Velvet Chainsaw

DECEMBER 3, 2020

In 2020, attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors were more forgiving of our virtual conferences than they will be in 2021. They, like you, are all experiencing Zoom fatigue and will have much higher expectations for conferences this coming year — especially those they are investing their precious time and money. Don’t waste a good crisis.

2021 284

2021 Conference 2020 Sustainability 284

Conferences that Work

MARCH 28, 2022

The deficiencies of meeting planning textbooks and education. A “creative” event design is one with a novel venue and/or decor and lighting and/or food and beverage. Consequently, planners restrict the entire focus of creative event design to novel visual and sensory elements. I have little competition.

Food and Beverage 429

Food and Beverage Meetings Meeting Design Site Selections 429

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

My Dutch friend and expert moderator, Jan Jaap In der Maur , recently shared an innovative format for an in-conference pitch competition he devised for the Conventa Crossover Conference , in Ljubljana, Slovenia: “There were also the Conventa Crossover Awards. given at EventCamp Twin Cities on September 9, 2010? If so, download.

Conference 160

Conference 2010 2011 Conference Design 160

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Meetings and conferences are perhaps one of the most important fundamental ways in which people come together and change happens. So I’m pleased to discover an academic research article paper about unconference — especially since its title is: The Future Of Conferences Is Unconferences !

Conference 283

Conference 2023 Education Travel 283

Conferences that Work

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Here’s my article “ Five Reasons to Change Conferences “ , published in the December 2018, NSA Speaker magazine. But our conference programs still focus on lectures, where a few experts broadcast their knowledge to passive listeners. Related posts: Conferences That Work goes to Japan! Here are five reasons why.

Conference 245

Conference 2014 2018 Speakers 245

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 10, 2022

The other day, a client booked an hour with me to discuss how to make their conference better. Thinking about our conversation afterward, I realized that all my recommendations involved six fundamental processes that, when implemented well and appropriately, will make any conference better. The notes at the.

Conference 263

Conference 2011 Education Event Design 263

Event Marketer

MAY 2, 2025

Science and beauty have always been at the foundation of Neutrogenas brand, and at this years American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting (the worlds largest event of its kind), the brand blended that heritage with its most recent innovations in a science lab-themed environment. Enter: The Neutrogena Nostalgic Newsstand.

2025 231

2025 Marketing Banking Sponsorships 231

Conferences that Work

APRIL 29, 2024

Since 2009 I’ve maintained an informal calendar of peer conferences (aka unconferences) on this site. It’s informal because I only list events I hear about, a minuscule fraction of the unconferences people hold every day. Even so, the calendar lists hundreds of events. Currently, I add a few peer conferences a month.

Conference 245

Conference 2009 Healthcare Conference Design 245

Conferences that Work

MAY 14, 2018

Here are nine mythodologies about conferences. At least half the sessions programmed at traditional conferences are not what attendees want. Mythodology: Event socials are a good way to meet people. Reality : People tend to stay with people they already know at event socials. Mythodology: Learning occurs through events.

Conference 217

Conference 2011 2014 Contracts 217

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Gamification “makes about as much sense as chocolate-dipped broccoli” Education professor Amy Bruckman , coined this analogy in a 1999 paper on game software design: “Most attempts at making software both educational and fun end up being neither. Which makes about as much sense as chocolate-dipped broccoli.

2011 374

2011 Education 2015 Consulting 374

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 6, 2018

Ah, the ubiquitous conference one-hour lecture. As an example I’ll use a three-day conference I’m currently designing. Here are three session formats we’re using for the middle of the conference arc. In my experience, each of them is far more effective than a traditional conference lecture.

Conference 252

Conference 2010 2011 Conference Design 252

Velvet Chainsaw

AUGUST 9, 2023

For complex conference programs, this insight means that you can increase satisfaction — and reduce attendee anxiety — by providing them with several targeted choices. For conferences that develop education sessions that appeal to a broad audience, applying the principles in this study can improve the attendee experience.

