Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

For over thirty years I’ve been making clients’ conferences significantly better, for about the cost of a conference coffee break. I make conferences better by dramatically increasing attendee satisfaction. Since 1992, I’ve designed and facilitated hundreds of conferences and thousands of meetings.

2024 202

2024 Conference Meeting Design Speakers 202

Gallus Events

MARCH 22, 2016

At the end of February we supported Practically Perfect PA to run their second “Assist Conference” They reached their target of 100 PAs just a few days before the date of the conference, and everyone was delighted to have sold out the event. The five keys to great conference content. And the reason?

Conference 173

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Fashion 173

Conferences that Work

APRIL 9, 2018

Over the last five years I’ve heard increasing concern from the meeting professionals community about the deterioration of the quality of our national industry conferences. I’ll illustrate with the area where I have most experience: providing education at these meetings.

Education 185

Education Meetings 2006 2012 185

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 10, 2017

In order to design relevant education and networking experiences at our conferences, we need to be focused to the point of obsession with our target audience. Over the past 18 months, we’ve carefully scrubbed and analyzed the attendance of 20 major conferences. Who has the professional development budget to attend every year?

Conference 288

Conference Education 2017 Speakers 288

Gallus Events

APRIL 18, 2017

There is no such thing as the “perfect” conference programme. Every programme should reflect the slight differences in the audience; those delivering the content; the physical space in which the meeting takes place; the budget, and a good few other aspects too! Conference Programme Template. Add some meeting design.

Conference 140

Conference Meeting Design 2017 Sponsorships 140

Gallus Events

MARCH 22, 2016

At the end of February we supported Practically Perfect PA to run their second “Assist Conference” They reached their target of 100 PAs just a few days before the date of the conference, and everyone was delighted to have sold out the event. The five keys to great conference content. And the reason?

Conference 100

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Fashion 100

Gallus Events

MAY 18, 2017

Networking at conferences is always one of the top three reasons that attendees give for attending a conference. This is something very different from the networking that we casually think about: you know, the random meetings over coffee or picking up the delegate pack. Why is structured networking missing from many conferences?

Conference 187

Conference Conference Networking Technology Meeting Design 187

EventMB

AUGUST 9, 2017

Speakers have an important role at conferences because they not only need to share learning, we need them to connect, interact and engage with attendees to make a strong impact. The post 12 Engagement and Presentation Ideas To Give Your Speakers by EventMB Team appeared first on [link]. Traditional presentations […].

Speakers 148

Speakers Conference Meeting Design Meetings 148

Gallus Events

APRIL 24, 2017

What “traditional” ways are there to stop your conference delegates leaving early? Perhaps it’s your KEYNOTE / best speaker wrapping up the day. If you are running a traditional style conference then doing some of the things I’ve suggested above would be a good idea. appeared first on Gallus Events.

Conference 153

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Venues 153

Conferences that Work

JULY 31, 2017

Although I have good reasons to champion meeting designs where the participants get to choose what they want and need to discuss and learn rather than a program committee , there is invariably a place for some predetermined presentations at conferences. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

Meetings 196

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Speakers 196

Event Industry News

OCTOBER 21, 2021

The Association of Event Venues (AEV) has announced that Samme Allen, speaker, event designer and founder of conferenceemcees.com, will be hosting its annual conference on Friday 26 November 2021 at the Business Design Centre (BDC), London, with the theme ‘Disruption: the new norm.’.

2021 69

2021 Conference Sustainability Meeting Design 69

Hubilo Blog

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Why have a keynote speaker at your event? The sole idea of organizing any business event or a conference is to engage with your audience and build a strong brand by providing value by the means of sharing knowledge, insights or present compelling stories. This where you need keynote speakers at your event or conference.

Speakers 101

Speakers Consulting Healthcare Financial 101

Hubilo Blog

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Why have a keynote speaker at your event? The sole idea of organizing any business event or a conference is to engage with your audience and build a strong brand by providing value by the means of sharing knowledge, insights or present compelling stories. This where you need keynote speakers at your event or conference.

