Conference Education Should Drive Business Growth April 10, 2014 by Jeff Hurt The only reason that conference education sessions exist is to drive a business’ outcomes. (paraphrase author Rita Smith.) Ok, sure some conference education sessions exist for personal development, hobbies or pleasure. But most of us attend conferences to learn and grow professionally. Yet, in many cases, the business, meaning an attendees’ employer and business, is … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model Tagged With: , business case for events, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, Event ROI, meeting planning best practices, meeting professional
Flipping Conference Education For Successful Learning March 28, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Sure, the “flipped classroom” is a buzzword and the trend right now. However, the concept of being learner-centric and providing active learning during the education session is not a trend! It’s here to stay because it works! Defining Flipped Education So what is the flipped conference education session? In short, the term is used to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult education, adult learning, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, flipped learning, The fl
7 Fundamental Ways To Drastically Improve Conference Breakouts February 25, 2014 by Dave Lutz Concurrent sessions, often known as breakouts, are the meat and potatoes of conferences. They are also one of the most difficult areas for your continuous improvement efforts. In many associations, volunteers vet submissions, decide topics and select speakers for their annual meeting’s concurrent sessions. While well intentioned, volunteer committees rarely are equipped with a big-picture … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference education, conference session, conferences, learning trends, meeting industry trends
Your Conference Needs To Go On An Education Session Diet February 7, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Your conference attendees and prospects are less satisfied with an extensive list of education offerings than a narrow one. Too much information overwhelms them. And they walk away without any action. Ultimately, confused customers don’t buy anything. The Paradox Of Choice Yes, it’s true that when given a choice between a small and large assortment, … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Event Planning Tagged With: , Attendee Acquisition, conference education, conference marketing, marketing, target market
Without People Your Conference Has No Knowledge January 27, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Who is more knowledgeable? The expert speaker or the room of conference attendees? In today’s rapidly changing world with knowledge at our fingertips, often the wisdom of the crowd outranks the insight of an expert speaker. Why? Because knowledge now lives in networks. The Web Facilitates Connections Hat Tips Cluetrain Manifesto The Internet has made … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult education, conference best practices, conference education
Delivery or Discovery? The Dueling Conference Competitors January 21, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Which is more important to your attendees’ conference experience? Delivery of information or discovery of content? There lies the tension for 21st Century Conferences offering education sessions. The Faulty Premise For Conference Delivery As A Priority In most conference experiences, an attendee’s role is to consume information and knowledge that is hypothetically scarce. A conference … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, delivery, education best practices
Stop Trying To Offer Conference Content To Everyone January 8, 2014 by Jeff Hurt As a conference organizer, you want everyone to become a registrant, right? Male, female, young, old and everyone in between. So you try to attract as many people as possible with your programming. And you try to reach as many people as possible with your marketing. You are willing to take money from anyone willing … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult education, Attendee Acquisition, conference education, conferences, event marketing, target market
The Art Of Changing The Attendees’ Brain: Conference Style December 3, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Usually our view of conference education is an expert at the front of the room doling out their knowledge through witty repartee. The speaker stands on a stage, behind a podium, towering above the audience as if dispensing expertise from on high. Conference organizers and speakers view the audience as those that need the expert’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning strategies, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, learner-centric, lecture
Today’s Conference Education Model Was Created For An Economy That No Longer Exists November 20, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Conference education has not kept pace with 21st Century workforce demands. It is usually devoted to information transfer through a lecture or panel, rote learning and memorization of facts and figures to pass a certification test. The reality is that this old style, 20th Century, traditional expert in front of the room presenting to rows … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Conference Education Tagged With: , conference education, conferences, learning trends, meeting industry trends, workplace trends
Three Conference Speaker Ahas You Need to Know November 6, 2013 by Dave Lutz How does your conference speaker selection process compare to other organizations? What’s working and what isn’t when it comes to selecting and securing industry and professional speakers? The Use Of Professional And Industry Speakers The past summer, Velvet Chainsaw partnered with Tagoras, a leading market research and consulting company for learning, to survey conference professionals … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , association trends, conference education, conference tips, conferences, industry speaker, meeting industry trends, speaker
