Feeding Our Need For Community And Connection August 1, 2014 by Sarah Michel We’re living in a time where we’ve never been more connected with others than we are now. Yet most of us feel pretty disconnected from our personal and professional networks. Why? Because we were not hardwired for digital connection. We are wired for face-to-face connections. Maslow Had It Wrong: Connection Is A Primary Need You’ve … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , community, connections, connexity, emotional connection
Delivering Community And Connections at Conferences June 3, 2014 by Sarah Michel Does your conference have connexity? Not sure what that means? Or even if your conference has it? Well, the success of your face-to-face meetings depends on it! Connexity Happens When… Connexity happens when community and connecting collide! In a good way of course. Your attendees crave these two things: They want to connect with others … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference community, conferences, connections, connexity, sponsorship
Three Amen-Astonishing Ways To Improve Your Conference Networking April 21, 2014 by Dave Lutz Networking! It’s one of the top reasons participants say they attend your conference. Yet few know how to do it effectively. Give them a helping hand. Networking’s Value Proposition Networking can be the most subjective and variable portion of your conference value proposition. For some, one or two meaningful interactions can more than justify the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections
From Strangers To Friends: Bridging Attendee Loneliness With Conference Community April 1, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Everybody needs to know Somebody who cares. Just a friendly face You can trust to be there. Are you afraid to be known And not be a stranger? Everyone’s connected but no one is connecting The human element has long been missing Tell me, have you seen it? Have you seen it? Alone by Armin … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections, connexity, emotional connection
Five Colossal Rotten Ways To Torpedo Your Conference Growth March 19, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Very few of us want to see our conferences grow and expand. Right? Similarly, very few of us are willing to make changes to the conference agenda, planning process and attendee experience all in the name of growth. Right again! We do everything we can to avoid change. So if change is associated with conference … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , attendee growth, connections, connexity, growing attendance
The Neuroscience of Networking: Why Networking Matters To Your Conference February 18, 2014 by Jeff Hurt Your brain is passionate about one thing. So much so that when it is not thinking about a problem or focused on something specific, it defaults to doing this one thing. Neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Lieberman says that our brains have a passion of their own. “We know this because our brains seem to devote all … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, conferences, connections, connexity
How The Most Brain Friendly Conference Makes Attendee Networking A Priority November 14, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Quick, name the top two reasons people pay to attend conferences? No, it’s not the attractiveness of the destination, although it does help. Nor is it the opening, marquee speaker. (Two-thirds of recent responders to the 2013 Speaker Report: The Use Of Professional And Industry Speakers In The Meetings Market say that a big name … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections, connexity, networking
Creating Jostled Serendipitous Encounters For Your Conference Networking November 4, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Walking into the pre-convene area of a convention center for a conference, it shouldn’t take long to meet up with another person strolling through the same hallways. Right? Now imagine crossing that same pre-convene area filled with throngs of people. How long will it take for one to reach another person from the same conference? … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connections, networking
Smarter Attendees Make a Smarter Conference October 24, 2013 by Sarah Michel We have known for a while that networking is one of the top reasons people attend conferences. But who knew it actually makes them smarter? According to a new study published by Scientific American on 5 ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential networking was cited as one of the best ways to expose yourself to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conferences, connections, informal learning, networking
The Internet Is Changing Conference Learning. Are You? December 5, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Whether we like it or not, the Web has changed the way we view things. For example, we are accustomed to clicking to a new page when the current one is boring. We spend our time on Websites that give us the most satisfaction. During conferences, people have no problem with walking out of a … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, conference best practices, conference education, conferences, connections, engagement, networked learning, presentation best practices