Speakers 98

Speakers Healthcare Consulting Financial 98

Event Industry News

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

The meetings, events and incentives community will come together this week to make valuable business connections, learn and network as The Meetings Show returns. Here are some of the highlights of The Meetings Show 2021: Inspiring exhibitors. Quality hosted buyers. Education, education, education. Tomorrow’s Talent.

Meetings 83

Meetings Tourism 2021 Sustainability 83

Conferences that Work

JULY 24, 2017

So you’re holding a conference. Read the full article at Conferences That Work. The Solution Room—a powerful conference session There’s been a lot of interest in The Solution Room, a session that I co-facilitated last July at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress in Orlando, Florida.

Conference 180

Conference 2011 Education Meetings 180

Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2019

This (slightly edited) interview by JT Long appeared in the March 2019 issue of Smart Meetings Magazine. What led to writing the book, Conferences that Work ? I invented the format by accident 26 years ago when there were no expert speakers to invite for a conference on administrative computing issues in small schools.

2014 244

2014 2019 Conference Meeting Design 244

SmartMeetings

MARCH 11, 2021

Today, meeting and event planners are pressed to do more with less while being expected to raise the bar on experiences year-over-year. In addition, they’re asked to achieve a variety of goals for a range of stakeholders and prove the value of their meetings or events. Define how the meeting will drive results. Phillips, Ph.D.,

Meetings 110

Meetings Speakers Consulting Events 110

Gallus Events

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

In February Gallus Events organised the fourth annual conference for Europe’s largest blog for Personal Assistants “Practically Perfect PA” Attracting over 150 attendees to the physical event in London and over 100 watching online, we created an event that was very different from any other conference for Assistants.

Conference 150

Conference Venues Speakers Hotels 150

PCMA Convene

APRIL 4, 2019

The appetite for experiential tours among those who come to Portland for meetings and conventions has grown noticeably in the last two years, Morgan said. So much so, that she predicts that the days when business travelers see only see the inside of their hotels, moving from conference room to hotel room and back again, will soon be history.

Meeting Design 40

Meeting Design Meetings Food and Beverage Hotels 40

PCMA Convene

JANUARY 6, 2020

The editors of Convene looked back over 2019, asking this question: What’s one meeting and event trend on my radar in 2020? A conference rolled out plans for an all-women speaker lineup. That order gets even taller when it comes to reflecting diversity in a speaker lineup. Why I Have My Eye on AI.

2020 128

2020 Meetings 2019 Sustainability 128

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Let’s look at these three conclusions in the context of meeting design. Most meeting presenters still lecture. And most meeting session presenters resort to lecturing as their dominant session modality. Superstar lecturers and motivational speakers. ” College students are the focus of this research.

2012 213

2012 Speakers Education 2019 213

GEVME

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Take a look at the following picture of a trade fair back in 1979: National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association Conference & Trade Show 1979. Same goes for meetings format. Most of the meetings today are still about people sitting down and listening to one or more speakers. Sure, what people wear has changed.

Trade Shows 156

Trade Shows 2019 Speakers Meeting Design 156

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

Meetings don’t look how they used to. Today, planners are racing to adapt to trends that make conferences and events more engaging and dynamic than ever before. But when it comes to trends, where should meeting industry professionals put their focus? Here are five meeting industry trends that are changing the game.

Meetings 157

Meetings 2016 Trade Shows Social Media 157

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

Change is imminent — and in the meetings industry, it’s upon us. While the shifts are plentiful, there are five that stand out from the fold when it comes to modern event design. Here’s how the meetings industry is changing the game. With that, they’re also now the largest pool of potential meeting attendees.

Meetings 158

Meetings 2016 Trade Shows Social Media 158

PCMA Convene

AUGUST 1, 2019

Attendees who want more from their meetings don’t want to sit and listen passively to a formal presentation. Welcome to the era of disrupted meetings, in good company with other industries and institutions whose established norms are being taken down to the studs. They have expectations of involvement. FLIPPED LEARNING.

