Secret Shoppers Spot Conference Experiences You’ll Likely Miss August 6, 2014 by Donna Kastner Secret shopping conferences and trade shows is something we do regularly. We don’t call it secret shopping. At the end of the day, it’s an apt description, as we’re immersing ourselves in the attendee (buyer’s) experience. We’re evaluating every component through the attendee’s lens to assess what’s working, what needs to be tweaked, and what needs … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , attendee experience, conference best practices, conference improvement, trade show improvement
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
Using Empathy Mapping To Create Conference Target Market Personas July 10, 2014 by Jeff Hurt We could all use a little more empathy…and a little less yelling! And your organization could definitely cultivate more empathetic team members who help plan and design your conference and education offerings. Why We Need More Empathy For Our Stakeholders Empathy is walking in another person’s shoes and understanding life through their eyes. It is … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference, conference best practices, customer, empathy mapping, Innovation, target market
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
Your Conference Needs An Innovative Strategy May 22, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Executives and conference organizers need to train themselves to look for change! Innovative organizations look out the window, away from the organization as well as look inside the organization for opportunities. They embrace change as an opportunity to innovate. Not as a threat. Your Success Can Be Your Failure Many conferences that have got into … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, Innovation
Snack Bite-Size Learning Rules The Roost At Conferences April 25, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Blogger Karla Gutierrez gives five reasons why bite-size learning works at Shift’s eLearning blog. Here’s one key point all conference organizers and speakers should know and implement: Chunk Content In 10 Min Sections Bite-size learning as well as bite-size instruction improves an attendee’s psychological engagement. It prevents cognitive overload and mental burnout. It also encourages … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, brain science education, Ignite, meeting planning best practices, Pecha Kucha
Three Amen-Astonishing Ways To Improve Your Conference Networking April 21, 2014 by Dave Lutz 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 … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections
Innovation Starts With Observing Your Conference Attendees In Action April 14, 2014 by Jeff Hurt With today’s tools and environment, radical innovation is extraordinarily accessible to those who know how to cultivate it says author Steven Berlin Johnson. Some environments and workplace cultures squelch innovation while others breed it he adds. So what do conference organizers need in order to embrace innovation in their conferences, meetings and events? The Innovators’ … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, Innovation, meeting planning best practices
Kneebucklingly Sweet Idea Generation Tool: Brainwriting April 2, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Brainstorming is out! Brainwriting is in! Brainstorming Challenges Brainstorming is something most of us know and have used at some point in our lives. It’s a tool often used to create a list of spontaneous ideas contributed by a group. Alex Faickney Osborn popularized the tool in 1953. Osborn claimed that brainstorming was more effective … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult education, brain-friendly meetings, education best practices, introverts
