Creating Jostled Serendipitous Encounters For Your Conference Networking November 4, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Walking into the pre-convene area of a convention center for a conference, it shouldn’t take long to meet up with another person strolling through the same hallways. Right? Now imagine crossing that same pre-convene area filled with throngs of people. How long will it take for one to reach another person from the same conference? … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections, networking
Smarter Attendees Make a Smarter Conference October 24, 2013 by Sarah Michel We have known for a while that networking is one of the top reasons people attend conferences. But who knew it actually makes them smarter? According to a new study published by Scientific American on 5 ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential networking was cited as one of the best ways to expose yourself to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conferences, connections, informal learning, networking
It Is Time To Revolutionize Conferences October 16, 2013 by Jeff Hurt The traditional conference is in dire need of creativity, innovation and reinvention! It has been stuck in an ancient, out-dated rut for too long. Those planning and organizing conferences need to see themselves as creators and artists. As Seth Godin says in Linchpin, “An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity and boldness to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conferences, meeting industry trends, sponsorship, trends - See more at: http://velvetchainsaw.com/?s=trends#sthash.g8yHnu7l.dpuf
Fostering Weak Ties And Speed Networking Tips For Your Conference October 4, 2013 by Jeff Hurt VCC’s VP of Professional Connexity, Sarah Michel, is the go-to-networker-guru. She lives and breaths networking and connexity. She recently wrote about how weak ties can make conferences stronger and connexity, and has a series called Perfecting Connecting. After reading her recent post, I had several questions about weak ties, speed networking and conferences. I wanted … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connexity, networking
Weak Ties Make Stronger Conferences October 3, 2013 by Sarah Michel Think about who connected you to your current job? I’m willing to bet it was a weak connection; someone you just met, didn’t know very well or hadn’t talked to in years. The facts are that when it comes to looking for information, opportunities and connections, weaker connections are more helpful than our strongest ones. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connexity, networking
Eight Unique Types Of Conference Relationships You Can Grow October 2, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Relationships can be messy business! We all have some type of unique relationship with everyone that we know. We have long histories with some people that include thousands of distinct touchpoints and interactions that shape how we feel about one another. We are very close to some people and not so close to others. We … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connexity, networking
Follow These Tips To Engage Millennials In Your Conference Experience September 17, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Millennials are eager to connect, participate and give says the 2013 Millennial Impact Report by Achieve. Since 2009, the report has focused on Millennial behaviors that would interest many nonprofits and conference organizers including trends in communication, service and giving. The report illustrates that the next generation is passionate about people not hierarchies, institutions, organizations … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , attracting millennials, conference best practices, conferences, generations, GenX, GenY, Millennial
Q&A Will Not Satisfy Conference Audience Cravings For Participation September 9, 2013 by Donna Kastner Mary: Impressive presentation, John, but I’m a little concerned that there’s no audience participation. John: No problem, we’ll open the floor to Q&A at the end. Mary: Okay, but there’s still 45 minutes of one-way lecturing going on. John: Good point. Let’s add another Q&A segment midway through the presentation. We interrupt this blog post with an important … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , active learning, adult learning, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, Education & Adult Learning
Conference Networking on Steroids August 29, 2013 by Sarah Michel If you’re like most people, you probably do not know how to network effectively. Yes, that’s right; most of us do not network correctly. Put us into a large intimidating conference setting and our abilities are really tested. However, ask any attendee what they really want out of their time and attendance at your live … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Event Planning, Experience Design Tagged With: , connexity, meeting planning best practices, networking
The Evolution Of Onsite Conferences: 26 Trends Coming To An Event Near You August 28, 2013 by Jeff Hurt The traditional conference meeting experience is out! People today are looking for unusual, new, innovative conference experiences. They don’t want to attend last year’s annual meeting that just changed the filler. They want something that feels as fresh as their first conference experience. They want an original experience. 26 Trends Coming Your Way Here are … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning, Experience Design, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , conferences, meeting industry trends, sponsorship, trends
