You Need These Six Actions At Your Next Conference May 8, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Do you design your conference meeting space with participants’ behaviors and actions in mind? Or do you design meeting space based on what is the most efficient and not necessarily the most effective? Regardless, you have the unique ability to motivate and stimulate your participants’ specific behaviors during your event. Orienting The Room For Specific … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , collaboration, conference best practices, conferences, horizontal peer learning, meeting planning best practices, meeting professional, peer-to-peer
New Movies Have Preview Trailers: What Does Your Upcoming Conference Education Have? April 26, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Does your conference education have coming attraction previews? No, not those stale electronic and printed marketing pieces with descriptions, bios and pictures. Does your organization provide smart, savvy, provocative short video clips of upcoming education designed to attract buyers? The Movie Trailer Promotion When you go to the movies, the first 10-15 minutes before the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conference marketing, conferences, event marketing, meeting planning best practices
Creating Conference Meeting Space For Innovation And Collaboration April 25, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Walk into any space and consciously or not, that space tells us about how to respond. We internally feel what we are supposed to do there. We read the physical environment like we read another person’s emotions. The context of the space determines what we do there. Space Matters Space is the body language of … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , collaboration, conference best practices, conferences, horizontal peer learning, meeting planning best practices, meeting professional, peer-to-peer
Old Conference Education Memes Die Hard April 18, 2012 by Jeff Hurt What does it mean to learn at a conference? What tools does it take for learning to be successful in that environment? Most people say that successful learning occurs when a speaker presents to an audience. It requires a subject matter expert (SME) or panel of SMEs, research, content and a lecture. It must have … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, brain science education, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conference education, learning, meeting planning best practices, presentation best practices
Are You A Risky RFP Abuser? April 12, 2012 by Dave Lutz Our profession is at risk. More small meetings, shorter lead times and RFP abuse are on a collision course for commoditizing our industry. It shouldn’t be commoditized! Hotels react by throwing technology and lower-level sales professionals against the problem. The model is not sustainable. Group Meetings Are Big Business Even a small meeting of 25 … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, hotel group sales, meeting planning best practices, meeting professionals, RFP, securing meeting venues
Becoming Conference Brain Changers April 10, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Never in society have we known so much about how our brains operate and how we learn. Today, we know what to do to foster successful learning at our conferences and events. Becoming A Brain Changer Research in cognitive neuroscience or mind, brain and education science is providing exciting new insights into how the brain … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult, brain science education, brain-friendly conferences, conference best practices, conferences, meeting planning best practices
11 Audiovisual Negotiating Tips For Meeting Success April 6, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Registration, room-blocks, ground and air transportation, accommodations, food, beverage, contracts, speakers, insurance, decor, meeting space, room capacities, ballrooms, schedules, room layouts, floor plans, contractors, union labor and much, much more. These are just some of the ingredients needed to put on a great meeting. Of course, we can’t forget that we need attendees, speakers, sponsors … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , audiovisual, AV, conference best practices, meeting planner, meeting planning best practices, meeting professional
Why You Should Not Hire A Speaker That Will Alienate Part Of Your Audience April 4, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Learning is a fragile thing. It is a biological process that happens in the brain. Provide the wrong stimulus and the brain responds by shutting down the learning process and instead protecting the human body. In order for people to learn something, their basic needs have to be met first. They must feel like the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, general sessions, meeting planning best practices, Speaker Emerging Practices
Why Risky Conference Speakers Can Lead To Failed Learning April 3, 2012 by Jeff Hurt What do well-informed town halls and WWE’s “Friday Night SmackDown” have in common? A lot more than you would think. In 2009, both Friday Night SmackDown and healthcare town halls were sold out. Both witnessed a staged, well-rehearsed, public feud that was more about sensationalism than fact. During those healthcare town halls, two opposing sides … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, general sessions, meeting planning best practices, Speaker Emerging Practices
Why Do We Start Conferences With General Sessions? April 2, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Most conferences kickoff with an opening general session. Why? What’s the point? What’s the purpose of a general session? Back To Presentation Basics What’ the purpose of a speaker for any presentation? Nancy Duarte, author of Resonate says it best, Presentations are most commonly delivered to persuade an audience to change their minds or behavior. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, general sessions, meeting planning best practices, speaker, Speaker Emerging Practices
