You belong here….was the theme of the American Psychological Association's “more than just an annual convention” recently at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Our team had the opportunity to participate and observe both the in-person and virtual event as the post-Covid rebound continues. That theme manifested most successfully in: Intentional content and messaging delivered in the main stage rooms. The Gathering Place activation with interactive activities and short casual … [Read more...]
Configurable Conference Journeys
For many annual meetings, the Great Resignation has resulted in erosion of loyal, regular attendees and an increase in first-timers, whose experience can be improved with guidance on the best course for them to follow during your program. In his book, The Paradox of Choice, author Barry Schwartz writes: “Learning to choose is hard. Learning to choose well is harder. And learning to choose well in a world of unlimited possibilities is harder still, perhaps too hard.” For complex conference … [Read more...]
Five Smart Strategies for Post Pandemic Success
Last week I attended the National Speakers Association’s (NSA) Annual Meeting, Influence 2023. As a 25+ year member of NSA, I was eager to see how they would weave in their 50-year anniversary and deliver on a promise to elevate the education and main room experiences. They did not disappoint. Below I’ve highlighted five strategies NSA implemented that resulted in achieving pre-pandemic attendance, record high sponsorship and highly valued education and networking experiences. Many of these … [Read more...]
Putting Plan B into Play for Your Main Stage
Last fall, two of our consulting clients were scheduled to have their annual conferences in Orlando. In late September, Hurricane Ian pummeled central Florida, triggering a significant number of flight cancellations. Group No. 1 had no choice but to cancel its in-person event. Fortunately, this association had already planned a digital version of the conference to be held four weeks after the in-person event. This virtual extension quickly became the back-up plan for the in-person conference. … [Read more...]
Panel Sessions 3.0 for 2023
For years I’ve been a fan of bringing in more outside voices to make mainstage sessions more valuable and deliver more impact. While keynote speakers can still be a significant attendance driver, I think 2023 is the year to resurrect the industry panel. What you don’t want to do is go back to the same old playbook — four or five industry experts sitting at an elevated head table. We can and must do better by mixing it up. Next-generation panels will incorporate these design principles: A … [Read more...]
Do’s and Don’ts: Six Tips to Help Justify Attendance at Your Event
As we progress through the event industry’s recovery to 2019 levels, conference organizers must have a laser focus on helping potential attendees make their business case for attending their events. The best path for helping them get approval to attend is to ensure that the majority of your education program is aligned to advance business outcomes or results. To help you on your business priority program development journey, consider these six tips: Learning Pathways — Do not organize … [Read more...]
How to Embrace−and Achieve−Goals to Increase BIPOC Representation at Your Conference
Greater Public (GP), an association whose members are public media fundraisers from more than 240 stations across the U.S., plans the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC) each year, hosting NPR, PBS, and community media stations. After the death of George Floyd in late spring 2020, GP embraced the goal of improving its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Nowhere were those efforts more visible and meaningful than in its virtual PMDMC, held over two weeks in July of … [Read more...]
7 Design Considerations for Your Conference Hub
High-tech user conferences like Dreamforce and Microsoft Ignite have been designing innovative hub spaces to engage and nurture their top customers for years. While some of the elements in these areas can be costly to implement, they don’t have to break the budget. Creating a town-square-like experience can help grow your community through valuable connections. Our team got together for a strategy session and put on our design-thinking hats. We brainstormed what a hub should deliver from an … [Read more...]
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