Conference Lessons You Can Learn From Apple December 3, 2012 by Jeff Hurt I walked into the newly expanded Apple Store at Knox Henderson on the day of the release of the next version of the iPhone. I hesitated at first thinking it would be packed with crowds but my iPhone was stuck in the middle of an upgrade. I needed help and I needed it fast. There … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference marketing, conferences, content marketing
Developing Conference Education That Provides Solutions To Customers’ Needs November 15, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Are you treating your conference attendees like commodities? Often conference organizers aim to make more revenue from their event. They are so focused on strategies and tactics to increase their profit that they risk damaging the one thing that makes them unique: their relationship with attendees. Conferences Should… Jeffrey Cufaude reminded me of the fragile … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, target market
Three More Reasons Why Your Conference Should Leverage Social Media November 14, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Silos belong on farms, not your conference strategic plans. Unfortunately, most of us are familiar with the traditional company departmental silo model. As is your conference planning process! We work, live and breathe in silos on a daily basis. Social Media Streamlines Silos So it is with social media. It is often compartmentalized into one … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, social media for events, social technology for events
Identifying And Segmenting The Conference Target Audience November 9, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Is the goal of your annual meeting to make revenue for your organization? If it is, then are you attracting the right customer to your event? Show Me The Money Some associations with significant tradeshows make 60%-70% of their revenue from exhibit booth sales. Another 10%-20% of their revenue comes from sponsorships and advertising. The … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, market segmentation, target market
Understanding The Power Of Your Target Attendee November 8, 2012 by Jeff Hurt When you are involved in planning all of the conference’s logistics and programming, it is very easy to feel as if you are in a position of power. You’re the one who decides who will present. You’re the one who decides when a meal function will occur. You’re the one who decides what content is … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, market segmentation, target market
Want To Make Conference Learning Stick? Try Gamification! November 7, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Want to make your conference education more fun and memorable? Then maybe you should consider gamification. Simply put, gamification is the use of game mechanics to make learning and instruction more fun and to increase retention. Learning And Gamification Make A Great Team Coupling gamification and learning: gives an experience meaning provides a set of … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conferences, Gamification
Gamification Needs These Nine Game Fundamentals To Increase Engagement, Adoption And Success November 1, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Gamification. It’s a weird word for sure. It includes the word game that many of us know from our own childhood experiences. So does gamification mean more organizations should embrace games like Go Fish, Kerplunk, Life, Monopoly, Poker, Solitaire and UNO? Well, sort of. It means that game fundamentals can apply to education, instruction, learning … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Technology, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, conference best practices, conferences, Gamification
Is Your Conference Primarily Focused On Speakers Or Attendees? October 29, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Is your conference primarily focused on speakers? Is it so focused on speakers that it’s become a conference of speakers speaking to other speakers because no one else attends the education sessions? Maybe you’re saying, “No, my conference is focused on attendees!” How To Tell If Your Conference Focus Is Speakers Or Attendees Here’s how … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , adult education, adult learning, adult learning principles, adult learning strategies, andragogy, conference best practices, conference education, conferences
Now Proven! Using Twitter At Conferences Increases Attendee Engagement October 23, 2012 by Jeff Hurt It’s official! Research now shows that when people use Twitter during classes, they are more engaged and learn more. We can now stop debating the issue. And all the naysayers who find Twitter use during an education session distracting can stop their diatribes against Twitter. The proof is in the Twitteracy (Twitter-literacy). Twitteracy: Tweeting Improves … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, twitter, Twitter for events
Creating Conference Engagement With These Seven Social Spaces October 22, 2012 by Jeff Hurt People participate in a variety of behaviors at a typical conference. They enter the conference with specific expectations of what they can do at the event, who they can do it with and what’s expected of them. So how often do we plan conferences with a focus on the behaviors and types of spaces that … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning, attendee engagement, conference best practices, conferences, engagement, meeting space, participatory class, participatory conferences, participatory culture
