Put An End To Average, Status Quo, Ho-Hum, Boring Conference Education! May 13, 2011 by Jeff Hurt It’s time for conference organizers to mix it up and do things differently. I am so bored with the traditional conference format: opening general session in theater setting, followed by breakouts in theater or rounds, followed by lunch, followed by breakouts in theater or rounds, followed by reception or party. Really? Is that the best … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conferences, Education & Adult Learning, meeting planning best practices
The Engagement You Need Most At Your Meeting May 12, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Engagement is an overused two-dollar word that has been tossed around like cascarons (Mexican confetti filled Easter eggs). Everyone uses that word. Yet rarely is their consensus on what it is and how we get it. Is The Presentation Engaging? In the conference and meetings world, we struggle with defining and observing engagement during our … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conferences, engagement, meeting planning best practices, presentation best practices, presentation strategies
The Omnipresent Presentation: Does It Offer Good ROI? May 11, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Presentations are one of the most used and abused instructional methods. They are everywhere. Conferences, meetings, webinars, board rooms, seminars, workshops, exhibit halls, online learning. Worldwide, presentations are the most common method for training adults. (What’s The Use Of Lectures? by Donald Bligh). Most conferences rely 100% on lecture-based presentations. Show-And-Tell Revisited Remember show-and-tell from … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conferences, meeting planning best practices, presentation strategies, speaker
Conference Education: Moving From Learning Style Myths To Evidenced-Based May 10, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Meeting professionals are long overdue to retire learning style myths in favor of evidenced-based education. (So are ASAE and the Convention Industry Council-CIC-which promotes unscientific learning styles in the CMP Handbook!) It’s time for conference organizers to bridge the gap between learning research and practice. It’s time to bring the research into the conference planning for … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conference learning model, conferences, Education & Adult Learning, learn, learning, learning myths, meeting planning best practices
Are Conferences Flushing Education Dollars Down The Toilet? May 9, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Companies spent more than U.S. $125.88 billion in 2009 for training, including conference education. (ASTD 2010 State Of Industry Report) And less than 10% of what employees are taught sticks. (Influencer: The Power To Change Anything, VitalSmarts) That’s $113.29 billion dollars wasted, flushed down the toilet. What Really Matters The top two reasons people attend … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conference education, conferences, Education & Adult Learning, meeting planning best practices
Three Event Infographics On Conference Education And ROI May 6, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Here are three Infographics from Experient’s e4 2010 Conference. Modernizing Conference Education – 15 min, TED-Style talk as part of Summer Storms Building A Customized ROI Tool That Measures Results – Terri Breining’s 15 min, TED-Style talk as part of Summer Storms Developing Next Generation Conference Education Sessions – Cafe Session Images by GraphicFootprints. Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , active learning, active participation, brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, engagement, meeting planning best practices, ROI
Conference Audiences Expect These Things April 28, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Conference audiences of days gone by were satisfied with the gathering of colleagues, a mediocre experience and a few useful tips. Today’s audiences are more demanding and sophisticated. They expect to learn practical and useful information that solves their individual problems. They expect speaker presentations that are compelling and memorable. And they expect to be … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , audience expectations, conferences, meeting planning best practices, presentation strategies
Your Meeting Starts In Your Participants’ Mind April 27, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Want to make your meeting more successful? Help your meeting participants visualize its purpose and objectives before they arrive. It sounds so simple. Yet it is one of the most overlooked steps in conference and meeting planning. Meetings Start In Our Minds Your meeting starts in the imagination of your attendees. Regardless if it is … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conferences, meeting planner, meeting planning best practices
Three Effective Social Media Strategies April 15, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Out: Using Facebook pages and organization Twitter accounts to solely broadcast newsletters, press releases, announcements and sales. In: Using social media intentionally, integrated with all marketing channels and crossing organizational silos, to engage people. Who do we want to engage? People we already know. People we don’t know. From Loyalty To Acquisition Most social media … [Read more…] Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , association best practices, inbound marketing, meeting planning best practices, organization marketing, Web 2.0
Creating A Conference Pleasure Rush April 11, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Relevant conference content should be the crack cocaine of conference attendees. It should create euphoria, an alertness and extreme craving for more. The right content for the right audience can create a pleasure rush. When relevant content is presented within applicable context, attendees’ brains get juiced. It creates the conference pleasure principle! Stroking The … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, conferences, Education & Adult Learning, meeting industry trends, meeting planning best practices
