Mall Science: What Your Conference Can Learn From The Mall June 28, 2011 by Jeff Hurt As a teenager in Roanoke, VA, I would hang out with my friends in Crossroads Mall. We would visit our friends who were working in various stores. We’d visit Robby in the Hallmark Card and Candy Store located in the mall’s main courtyard. We’d visit Sherry in the Hobby Shop. Tom in JCPenny. Mark in … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference tips, conferences, meeting best practices, meeting professionals
Screening Steps To Improve Your Conference’s Health June 27, 2011 by Jeff Hurt How healthy is your conference? Is it time for your conference to have a thorough physical exam? Is your conference experience in need of a health check-up? Is it in a state of dis-ease? Why Your Conference Needs A Checkup Here are three reasons why your conference needs a health checkup: 1. Avoid Dr. Fix-it … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference tips, conferences, meeting planner, meeting planning best practices, meeting professional
Not Safe For Conferences (NSFC): Marginal Presentations June 21, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Welcome to the world of conferences starring your industry speaker’s slide deck with a supporting role by you. If Ebert and Roper critiqued our conference presentations instead of movies, they would announce a huge two thumbs down for the majority of our speakers. If Entertainment Tonight was Conference Tonight, they would report a colossal loss of … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conference tips, conferences, meeting planning best practices
How Do You Feel About The Commoditization Of Event Production? June 15, 2011 by Jeff Hurt I love a cloned conference! Don’t you? Jeff Rodgers of Zap Creative has launched The Meetings Department that offers a plug and play template for your next meeting. Starting at $5,000, you purchase a cloned conference experience with a minute-by-minute show flow, script for general sessions and awards, walk-in and walk-out music and videos to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference tips, meeting planner, meeting planning basics, meeting planning best practices
The HIPPO In The Room: You Are Not Your Audience June 14, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Dear Conference Organizer: You are not your audience. You are not your customers. Yes, you have your own preferences, your own likes, your own tastes. But you are not planning that event for yourself. And what you like is probably far from what your audience likes. You have to get out of your own mind. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference tips, meeting planner, meeting planning basics, meeting planning best practices, speaker, Speaker Emerging Practices
Your Conference Attendance Marketing Silver Bullet June 13, 2011 by Dave Lutz It’s rare to find a silver bullet that actually works. And I’ve seen one lately. The Registrant List As A Lure For conference attendance acquisition, that bullet is the attendee list. The attendee list acts as a lure attracting those that have not registered yet. So let potential attendees see who else is already registered. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , attracting attendees, conference tips, meeting planner, meeting planning basics, meeting planning best practices
From The Mixed-Up Files Of Association Conference Misguided Behavior December 29, 2010 by Jeff Hurt It was an opening general session with a marquee headliner. I was anxious to hear him. The session started to great fanfare and hoopla. The Minute By Minute Replay Fifteen minutes later, I felt like I was watching those hideous commercials that theaters play before the movie trailers start. I was Waiting For Godot. The … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , association, conference tips, conferences, general sessions
Four Overlooked Tips To Make Your Conference Experience More Successful January 5, 2010 by Jeff Hurt If you’re like me, you’re probably planning on attending at least one conference during the coming year. How do you prepare for your conference attendance? Do you make a list of goals or people that you want to meet before you attend? Or do you attend with a free spirit attitude and let spontaneity rule? … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , annual meeting, conference tips
