Fostering Planned Serendipity At Conferences October 28, 2014 by Sarah Michel Some people call it luck. Others call it fate. Whatever we call it, serendipity is a wonderful thing. We’ve all experienced it at a conference. That happy accident or surprising discovery when you sit next to someone at a session who deals with the same work challenges as you. This new serendipitous connection introduces you … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference serendipity, meeting planning best practices, networking
You Need To Invest In This Primary Career Insurance Policy: Your Network September 24, 2014 by Sarah Michel When do you need a personal, social network the most? Think about that for a moment. When is your network of business professionals the most valuable to you? When you need a new job. Right?! That’s when most of us turn to our network of professional colleagues. The Dumped CEO Sitting across my desk was … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking Tagged With: , connections, network, networking
365-Day Conferences Are Unrealistic September 3, 2014 by Sarah Michel We’ve been hearing it for years. Conference organizers have been on a quest to create a 365-day community around their big annual event. As a result, industry education sessions and event technology products have adopted the year-round concept and branding. But there’s a problem, attendees and exhibitors aren’t falling in line. They’ll give you their … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference ecommunity, conference tips, meeting best practices, meeting planning best practices, social networking
Lessons From Bruno Mars on Audience Engagement August 20, 2014 by Sarah Michel What can Bruno Mars teach us about audience engagement for our ballroom experiences? Plenty. Earlier this week, I witnessed 7,000 participants (from Linksters to Boomers) stand, clap, sing and dance for 75 minutes at his sold-out Denver Moonshine Jungle concert. If you saw his performance at the 2014 Super Bowl halftime, you already know the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , active participation, conference best practices, engagement, meeting planning best practices, virtual attendee
Feeding Our Need For Community And Connection August 1, 2014 by Sarah Michel We’re living in a time where we’ve never been more connected with others than we are now. Yet most of us feel pretty disconnected from our personal and professional networks. Why? Because we were not hardwired for digital connection. We are wired for face-to-face connections. Maslow Had It Wrong: Connection Is A Primary Need You’ve … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , community, connections, connexity, emotional connection
Creating a Hosting Mindset is Actually Easy June 30, 2014 by Sarah Michel On a recent visit to a nice resort in Santa Barbara, I was struck by how friendly and helpful the staff was. It was evident from the moment I stepped out of the car and encountered the first employee in the parking lot. He welcomed me and asked how he could help. Being An Ambassador … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , ambassador of goodwill, host, hostmanship, welcoming attitude
Delivering Community And Connections at Conferences June 3, 2014 by Sarah Michel Does your conference have connexity? Not sure what that means? Or even if your conference has it? Well, the success of your face-to-face meetings depends on it! Connexity Happens When… Connexity happens when community and connecting collide! In a good way of course. Your attendees crave these two things: They want to connect with others … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference community, conferences, connections, connexity, sponsorship
Defrosting New Conference Connections December 23, 2013 by Sarah Michel “It was awkward and painful,” my friend said. That’s how she described attending a professional meeting where she didn’t know anyone. She was at a loss for how to melt the ice and warm up to others. Especially professionals she perceived to have more experience and knowledge than her. Sound familiar? Here was someone who … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking Tagged With: , conference, conference best practices, meeting best practices, networking
Smarter Attendees Make a Smarter Conference October 24, 2013 by Sarah Michel We have known for a while that networking is one of the top reasons people attend conferences. But who knew it actually makes them smarter? According to a new study published by Scientific American on 5 ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential networking was cited as one of the best ways to expose yourself to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conferences, connections, informal learning, networking
Maximizing Attendee Trust, Mining Weak Ties And Conference Marketing October 7, 2013 by Sarah Michel Here are more tips on how weak ties make strong conferences from VCC’s VP of Connexity, Sarah Michel. Note: She recently wrote about how weak ties can make conferences stronger, connexity and speed networking tips as well as has her own series called Perfecting Connecting. Maximizing Trust Between Conference Attendees One way to maximize trust … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Conference Networking Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connexity, networking
