Are 50%-80% of your conference attendees in your programming at any given time? Or are they filling the hallways, hotel spa and lounge, local restaurants, coffee shops and bars conversing with others? Or are they visiting the local tourist attractions? One thing is certain, if your conference attendees are not fully engaged in the experience you provide, there is little, if any, chance that they will leave your event with any real ROI. Attendee engagement happens as a result of a … [Read more...]
Great Questions Define Great Conference Experiences
It is much more effective to provide opportunities for conference participants to solve their own problems, then telling them how to solve it. (Paraphrase Dr. A. Gidget Hopf, President & CEO of The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired—Goodwill Industries.) Conference organizers automatically assume that if someone is attending their event, they expect the conference to help them solve their problems. They believe that the conference should provide the answers. Telling … [Read more...]
Ninja Moves for Improved Conference Session Marketing
Better session copy helps put butts in seats! As conference education trumps the exhibit hall experience at many association meetings, or creeps into your trade show experience to create a solutions-driven, holistic experience for your attendees, upping your game with session titles, descriptions, and learning objectives has become more important than ever. In 2013, we partnered with Tagoras on a research project and produced The Speaker Report. 48 percent of the 120 conference/education … [Read more...]
Back to School for Trade Show Organizers: Build In More Ways to Learn and Connect
This is the second in a series of posts on the findings of reports published by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) based on research recently conducted on attendee retention strategies. The way we buy has evolved for both the B2B and B2C sectors. Trade show organizers who have re-imagined their expo floors into a solutions-based destination rather than one of a hard-sell shopping place are winning at delivering attendee value. Results from a recent CEIR study bolster that … [Read more...]
Your Trade Show Attendees: What Do They Really, Really Want?
This is the first in a series of posts on the findings of reports published by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) based on research recently conducted on attendee retention strategies. It’s likely that the Brexit vote last week is on my mind and that’s why the Spice Girls’ tune, “Wannabe,” popped into my head as I wrote: “Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.” A key takeaway from Part One of CEIR Attendee Retention Insights study, is the schism between … [Read more...]
The Ironic Challenge Attracting Academics As Your Conference Target Market
Many conferences depend upon academic researchers to present at their event. Yet that very research often puzzles their conference stakeholders. Even after their customers slice through the layers of jargon and technicalities, the research still seems mystifying. Sometimes the research seems to capture a resounding “Well, duh!” from the audience. Other times, the research presented is so narrowly defined that it appears to lack real-life application. Often, the entire academic research … [Read more...]
These Ideas Worked A Decade Ago For Your Conference But Not Today
Times change! 10-20 years ago, we saw conferences grow both in numbers and maturity. We could throw just about any idea at our event and it seemed to work. Yet the world continues to evolve. These days, our society, our culture and our conferences change. Those ideas, assumptions, methods and features that worked in the past, don’t work today. Hat tips to Carey Nieuwhof for his leadership insights. Outdated Ineffective Conference Ideas That We Think Worked A Decade Ago Our challenge … [Read more...]
Many Conferences Lack Connective Tissue
Your conference is lacking! Yes, it lacks the connective tissue to support it participants’ true business objectives for attending your event. Yes, it lacks the connective tissue of an obvious framework for the current and future needs of its stakeholders. Connective tissue is a material that supports the vital organs of your body. It provides scaffolding that binds and surrounds other tissues and parts of the body. It connects organs and forms the walls of blood vessels. The Body’s Use … [Read more...]
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