Tag Archives: event

April 19, 2011

Breaking out of TV-Mode

The Engaging Events Series, Part 1

Here’s a simple question for you: why do people come to events?
To help answer that question, I’m going to ask you another: Take a minute and think back. What are your personal favorite events, out of all the ones you’ve ever been to? Your answers might be different depending on the type of event—you might have a favorite social event, a performance of some sort, or maybe it’s the most memorable conference you’ve ever been to. Or think about the best course you ever took in school (every class is an event, no?), one that you really got into and, probably, took the most from. In all of these cases, what was it that made these events most memorable, even years later?

I’m going to take a guess: I bet it’s because you got deeply engaged in whatever activity was taking place and because of that, you threw yourself into it—using your brain, of course, but possibly also your emotions and maybe even your body, or all three at the same time. And you took from it an experience that still comes to mind despite the time that has passed.

I’ve been a college professor for over twenty years now, and one of the things I dread most is a class (my audience, you might say) where the students go into what I call “TV-mode”. TV-mode is when you sit on the couch with that glazed look on your face and the remote control in your hand, ready to jump to another channel if you’re not appropriately stimulated for a period of time. TV-mode is when you have adopted the role of the watcher and expect someone else to do all of the work. It’s the difference between participating and just showing up. And it rarely results in much of lasting value.

So I’ve put a lot of thought and effort into designing experiences for my students where they can’t stay in TV-mode. For centuries, the traditional educational method has been what presenters like to call the “sage on the stage” approach—where the content expert lectures to the audience, who sit passively and listen, as if knowledge was something to be poured over their heads and simply absorbed. It’s one-way communication and, although it may be entertaining and informative, it only rarely results in measurable change or action. And in the age of YouTube and podcasts and Twitter and eBooks, it can make the event experience appear suspiciously unnecessary. Instead, I’ve learned that the most effective way to use the time we have together is to avoid spending too much of my own time as the “sage on the stage” and play more of a role as the designer and facilitator of an experience created for them.

Lots of event professionals are experiencing great angst about the future of live events, particularly meetings and conferences. Will people continue to invest lots of money and–perhaps even more valuable–their time in traveling and attending events, when they can get the same information by going online or ordering it from Amazon.com? My answer is: yes, they absolutely will! But only if you deliver an engaging experience that delivers value far beyond what they could just as easily read or watch on their TV, computer monitor or iPhone. And that means an engaging experience, one that gets them actively involved. The same principles hold true whether you are gathering face-to-face, or doing a teleconference or webinar. You need to design ways to get people “out of their bubble”. Remember when you were a kid and your mom or dad used to say, “Get off that couch, stop watching TV (or playing PlayStation, if you’re younger than a Boomer) and go outside to get some fresh air and exercise!”? Well, this is the adult version of that.

Why is this important? Because it is the key to maximizing the impact of your event and changing the way people will think, act or behave in the future. And in the end, that’s why people come to events.

Up Next: Strategies for Engagement
As this blog series continues, I will be offering lots of examples of strategies event planners are using to engage their audiences, increasing the impact of their events and make a difference in people’s lives and their communities.

In the meantime, I want to return to my original question: what is the most impactful event you’ve ever been to, and what do you think made it that way?

4 Comments | tags: engaging, event, event management, Event planning, events | posted in Designing Experiences

April 5, 2011

6 Event Power Tools for building positive change

By Peter Straube

What’s in your toolbox when you’re planning or executing an event? It doesn’t matter what kind of event—it could be a conference, music festival, product launch, sporting event, trade show, or celebration. As the builder of the event, you’ve got valuable resources at your disposal that can be used as effective tools for enhancing the overall impact of your event. I call these Power Tools because, well, they give you the power to make a far bigger difference than what you could ever hope to accomplish on your own. Here is a set of six power tools you have available for your use in the process of planning and executing any event:

PLACE – the site you select can have a significant effect on the surrounding area. After Katrina, many planners considered holding events in New Orleans as a way to bring more economic activity back to the city. Far-away destinations have become less attractive because of the significant carbon footprint from participants traveling to get there. And wherever an event is held, there are people or organizations nearby that could be offered assistance or support.

