The Insiders Event Planning Guide To Beating Conference Fatigue

Ask yourself: Have your audiences experienced conference fatigue and can’t bear to see one more PowerPoint presentation or worse still participate in a dry monthly hour long conference call?

Have they had enough travelling all the way to a venue three hrs away when they feel that they could have learnt more reading a memo and would have preferred the option to watch the presentation on-line?

The 7 commandments to an engaging event…

1. Know Your Audience – Do research and ensure that your event adds value. Why not ask the audience when they register for the top 3 topics they want covered throughout the day or any burning questions? Most events cover this in the feedback post event when it’s already too late!  It is helpful and advantageous to know the mind set of the audience in advance. It is better to face any issues and address this from the opening speech. Issues raised, such as de-motivation amongst staff due to recent redundancies, can be opened up from the outset with a pre-emptive positive response by the chief executive.

 2. Set clear objectives and goals for your event within the wider scope of your communications strategy. Think! What would people miss out on if it never took place? Never have a meeting just for the sake of it – this really is bad publicity. Choose another avenue of conveying the message and break the routine!

 
 

3. What is the best platform to communicate and engage? A plethora exists! Be it an event, video or on-line forum to name but a few. 

4. Or a tailored combination may be in order to ensure wider attendance and maximise reach and raise your profile.

 5.Two-way communication is essential. This maximises audience participation through careful programme development, motivational / high profile speakers and creative production. No constant talking heads!

7. Leave audiences wanting more! If your event usually lasts a full day then change it to a half day or hourly compact session with engaging content – Remember less is usually more! Be flexible and maximise communication opportunities. Provide video archive or edited highlights on your website so all those that missed it can catch-up. Fuel further interaction post-event with live chat room with our on-line polls and message board.

Finally, don’t forget to embrace feedback – Instead of lengthy evaluation forms use modern voting and texting technology to gage responses and facilitate priorities in a fun manner. Results/conclusions can be used to inform future events. Or if on a lower budget, do on-line evaluation / analysis with prize draw as an incentive.