Stop networking at meetings
Conferences that Work
JULY 11, 2022
It’s time to stop networking at meetings. No, I’m not saying we should only listen to lectures at meetings.
Conferences that Work
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Building good habits: How I taught this old dog new tricks
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 31, 2022
Leonard Cohen wrote “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” One bright silver lining of the COVID pandemic is that it’s given me an opportunity to build good habits. Habits that I’ve struggled for years to create, because personal change isn’t easy.
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Improve meeting session learning with this simple tip!
Conferences that Work
JUNE 27, 2022
Want a simple way to improve meeting session learning? Provide a shared Google doc where all participants can take notes, ask questions, and get answers! Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Improve meeting session learning with this simple tip!
The real job of leadership
Conferences that Work
JUNE 13, 2022
What is the real job of leadership? Kevin Kelly provides this suggestion in this April 2022 post: “When you lead, your real job is to create more leaders, not more followers.” ” —Kevin Kelly, 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known.
Download 7 Exceptional Event Email Templates for Driving Attendee Engagement
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Scratching the surface
Conferences that Work
JUNE 6, 2022
Sometimes, it’s only at the end that we realize we’re just scratching the surface. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Scratching the surface appeared first on Conferences That Work. No related posts.
Two novel hybrid meeting formats
Conferences that Work
APRIL 18, 2022
I’ve been writing about hybrid meetings for a long time; my first post was in February 2010. The COVID19 pandemic created an explosion of interest in hybrid meetings, and the marketplace and event professionals are still defining what “hybrid” means. (No,
Competent logistics are the new meeting minimum
Conferences that Work
MARCH 28, 2022
I’m about to go on my first pre-con site visit since the Covid pandemic started over two years ago. My work at a pre-con is different from that of a typical meeting planner since I focus on the meeting’s design and facilitation.
Connection, attachment, and meetings
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 17, 2022
A teacher recently advised our daily meditation group to seek “connection free from attachment” This is a wise practice for me. But what does it mean in the context of meetings? Surely we sometimes become attached to people we meet? Isn’t creating and strengthening attachments one of the desirable functions of meetings? So what is the relationship between connection and attachment when people come together?
A class is a meeting
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
Though I don’t teach college anymore, I’m interested in educational class design because a class is a meeting. And much of what we can do to design great meetings is applicable to college classes too.
A Master's Guide to B2B: How Listening to Your Customers Can Grow Your Business
Speaker: Adam Dorfman, Head of Product Growth at Reputation & Michele Bettinazzi, Customer Experience Manager at PeakMade Real Estate
Improved marketing conversion, happy customers, and faster growth - that’s only three things that can be accomplished by just listening to your customers. Customer feedback is an extremely invaluable tool to keeping retention high, attracting new business, and improving the general operations of your business. The question is - how do you capture all this? Join Adam Dorfman, Head of Product Growth at Reputation & Michele Bettinazzi, Customer Experience Manager at PeakMade Real Estate, for this essential discussion on the ins and outs of brokering the optimal customer interaction.
Six fundamental ways to make a better conference
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 10, 2022
The other day, a client booked an hour with me to discuss how to make their conference better. Not much time, but enough for us to uncover and for me to suggest plenty of significant improvements.
COVID, duty of care, and the meeting industry
Conferences that Work
JULY 25, 2022
Event professionals: it’s time to talk about COVID, duty of care, and the meeting industry. Actually, we should all have been talking about this for the last couple of years, but better late than never. We’ve known since mid-2019 that COVID-19 spreads by airborne aerosol transmission.
Poll: Attendees want more engaging activities
Conferences that Work
FEBRUARY 14, 2022
I’m a longtime proponent of more engaging activities , participation , and connection around relevant content at events. Sometimes, I feel like I’m whistling in the wind. So I felt happy when I saw the following in a global poll by PCMA of 4,500 members of Generation Z.
My Top Digital Tools for Learning 2022
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 22, 2022
Since 2007, Jane Hart has compiled an annual Top Digital Tools for Learning List from the results of public surveys. Looking at the trends over time provides a useful overview of the tools that people are using to learn.
Negative Reviews & Online Feedback Happens - But Where Do You Go From Here?
Speaker: Adam Dorfman, Head of Product Growth at Reputation and Jeremy Shubitz, Director of Marketing at Bosley
Responding to online negative feedback can be challenging. What should you say? What should you not say? Should you even respond? In today's, your customers will be not only your biggest advocates but also your biggest critics. However, negative feedback can offer actionable insights to build a stronger product and customer experience.
Making event choices
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 15, 2022
All too often, clients planning an event don’t spend enough time making hard but important event choices. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Making event choices appeared first on Conferences That Work. No related posts.
Facilitating an online participation-rich workshop in Gatherly
Conferences that Work
MARCH 21, 2022
Earlier this month, the folks at Gatherly kindly invited me to host an event of my choosing for their clients and potential users. I decided to facilitate an online workshop in Gatherly that took full advantage of the platform.
My Seth Andrew story — a thief who got caught
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 8, 2022
Seth Andrew stealing funds in November 2019 (photo obtained from bank surveillance footage by Melody Shen, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation).
Event innovation, Disney, and souvenirs
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 24, 2022
Event innovation has to be more than giving attendees souvenirs. Seth Godin , writing about extending brands , points out that to be successful you need to create something that’s both additive and new. For example, he compares Disney’s development of Disneyland from its movies, versus Leica announcing a watch.
Dive Into Your Inventory Data (and Add Substantial Profits to Your Bottom Line)
Speaker: Ian Foster, Sculpture Hospitality Regional Director West Coast
In this seminar, Ian Foster will discuss the basics of inventory management, including tips on how to get inventory right and how to evaluate your food and pour costs. Ian will examine the best ordering practices from our clients. Finally, he’ll share some case studies showing how well designed inventory control can uncover hidden losses from over-pouring and lost sales that will result in several thousand dollars of extra profit every month.
