It seems to be a regular part of our normal life today — the personalization of content, programs, products and services. Yet, our conferences still serve up generic content for the masses. We Notice When Personalization Is Absent Recently I observed an annual conference committee meeting of a major association. Staff and volunteer leaders were … [Read more…]
Has your annual conference become predictable? Do attendees show up to the general session late because they know it starts with business for 20-30 minutes before the keynote? Predictable Meetings, Routine Conferences Predictable: behaving in a way that is expected and can be predicted; can be prophesied; can be foretold; to declare or indicate in … [Read more…]
“This year we are going to start engaging with more people via social media,” your boss says at the staff meeting. “We’re going to have a conference blog, a Twitter feed, a conference Facebook page and a Linkedin event. And I need each of you to contribute some weekly content.” Hearts drop. Eyes roll. Some … [Read more…]
Your conference’s social media presence is worthless unless you do something with it. It isn’t enough to have a conference blog, an event Facebook page, a conference YouTube channel, an event Twitter profile, a LinkedIn event or a multiplicity of other outposts in social media. Ok, perhaps it’s better than not having a presence at … [Read more…]
You are a liar. At least Seth Godin thinks so. In Seth Godin’s book, All Marketers Are Liars, Godin claims that marketers lie to consumers because consumers demand it. He says that customers don’t really need an organization’s products and services. They buy them because they want what the organization sells, because of the way … [Read more…]
While a journey is a road, not a destination, most meetings are about the destination not the road. Choosing the right destination is critical to a meetings’ success. Effective meting professionals focus on two key factors in the site selection process: Foretelling an organization’s meeting requirements and Evaluating a potential site’s ability to meet those … [Read more…]
Location, location, location. Three of the most important words in a meeting professional’s repertoire. The selection of a city and venue is a critical factor in the success of a meeting. Choose the wrong city and your potential attendees may not register. Choose the wrong venue location (airport, downtown, resort or suburb) and your attendees … [Read more…]
I’ve attended more than my share of conferences this year both as speaker and as attendee. Here are seven conference things that annoy the heck out of me! 1. Branded PowerPoint Templates For Speakers Really, I mean really! We know the name of your conference. We know what your brand looks like. Do you want to … [Read more…]
Nothing is the way it used to be. Little is the same. Not much is a sure thing. The convergence of the economy, society and technology has turned the old ways of doing things upside down. The old rules for success have changed. Your ability to learn new things and adapt mean the difference between … [Read more…]
I can’t get no conference satisfaction, I can’t get no conference satisfaction, ‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can’t get no, I can’t get no. When I’m sittin’ in your session and a man comes on the stage he’s tellin’ me more and more about some useless information … [Read more…]