PEOPLE – events bring together LOTS of people: participants, volunteer or paid staff, vendors and service providers, exhibitors, sponsors, performers…and each one of them has the potential to contribute. Within each of these groups, you will find people with specific experience and expertise that can be shared: helping to build something, teach or advise, or solve problems. Your board of directors, hotel or food & beverage staff, contractors—they can all be invited to channel their talents and ideas to assist a disadvantaged population or provide a benefit to the community in some way. You’re bringing them together; now make the most of it!

PROGRAM – as you design the entire experience for participants, weave in opportunities to educate, inspire to action, or create a physical change that leaves a site or organization in a better place. Connect a cause with an audience by giving them the stage for at least a few minutes or, better yet, involving them in an interactive activity. And while you’re at it, offer all participants the opportunity to contribute time, money or ideas to a cause during the course of the event.

PRACTICES – certainly group events are excellent opportunities to model and employ sustainable business practices. Mandate recycling, composting, bulk water stations, printing stations…all measures that will reduce your lasting footprint. Buy local. Offer healthy menu selections. Wherever it makes sense, convert printed materials to electronic. Specify your expectations in your RFPs to influence venues, vendors and service providers to meet your standards. If they want your business, they will deliver. Want some great practical examples? Check out this MPI Sustainability Report.

POSSESSIONS – this one is about “stuff”, and events have lots of it! It’s just a matter of getting things organized. The traditional fundraising approach would be to simply make a direct contribution of a portion of revenues from the event. If you’re a vendor or exhibitor, you might consider donating a percentage of your sales: that benefits the company by promoting sales and also the consumers, who get to contribute to a cause “for free”. Venues and service providers can donate space or services at no or discounted charge. Targeted populations can be granted free or reduced-price admission. Participants can be encouraged to donate money or unused possessions (discarded cell phones, used clothing) to the cause.

PROMOTION – most events employ a number of promotional messages during the process of building attendance and communicating information people will need in order to participate. In your messages, provide causes or non-profit organizations with the same kind of exposure that you would for any paid sponsor. Whether it’s media ads, printed programs, social media campaigns, radio interviews, whatever…each message offers you the opportunity to work towards positive change by increasing awareness and concern for social causes, supporting behavior change campaigns, or inspiring others to action. And while you’re doing this, you’ll be making people feel even better about your event and the people behind it.

Of course, you always need to keep your focus on accomplishing the original objectives for each of the stakeholders, or the event won’t be a success. But skillfully used, these power tools can get big jobs done. How have you seen these tools used to build positive change through events? And do you have any others in your own toolbox?

2 Comments | tags: Business, CSR, event, Event Planning and Production, management, planning, Power tool, Social change, sustainability, sustainable | posted in Designing Experiences

March 30, 2011

If it feels good, do it!

By Peter Straube

The other day, my friend Steve Densham told me something that really stuck with me. He said that when you break it down, us humans are only motivated by two things: avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. In other words, on some level everything we do is either to avoid getting hurt or to make us feel good. If you start there and look deep enough, you can explain just about any behavior. So when it comes to changing the way people think or behave, this becomes pretty darn important.

It’s human nature to attach ourselves to people, organizations and experiences that make us feel good. We enjoy doing work or play that makes us feel good. We prefer to do business with people and companies we respect and feel good about. We like working for organizations we can feel proud of. More and more, people are investing in companies that feel good to support. We tend to spend our free time with friends and lovers who make us feel good. And if at some point it starts to not feel good anymore, we tend to drift away. Find another job…try a different restaurant or bar…switch girlfriends or boyfriends. Simple stuff, really. So if you want people to buy into something you’re doing–whether it’s selling them a product or experience, recruiting them to a cause, attracting them to apply for a job with you, whatever–you need to make them feel good about it. If you do, they’ll want to join up.

This becomes really important when you’re putting together an event. Because however you measure it, one of the benchmarks for the success of any event is whether people feel like it was a worthwhile way to spend their time or money when it’s over, whether they were attending or hosting or performing or sponsoring. Any time you can incorporate a greater objective into your planning process and ultimately into the event experience, you are adding value for all of the participants and, very often, the community as well. And that’s likely to make them feel good.What have you done or seen that made you feel really good about an event you’ve participated in or helped produce, or just heard about? What are some really good examples of events that have drawn people into something bigger than just the immediate agenda?