Tag: engagement


Modernizing Conference Education

With all the advancements in society and research on how the brain works, why is it that most conference education still provides talking heads and passive listeners? Is that best for your attendees? Here is the PowerPoint from a short 12-minute TED-style presentation that I gave at Experient’s 2010 e4 conference in Orlando, FL. Enjoy. Modernizing … [Read more…]

Thinking About How Conference Meeting Design Impacts The Brain

The things that make you go hmmm. I’ve been reading a lot of books recently about how our brains experience emotions, engagement and learning, and how we remember, retain and apply information. I’ve been thinking about the application of cognitive neuroscience to conferences, events and meetings. These are the things that make me go hmmm. … [Read more…]

Weigh In On What Do We Call Them?

In a recent blog post I asked Registrant, Attendee, Participant Or Learner? What do we call people who attend a conference or event? As a recap, here are the definitions of those words and I’ve added delegate to the discussion as well. The differences are subtle yet articulate distinct responses and actions. Registrant – one … [Read more…]

Registrant, Attendee, Participant Or Learner?

Words, words, words. They are everywhere. Billboards, blogs, books, Facebook, menus, movies, internet, LinkedIn, magazines, newspapers, roadway signs, screens, social media, smart phones, television, Twitter and websites to name a few. Words are rapped, shouted, spoken and sung. Some are believed, felt and trusted. Some are disputed, doubted and cause negative emotions. Some words dance, … [Read more…]

We Participate, Therefore We Are

This spin on cogito ergo sum (English: “I think, therefore I am”) could possibly be a good motto for all conferences and events. Social Learning We participate, therefore we are. Our learning, understanding and knowledge are developed in participation with others. Social learning occurs through conversations about the content and through grounded interactions and engagement … [Read more…]

Three Ways To Upgrade Reekin’ Stinkin’ Conference Education And Help Your Presenters Practice Their Craft

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…]

NASA Is Looking For Signs Of Life…At Your Conference

The National Adult Survival Association (NASA) has decided to send the next generation of land rovers to your annual meeting. These rovers have more robust and hyper-sensitive life detecting systems than the traditional conference evaluation smile sheets.  NASA is looking for signs of life…at your conference. NASA’s researchers have documented that your conference had life … [Read more…]

Engineering Education Strategies For Next Generation Conferences And Events – Wrap Up

On June 14, 2010, at PCMA’s Education Conference at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, I facilitated a discussion about the changes of learning in the digital age and their impact on conference education. We discussed these six principles of designing next generation sessions for today’s conferences. Conference education 1. Should transition from passive listening to … [Read more…]

Eight Tips To Encourage Participation, Intimacy, Community In Your Conferences And Events

When was the last time you visited a museum? Nina Simon‘s Complicity, Intimacy, Community post about fostering personal relationships with visitors in small and large spaces brought back a flood of memories of some of my museum experiences. You should read it and then come back here. Go ahead, I’ll be here when you finish. … [Read more…]