Putting Design Empathy Into Conference Practice March 31, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Empathy is powerful! It plays a fundamental role in our connections, our networking, our learning, our problem solving, our innovation and our collaboration with others. According to research, when we are empathetic, we actually enhance our cognitive abilities. (Decety and Ickes, 2011). Putting ourselves into others shoes helps us improve our thinking. We improve our … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference design empathy, customer empathy, design empathy, empathy, empathy mapping, strategic empathy
Your Conference Needs To Adopt Design Empathy Practices March 25, 2015 by Jeff Hurt The group kept returning to this word. I thought we were finished discussing all of its nuances and implications. Then another small group would underscore its importance. It’s as if this word was a floating bobber in a lake constantly tossed around due to wind and waves. It wouldn’t disappear. Just when we thought no … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference design empathy, customer empathy, design empathy, empathy, empathy mapping, strategic empathy
Sponsorship Ideas From Super Bowl Fan Experiences February 12, 2015 by Wendy Holliday Super Bowl fans paid big money to attend the experience in Arizona. Sponsors paid big money for game day ads. And some paid for unique customer experiences, some onsite and some online. The savviest sponsors engaged fans before they ever hit the turnstiles or clicked their remote. They knew that getting the most from their … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference sponsorship, sponsor activation, sponsor leverage, sponsorship best practices
Borrowing Great Ideas Leads To The Risks Associated With Mimicry January 20, 2015 by Dave Lutz We seem to always be looking for the next quick tip, idea, or feature to implement for our next conference. But not so fast — there’s some work that needs to be done first. Just copying someone else’s success and ideas is an easy way out. Give Me Your Great Ideas…Fast! We like to see … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conference education, copying great ideas, education best practices, exhibit, Learning Lounge, list education sessions, mimicry
NetWORTHing: The New Way to Network At Conferences January 15, 2015 by Sarah Michel Have you ever been a victim of a network drive-by at a conference? Violated by someone who only talks to you if they think you can do something for them? The whole time they’ve got one eye searching for a more influential target to move to. Everyone has been burned by someone who in the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, networking, networthing
Four Commitments That Block Conference Reinvention December 22, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Some conferences keep pace with changing times. Others seem stuck in a time warp. Tradition led them to success in the past and they expect it will in the future. Most organizations respond to changing times in some way. Many respond by increasing the flurry of activity that has resulted in past success. Usually, that’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference reinvention, mindset, revolutionary conference, strategic thinking, transformation
Improving Conference Experiences With The Ground Breaking Discovery Of Brain-In-The-Heart November 14, 2014 by Jeff Hurt We’ve all heard people say: “Go with your gut.” “Just follow your heart.” “Trust your instinct.” These colloquial sayings feel more like fuzzy-thinking, sensitive touchy-freely speeches or lyrical metaphors. It’s not normally something that you expect experts to say at a conference. Nor is it something we strive to create in conference experiences. But should … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning principles, brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, Brain-in-heart, conference best practices, education best practices, heart coherence, neuroscience
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
Post-Conference Debrief Tips To Improve The Conference Experience October 27, 2014 by Donna Kastner The closing keynote was a big hit. Attendees head home. Your team has worked tirelessly for weeks. And they delivered beyond your expectations. You would love to get packed quickly. You know everyone on your teams deserves some time off now. Gathering The Team For One Final Meeting You think, “If I can just gather … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference debriefs, conference improvement, team debriefs
When Opinion By Committee Can Lead You Astray October 22, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Last night we went to a local chain restaurant. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad. It was average at best. After our meal, I told others about my visit. My relatives all had an opinion about the restaurant. So did my spouse and my friends. I started to post a comment in Facebook to ask … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , association best practices, committee best practices, committees, decision-making, opinions, thinking
