It all started in preschool and kindergarten. Every week, our teacher would ask us to bring something to class for show-n-tell. We would bring our beloved stuffed animal or a coin from a foreign country or a favorite toy or whatever caught our eye on the way out the door to school. The purpose of … [Read more…]
Learning at conferences is actually a fragile thing. Many things affect our learning. And those factors increase in a complex, content-rich, sensory-strong, ever changing, unfamiliar conference environment. Three Factors That Influence Our Learning Cognitive psychology researchers have shown that three major factors influence how much and how well we learn: ability, prior knowledge and motivation. … [Read more…]
You seldom awake in the morning with people waving money in your face to register for your event. There comes a time in every conference’s history when there is a need to identify and pursue the right markets for conference growth and sustainability. Instead of trying to be all things to all people and offer … [Read more…]
Our conferences and events need to create a more powerful attendee-centric experience. The passive conference attendee experience of the past twenty years is not enough. Attendees no longer want to sit for hours and just listen to experts speak. They want to be involved. Attendees are demanding and expecting something different today. Or they will … [Read more…]
When I was a new teenage driver, I learned not to ask my father for directions. (Remember we did not have Google Maps yet.) Our discussion would go something like this: Jeff: Dad, what exit do I take off of the freeway to get to Valley View Mall? Dad: You get on Peters Creek Road … [Read more…]
Is your organization offering learning opportunities that are based on an outdated model? Or have you positioned your organization to offer learning opportunities that are proven to be successful today and align with your participants’ learning? No, I’m not just talking about the linear advancement of technology as applied to learning. Technology is a factor … [Read more…]
Is your organization still trying to make revenue from didactic forms of education and instruction? Are you using a hierarchical, top-down, command and control delivery model? Are you providing content that seems out of context in today’s every changing global market? If you are, you are showing your age. You are announcing to the world … [Read more…]
Does your conference education have coming attraction previews? No, not those stale electronic and printed marketing pieces with descriptions, bios and pictures. Does your organization provide smart, savvy, provocative short video clips of upcoming education designed to attract buyers? The Movie Trailer Promotion When you go to the movies, the first 10-15 minutes before the … [Read more…]
As a conference organizer, what’s your goal when you secure a speaker for a keynote presentation? Motivation? Humor? Inspiration? Education? To provoke? Entertainment? Complete a schedule? Kickoff an event? Benefiting The Attendees If you are really dedicated to helping your conference attendees benefit from a keynote presentation, doesn’t it make sense to know as much … [Read more…]
What does it mean to learn at a conference? What tools does it take for learning to be successful in that environment? Most people say that successful learning occurs when a speaker presents to an audience. It requires a subject matter expert (SME) or panel of SMEs, research, content and a lecture. It must have … [Read more…]
