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 a newly dumped CEO who was on the wrong side of an acquisition. “Tell me about the depth and strength of your professional network,” I asked. His face sunk. "You mean the people … [Read more...]
Feeding Our Need For Community And Connection
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 probably heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It’s a psychology theory that states people are motivated to achieve five basic needs. It starts with … [Read more...]
Creating a Hosting Mindset is Actually Easy
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 Of Goodwill After several hours of experiencing this amazing feeling of being welcomed by long lost friends, I asked a young chipper 24-year-old bellman what motivated him and his coworkers to provide such … [Read more...]
Delivering Community And Connections at Conferences
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 (and learn from and with each other). And they want to belong to a community. When you blend connecting with community you create … [Read more...]
Three Amen-Astonishing Ways To Improve Your Conference Networking
Networking! It’s one of the top reasons participants say they attend your conference. Yet few know how to do it effectively. Give them a helping hand. Networking’s Value Proposition Networking can be the most subjective and variable portion of your conference value proposition. For some, one or two meaningful interactions can more than justify the price of admission. High-value networking experiences initiate or accelerate deals. They expedite problem solving and innovation. They grow … [Read more...]
From Strangers To Friends: Bridging Attendee Loneliness With Conference Community
Everybody needs to know Somebody who cares. Just a friendly face You can trust to be there. Are you afraid to be known And not be a stranger? Everyone’s connected but no one is connecting The human element has long been missing Tell me, have you seen it? Have you seen it? Alone by Armin Van Burren (feat. Lauren Evans) Watch the Alone video. Are Your Attendees Alone? How often do the above lyrics apply to your attendees’ conference experience? What will it take for … [Read more...]
The Neuroscience of Networking: Why Networking Matters To Your Conference
Your brain is passionate about one thing. So much so that when it is not thinking about a problem or focused on something specific, it defaults to doing this one thing. Neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Lieberman says that our brains have a passion of their own. "We know this because our brains seem to devote all of its spare time to this one thing," says Lieberman. Thinking About Thinking So what is it that our brains really like to do? What does the brain do when it is not focused on a … [Read more...]
Helping Conference First Timers And Solo Attendees Get Plugged In
Imagine that you're a first-time attendee at a conference that draws thousands. To make matters even more challenging, you're flying solo. No safety net of colleagues to meet-up with every now and then. The Solo Attendee By day, you move from session to session, trying to make eye contact with strangers. You even manage to strike up a few good conversations, but more often, it's nothing more than a "nice to meet you" handshake. Despite your reluctance, you push yourself to attend the … [Read more...]
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