I Think We Cracked the Code on Digital Networking! June 1, 2021 by Sarah Michel If you missed our recent webinar on Cracking the Code on Digital Networking, you can watch it on-demand. It is well worth your time to learn from two masters: Amanda Kaiser (pictured, top right) and Arianna Rehak (pictured, bottom), co-founders of the 2021 Virtual Networking Incubator. We had a lot of ground to cover and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Hybrid & Virtual, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conference networking, connections, digital networking, hybrid conferences, hybrid networking, innovations in networking, virtual networking
[Webinar] INFLUENCE 2020, National Speakers Association Virtual Experience September 2, 2020 by Betsy Bair Meet the brains behind the design of the highly successful National Speakers Association’s INFLUENCE 2020 Virtual in August. Discover how they created memorable experiences, facilitated networking and delivered inspiring general sessions. Understand the strategy behind transforming a 3-day event into an 8-week virtual experience that launched their new digital vault. Hear testimonials from first-hand attendees–experts … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adult education, community, connections, Education, netowrking, virtual conference, webinar
Do You Really Have Them at Hello? Rethinking Your First-Timer Strategy November 6, 2019 by Sarah Michel One of my biggest pet peeves is the way some conferences approach first-time attendees. Being intentional and having a plan for how you welcome someone who is experiencing your conference for the first time is not only the right thing to do, it’s also a smart attendee acquisition strategy. It’s a pivotal time to onboard … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , connections, connexity networking, first-timer, first-timer event, onboarding, solo attendee
Cultivating A Conference Culture Of Community November 4, 2015 by Jeff Hurt To think about a conference is to think about community, networking, peer learning, food and table. In reality, if you are attending a conference and you are not getting hungry for more learning and peer sharing, that conference is missing the mark. Successful conferences provide ample opportunity for attendees to finger tasty ideas and feed … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , attendee experience, authentic community, community, conference best practices, connections, connexity, food and beverage, images, metaphors, narraphors, story sharing, table talk
Using The Power Of Stories To Transform Conference General Sessions July 27, 2015 by Jeff Hurt We are a story driven world. We are each a story wrapped in a skin says Dr. Leonard Sweet. When we begin to share our journeys, our stories intersect. Our conferences need to create more story people. We need to transition from speakers talking at audiences and experts telling their stories. We need to move … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , attendee experience, community, connections, connexity, general session, general sessions, images, metaphors, narraphors, neuroscience, stories, story people, story sharing, storytelling, table talk, unforgettable events
Morphing Attendees into Story People Through Narraphors and Frames July 21, 2015 by Jeff Hurt We are wired for stories. Every person you meet is a story wrapped in a skin says author, futurist and sociologist Dr. Leonard Sweet. As our lives intersect, so do our stories. We can encourage conference attendees to transition from story listeners to story sharers. Then our attendees become story people participating in a bigger … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , attendee experience, community, connections, connexity, general session, general sessions, images, metaphors, narraphors, neuroscience, stories, story people, story sharing, storytelling, table talk, unforgettable events
Treating Attendees As Human Beings Not Machines June 1, 2015 by Jeff Hurt Creating a conference culture of connection is a robust competitive advantage. One of the most powerful and often misunderstood aspects of successful conferences is authentically connecting with others. Too often our conference networking experiences disintegrate into ego driven, self-promotional, self-exploiting opportunities. It is irrational not to intentionally create conference experiences that nurture and promote authentic … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , community, conference best practices, connections, connexity, engagement, networking
Want To Help Your Attendees? Stop Calling It Networking! May 19, 2015 by Sarah Michel Attendees value the connections they make at your conference. It’s one of their most treasured intangible benefits of attendance. They come to your event looking for their people. They meet many of your attendees at receptions, meals, sessions and in the hallways. Unfortunately, many of those introductions are nothing more than empty interactions. They don’t … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , community, conference best practices, connections, connexity, engagement, networking, networthing
The Greatest Conference Story Never Told April 27, 2015 by Jeff Hurt It’s time to bring back the luncheon table at your next conference. When attendees break bread together at the table, community is born. It’s where the stories of our profession, our lives, our past and our future are shared, retold, relived and remembered. Too many conferences have made a catastrophic mistake. In the name of … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , attendee experience, community, connections, connexity, entrainment, food and beverage, images, metaphors, narraphors, neuroscience, stories, story sharing, storytelling, table talk, unforgettable events
You Need To Invest In This Primary Career Insurance Policy: Your Network September 24, 2014 by Sarah Michel When do you need a personal, social network the most? Think about that for a moment. When is your network of business professionals the most valuable to you? When you need a new job. Right?! That’s when most of us turn to our network of professional colleagues. The Dumped CEO Sitting across my desk was … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking Tagged With: , connections, network, networking