What meeting planners who support women’s rights can do
Conferences that Work
JUNE 30, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. 58% of U.S. women of reproductive age live in states hostile to abortion rights. Meanwhile, six out of 10 Americans — 61 percent — say they support abortion rights. What can meeting planners who support women’s rights do?
Did anyone learn anything?
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
The meeting is over. Did anyone learn anything? And how would you know? An EventTech Chat discussion.
Make the meeting bigger!
Conferences that Work
JANUARY 10, 2022
Most of the event industry and our clients continue to assume that if you can make the meeting bigger it’s a good thing. It ain’t necessarily so. How we got here. The massive disruption of in-person events since March 2020 has shaken our industry to the core.
Focus on learning, not education
Conferences that Work
DECEMBER 6, 2021
For better meetings, we need to focus on learning, not education. Yes, sometimes, cultural or professional “requirements” mean we have to provide education. That’s so we can “certify” that we’ve educated attendees to some prescribed standard.
Maximize Your Profit Margins
Speaker: Shawn Imbeault and Geoff Loukes, Sculpture Hospitality
In the past year, we've learned that maximizing margins can determine whether your restaurant stays afloat when times get hard. Join Shawn Limbeault and Geoff Loukes, in this master class that will take you through the best practices of maximizing your margins, From FOH to BOH.
These aren’t the unconferences you’re looking for
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 4, 2021
I’m noticing that event promoters are increasingly using the word “ unconference ” to describe traditional conferences. <Sigh> <Sigh> Please stop doing this! There’s a big difference between unconferences and traditional events.
Five ways explicit communication improves meetings
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 13, 2022
When we get together and talk there are sometimes things best left unsaid. But often, explicit communication — saying or writing what’s needed to guide or influence desired behavior — improves matters over staying silent or beating around the bush.
Lessons I learned from an online workshop
Conferences that Work
MAY 16, 2022
I recently ran a workshop , hosted by the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Society of Association Professionals (CSAE), on the design of participation-rich events. Here are the lessons I learned from this online workshop. Note: This event was a workshop , not a presentation.
Are in-person events COVID safe?
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
September 2021 — Are in-person events COVID safe?
Restaurant Management Masterclass
Speaker: Harlan Scott, Founder of Harlan Scott Hospitality and Industry Restaurant
Due first to necessary staffing cuts, extreme safety protocols, and now the need to rehire against outsized government stimulus, unemployment benefits and wage requirements, managing and staffing have become the most urgent conversation in restaurants today. This, adding on to the lynch-pin management style restaurants often have, has made restaurant cultures more vulnerable and volatile than ever. If your restaurant is suffering from cut staff, low morale, or ineffective training, you've come to the right place. Join Harlan Scott of Harlan Scott Hospitality, learn how to get back in control of your restaurant and your operation back on autopilot.
The fairest rules for meetings
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 8, 2021
What are the fairest rules to use when running meetings? This might seem like an odd question. You might ask, “Fair to whom?” ” or, “What do you mean by fair?”
Working with suppliers and practitioners at meetings
Conferences that Work
APRIL 11, 2022
Over the years I’ve designed and facilitated hundreds of meetings. One of the most common issues I address that is rarely acknowledged openly is the tension between the wants and needs of suppliers and practitioners at meetings.
Free online Participate Lab — May 11, 2022
Conferences that Work
APRIL 25, 2022
A rare opportunity! Hosted by CSAE Manitoba , this free one-hour online Participate Lab will introduce you to the design of participation-rich events through the direct experience of participatory meeting techniques and formats.
The meeting industry new normal – Part 3
Conferences that Work
FEBRUARY 28, 2022
The old meeting industry normal is long over, and many event professionals are still hoping and waiting for a new normal. In October 2020 I wrote two posts [1 , 2 ] about what a meeting industry new normal might look like. As I write, two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world and the event industry. It’s time to take another look. How have my predictions held up? And what does the future hold? Looking back.
A Masterclass in Restaurant Digital Transformation
Speaker: Jay Coldren, Alex Barrow, and Greer Kimsey, Street Sense Team
Behaviorists say it takes 21 days to solidify a habit. 365 days of quarantine later, it's safe to say that our customers will be keeping some quarantine habits. At the center of these habits is the digital world: online ordering, advertising, booking, reviewing, etc. It will become essential for restaurants to create omni-channel experiences for customers, and to market them effectively. Join Jay Coldren and his team in this masterclass to learn the tactics for dominating the digital restaurant sphere.
How to provide new experiences at meetings
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
How can we provide new experiences at meetings? Not new F&B, decor, or glitz. Something deeper. Here’s a story…. A memorial service. Last month, I staffed an online memorial service for E, a friend who died tragically, at age 42, of breast cancer.
Movement
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 3, 2022
Read the full article at Conferences That Work. No related posts. life lessons change gratitude movement
Who has more power, a consultant or a janitor?
Conferences that Work
MAY 9, 2022
Picture the renowned senior consultant breezing into the gleaming corporate HQ of Fortune 500 MegaCorp, for a well-paid gig advising C-suite executives.
An affordable air quality tool for meeting planners
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 18, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the in-person meeting industry.
Restrictions Into Opportunities: How to Make Your Restaurant Succeed
Speaker: Patrick Cottrell and Joe English
Whether your state allows outdoor dining, takeout only, or a little bit of both, we're here to help. Join Patrick Cottrell and Joe English from Sculpture Hospitality, for a webinar on Jan. 26th, and get your restaurant to thrive in face of pandemic restrictions
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