There’s a place for sponsored content in conference programs, if you’re thoughtful in your approach. The seventh of the TED Commandments — “Thou shalt not sell from the stage: neither thy company, thy goods, thy writings, or thy desperate need for funding; lest thou be cast aside into outer darkness” — is especially timely advice. Why? As more sponsors embrace content marketing or thought leadership as arguably the most powerful strategy for improving attitudes and perceptions of their brand, … [Read more...]
Avoiding Personal Agendas and Pay-to-Play In The Speaker Review Process
We’ve seen it happen in almost every organization where we assessed their speaker review process. Someone on the conference committee blackballs a great presentation or speaker. Or someone approves a presentation proposal and speaker that has had poor scores in the past. Why does this happen? Conference committee members put personal agendas and friendships above what is in the best interest of the paying attendee. The Primary Focus When Reviewing Presentation Proposals Staff and … [Read more...]