meetings are evolving. We live in a time where change is the constant. Disruptive innovation is the name of the game. If the institution can be disrupted, it will be. Here are three ebooks that discuss some of those event game changers. Mobile Apps: The New Event Essential Mobile is everywhere and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings
Stop Sabotaging Your Conference Innovation Planning Process November 25, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Are we failing to cultivate innovation in our conference planning process? Do we focus so much on the details and logistics that we unknowingly sabotage our brains’ potential to cultivate innovation and creativity? Keeping our minds engaged and inspired in the creative process is critical to conference innovation. Yet too often, we default to following … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, meeting planning, meeting planning best practices
Today’s Conference Education Model Was Created For An Economy That No Longer Exists November 20, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Conference education has not kept pace with 21st Century workforce demands. It is usually devoted to information transfer through a lecture or panel, rote learning and memorization of facts and figures to pass a certification test. The reality is that this old style, 20th Century, traditional expert in front of the room presenting to rows … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Conference Education Tagged With: , conference education, conferences, learning trends, meeting industry trends, workplace trends
These Conference Presentation Myths Cramp The Attendee Experience November 19, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Most conference organizers see attendees as consumers of the conference’s information. Little thought is given to seeing attendees as active participants in their own learning and experience. 8 Myths That Restrict The Attendee Experience Here are eight conference presentation myths that you should avoid. Myth 1: The lecture or panel best serves all conference attendees. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , active learning, active participation, association, conferences, Education & Adult Learning, engagement, learning myths, meeting planner, presentation myths, Speaker Emerging Practices
