As conference organizers, we frequently ignore the evidence all around us of what’s working and what’s not. That evidence is everywhere. It’s just that we don’t know what to do with it once we have it. Often our conference planning teams and volunteer advisors follow our lead as we give more precedent to what feels right. Together, we willingly ignore the evidence in favor of what’s worked in the past even if our past outcomes point to the fact that we should change. So before assuming we … [Read more...]
Transition Becomes Your New Conference Threshold
What’s your favorite room in your home? I have two: my front porch with its porch swing and my master suite that looks out into my backyard. I cross the thresholds of those spaces daily without much thought. We rarely think about thresholds. Yet, we spend a lot of time traversing them—both literally and figuratively. Crossing from a room that is comfortable and familiar into one that feels uncertain and unpredictable, can be frightening and disconcerting. As you embark on a new vision of … [Read more...]
Steps To Minimize And Prevent Your Conference Organizational Debt
To be successful in the 21st Century, we have to become comfortable with ambiguity and contradiction. We must learn to reframe our questions and rise above conventional mental models. We have to embrace experimentation and try new things. We have to adopt strategies that encourage us to abandon ingrained, comfortable ideas and employ new ones that may feel unfamiliar. We have to disregard traditional assumptions and open ourselves to new paradigms. Ultimately, we must take steps to … [Read more...]
You’re Paying Too Much Interest On Your Conference Organizational Debt
Most organizations pay for it without knowing it. What is it? Conference organizational debt. Your conference organizational debt includes the static roles, traditional structures, outdated models, long-established practices, antiquated procedures and legacy policies that prevent your organization from adapting to evolving markets, technology and society. Your conference pays the interest on this debt in the form of reduced speed, lack of capacity, diminished engagement, rigidity and … [Read more...]
20 Ways to Modernize an Annual Meeting – Part 1
Most annual meetings have used the same template agenda for decades. They just replace the filling each year. If you want to breathe new life into your conference, and increase relevance for next-generation attendees, start with this kill/change list. Part two of this series will include the remainder of the list. 1. Annual Business Meeting Don’t do this as part of a general session. Publish committee reports and financials online. Transparency is critical for growing trust. Meet bylaw … [Read more...]
Grow Your Conference By Becoming An Attendee Action Hero
You don’t have to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Nor do you have to fly at the speed of light to respond to a conference crisis. Nor do you have to use your special hidden super powers to meet your attendees’ expectations. Instead, it’s more about reliability than heroics. It’s about creating a conference experience that attendees can count on you to deliver. They know they can rely on you to provide an experience that helps fix what ails them, to care enough to give them what they … [Read more...]
Your Conference Renewal Begins With Wondering
Where does true conference improvement begin? The conference revitalization process is probably very different than many of your past experiences. It’s so different that we have to view it through new lenses. By taking charge of your own understanding of conference improvement and transformation, you begin a new journey. You are exploring uncharted territory. You are on a discovery adventure. Where Does Your Journey Start So how do you start this journey of conference transformation? … [Read more...]
Triple Loop Learning, The Loop Of Doom And Conference Transformation
Are you really, really good at what you do? Sure you are. You’ve probably mastered your discipline and expertise. You may even be one of the best conference organizers in the world. Meetings And Conference Success Those meeting professionals that are almost always successful at their work rarely experience failure. And those that have rarely failed have never really had to learn from their own mistakes or their unsuccess. So whenever their single loop learning strategies no longer … [Read more...]
