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
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
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
Three Conference Speaker Ahas You Need to Know November 6, 2013 by Dave Lutz How does your conference speaker selection process compare to other organizations? What’s working and what isn’t when it comes to selecting and securing industry and professional speakers? The Use Of Professional And Industry Speakers The past summer, Velvet Chainsaw partnered with Tagoras, a leading market research and consulting company for learning, to survey conference professionals … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , association trends, conference education, conference tips, conferences, industry speaker, meeting industry trends, speaker
21st Century Revolutionary Conferences Have Transformed The Traditional Education Session October 21, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Conferences that focus primarily on lecture-based methods are becoming increasingly difficult to defend! There is ample evidence that the lecture creates phony learning, along with the inability to retain and apply what has been heard. Packed conference sessions and smile-sheet summary evaluations only indicate that attendees can successfully sit through dreary lectures. It does not … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , active learning, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, meeting planner, meeting professionals, trends
The Function Of Content Changes In Revolutionary Conferences October 18, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Conference organizers strong commitment to content actually blocks the path to more attendee-focused and learner-centric conference experiences. This focus on content as the core of the conference creates a barrier that obstructs presenters. Most speakers freely acknowledge that the need to cover content strongly influences, and often dictates, their presentation decisions. Our allegiance to content … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conferences, content, meeting industry trends, sponsorship, trends
Five Myths Of Interactive, Participatory Learning For STEM Conferences October 11, 2013 by Jeff Hurt It’s one of the most common excuses I hear from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics/Medical) conference organizers today… “As ______________ (insert appropriate STEM word) attendees, they won’t participate in interactive sessions or discussions. They don’t want to be actively involved. They don’t like to talk. They came to hear from an expert. We can’t leave … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , active learning, adult learning strategies, collaborative learning, education best practices, interactive, participatory learning
Adding Active Learning Strategies To Passive Video Watching To Increase Effectiveness October 1, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Watching online video has gone from being a niche activity to mainstream. The implications of online video growth are huge for brands, organizations as well as learning. Yet watching a video is a passive experience. And often our minds jump to couch potato mode, conditioned by watching years of TV in passive mindsets. Tips To … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , active learning, adult learning strategies, education best practices, online education, online learning, video
Do You Want Your Audience To View Your Video Or Learn From It? September 30, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Online videos seem to be the rampant trend right now. Online video sharing apps like YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, Hulu, Instagram, TED Talks, Vine, Viddy, Vigi, Mobli, Lightt, Telly, TwitC, Socialcam, Klip, Tout and Bob.TV are all declaring it the decade of online video. Here’s the fact many of these online video programs forget to tell … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , education best practices, online education, online learning, video