Meetings 85

Meetings 2017 Meeting Design Speakers 85

Endless Events

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

Care to join us for some stimulating conversation about multi-hub meetings? Everyone who works in the event industry knows the power of meetings. And who says we have to stop at single-hub meetings? An entrepreneur since he was only 18 years old, Maarten has over 35 years of experience in meeting design.

Meetings 70

Meetings 2012 Event Tech Tech 70

Slido

OCTOBER 15, 2018

How many times have you reached into your creative ideas shelf when planning a conference and realized you’ve used all the usual session formats way too often? The Newlywed Game meets live polls At Pulse 2018 , we came across a creative panel idea that quickly pulled people in and enlivened the audience.

Conference 75

Conference Speakers 2018 Meetings 75

Slido

OCTOBER 30, 2018

A good icebreaker at the onset of your conference can set the tone for your event, boost audience engagement and create the right conditions for networking. But before you dive into planning one for your conference, keep these three things in mind: Set a clear goal Know what you want to achieve with your icebreaker. Do you have a pet?

Conference 80

Conference Speakers Meeting Design 2016 80

PCMA Convene

JUNE 1, 2017

Attendees who want more from their meetings don’t want to sit and listen passively to a formal presentation. Welcome to the era of disrupted meetings, in good company with other industries and institutions whose established norms are being taken down to the studs. They have expectations of involvement.

Meetings 103

Meetings Meeting Design Speakers Tech 103

Gallus Events

JULY 1, 2019

And the best way to get a grip of texturising content is to look at the principles of meeting design. I know that the idea of scaling the “meeting design” mountain can seem daunting. If you are designing a physical or an online event these simple tips will set you right.

2019 113

2019 Meeting Design Speakers Meetings 113

PCMA Convene

AUGUST 4, 2022

Re-Think MS, a multi-hub, one-day medical conference organized by AIM Group International, was broadcast from a main studio to 13 sites across Italy. Nine expert speakers (one remote) broadcast training sessions from the main studio in Rome, with 180 remote participants. Courtesy of AIM Group International). Barbara Sambugaro.

Conference Design 98

Conference Design Hotels Conference Hospitality 98

Conferences that Work

APRIL 8, 2019

1992: I organize a conference where there are no expert speakers available (it’s a new field, there are no experts). Invent a way to make the conference successful based on the collective needs, wants, and experience of the attendees. The conference has run continually for the last 27 years.) This is something new.

2005 147

2005 2009 Consulting Conference 147

Conferences that Work

MARCH 21, 2022

This coming June will mark my 30th year of designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich meetings. So I designed the workshop as an “ Ask Adrian Anything ” about meeting design and facilitation. I’ve shared the why? and the details of how I typically run this format here.

Meetings 348

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Speakers 348

Gallus Events

APRIL 21, 2017

And you have meeting rooms with this view. If event planners want meetings to deliver value to their attendees, they have to stop using meeting rooms like this. If venues really want to run great meetings they have to give more thought to the spaces they create. Really, what were you thinking? I mean, come on! Venue Fail.

Venues 140

Venues Hotels Meeting Design Speakers 140

Gallus Events

MAY 11, 2020

As one of my speakers said during my last online event: “to get to the next level you will have to pay at the next level” Everyone is heading online……… So here they are: The five best online training courses for online events. The meeting design institute have been pioneering hybrid events for as long as I have.

Meeting Design 225

Meeting Design Events Speakers Management 225

Event Industry News

JANUARY 9, 2018

Some meeting designers are starting to give up on speakers because speakers can’t seem to get interaction embedded in their presentations. The post FRESH Conference 2018: Pitbull Session sinks teeth into interaction appeared first on Event Industry News. In comes the Pitbull Session. A Pitbull […].

2018 40

2018 Conference Meeting Design Speakers 40

PCMA Convene

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

The multi-hub format, with multiple connected venues like this meeting with 18 hubs in Spain, combines the benefits of both. As efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus by restricting travel ripple across the globe, a growing number of event organizers are opting to move meetings online as an alternative to canceling them.

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Consulting 2020 Meeting Design Travel 100