Let’s face it. Most conference education is lackluster. Actually, most of it stinks, is dull and could be used to line bird cages. Generally, our customers say they attend conferences and meetings to learn and network. Yet, we as conference organizers continue to do the same things we’ve always done when planning our meetings–focus on … [Read more…]
When was the last time you ordered something in a restaurant and the wait staff brought you the wrong dish? Go ahead and think about that for a minute. You’re probably thinking, “Uh-h, when was the last time that happened? Where was I?” French Onion Soup, Cheese Fondue And Mushroom Crepes It happened to me … [Read more…]
On June 15, at the PCMA Education Conference 2010, I saw Scott Klososky present how to use social technologies in the seven stages of event planning. The title of his presentation was “A Blueprint For Socially Augmented Events.” Scott’s presentation was mind boggling, thought-provoking and progressive. He laid it all on the line and challenged … [Read more…]
Have you ever watched the cartoon Pinky and The Brain produced by Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation? Genetically-enhanced laboratory mice, Pinky and Brain are caged in the Acme Labs research facility. Brain is egotistical and devious. Pinky is cheerful and dim-witted. Each episode starts with Brain devising a new plan to take over the … [Read more…]
14 Presentation Techniques That Encourage Maximum Learning, Participation And Memory Retention Today, many conference attendees will no longer tolerate the same old lectures, the conference committee’s poorly-planned-everything-for-everyone-panel or sessions that have no real meaning to their work. Younger generations will not endure classes that could have been learned at their desks in 30 minutes and … [Read more…]
Most conference organizers see attendees as consumers of the conference’s content and experience. Little thought is given to seeing attendees as active participants in their own learning and experience. Here are eight conference presentation myths that hamstring most attendees’ learning that conference organizers should avoid. Myth 1: There is one single educational approach such as a … [Read more…]
Walk into most annual conference sessions and what do you see? What do you hear? You’ll probably hear and see the same thing in each room. One voice talking at a time. A speaker or panelist at the front of the room talking to a group of attendees. The attendees are sitting theater style facing … [Read more…]
Who is planning, facilitating and managing the attendee’s experience at your conference and events? Is it the job of the meeting professional? The education or marketing departments? The conference organizers? The attendee? Often no one person or group that is involved in organizing the meeting is actually taking a holistic approach to facilitating the attendee’s … [Read more…]
Recently I wrote Two Reasons Why Crowdsourcing Your Conference Content Won’t Work. In that post, I referred to organizations that were using crowdsourcing as a voting platform to source their conference topics, speakers and sessions. These organizations were not using crowdsourcing in its purest form as a distributed problem-solving and production model. It was strictly … [Read more…]
Leaving no conference attendee brain behind. It’s the new motto of the 21st century conference organizer…that is, if you want to get them back next year. It’s time for associations and corporations to address the root cause of the conference learning crisis: a limited understanding of successful adult learning. Andragogy – How Adults Learn Malcolm … [Read more…]