Conference 195

Conference Education Corporate Events Tech 195

Conferences that Work

JULY 13, 2020

How can we entwine content and connection during an online conference? During a MeetingsCommunity (MeCo) discussion thread “ Networking at conferences ” last week, Sharon Fisher posted this. As it happened, I’d just completed facilitating an online conference that I think did entwine content and connection.

Conference 271

Conference Entertainment Meetings Education 271

Conferences that Work

MARCH 4, 2024

During a 1992 conference, I created the first of what I now call spectives. Over the last 32 years, I’ve led hundreds of spectives and introduced the format to many event professionals and facilitators. the 2015 PCMA Education Conference ) and small (e.g. the 2023 BizBash Leadership Summit ) conferences.

Conference 250

Conference 2015 2023 Education 250

Attendease

DECEMBER 2, 2020

Guide to Implementing Virtual Events , by Attendease. Having the right technology stack is essential to run a successful virtual conference. Download this implementation guide to learn the pieces that you need to run your multi-session online event. The Virtual Event Tech Playbook , by Event Manager Blog.

2021 367

2021 Meetings Corporate Meetings 2020 367

Event Industry News

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

ABPCO, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers is delivering its flagship educational event of the year. The Festival of Learning is a 2-day educational event that delivers […]

Education 59

Education Conference Events Event Design 59

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

I’ve been attending conferences for over forty years. ” For twenty years I assumed this was how conferences were supposed to be. ” For twenty years I assumed this was how conferences were supposed to be. “…gets an award for most/best/most thoughtfully organized conference I think I’ve ever been to.”

Conference 197

Conference 2011 2012 Education 197

Conferences that Work

APRIL 29, 2019

Here’s an example of why I love conference facilitation and design. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Why I love conference facilitation and design appeared first on Conferences That Work. It’s an honor to work on a classic Conferences That. The notes at the.

Conference 185

Conference 2011 2012 Education 185

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

Traditional conferences focus on a hodgepodge of pre-determined sessions punctuated with socials, surrounded by short welcomes and closings. Such conference designs treat openings and closings as perfunctory traditions, perhaps pumped up with a keynote or two, rather than key components of the conference design.

Conference 179

Conference Conference Design Meeting Design Education 179

Event Industry News

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

CHS Leeds has announced its educational programme for the event, taking place 25th March 25, at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, and which will focus on the shows theme of Welfare. CHSs educational programmes […]

Education 64

Education Travel Hospitality Events 64

Conferences that Work

APRIL 22, 2019

” at the end of a conference session? Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Any questions? Rethinking traditional Q&A appeared first on Conferences That Work. Hands rise, and the presenter picks an audience member who asks a question. The presenter answers the question and picks another questioner.

2011 333

2011 2012 Education Conference 333

Smart Meetings

APRIL 29, 2025

Finally, we look at Inside Live Events: Your Playbook for Mastering the Experience by Bob Priest-Heck and Carrie Freeman Parsons, a comprehensive resource for creating exceptional live events. The book acts as a guidebook for navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Trade Shows 130

Trade Shows Education Corporate Meetings Sustainability 130

Endless Events

JANUARY 6, 2021

Now that the new year has rolled in, event profs are eager to know the trends that will shape the months to come. And while there’s a lot to cover, we figured that there’s no best way to start January than by outlining the 2021 event design trends that will define the industry. Defining Event Design.

2021 147

2021 Event Design 2020 Hospitality 147

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 28, 2017

Here’s a real-life example of how to crowdsource a conference program in real-time. In May 2017 Liz Lathan, Tom Spano, and Nicole Osibodu invited me to design and facilitate the session crowdsourcing at the first Haute Dokimazo unconference in Austin, Texas. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

Conference 39

Conference 2017 2018 Education 39

Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2024

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024 , I sat down with Martin Duffy and Paul Nunesdea on LinkedIn Live for an hour’s deep dive conversation about peer conferences: the participant-driven, participation-rich events I’ve designed and facilitated for over thirty years. Peer Conferences Unveiled—The Transcript!

Conference 245

Conference Meetings Corporate Meetings Association Meetings 245

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Did you know that at Axon’s annual user conference, Accelerate , participants help design new company products that address their needs? This is clearly a potential win-win for both Axon and its clients, and it surprises me that more organizations don’t use their events to improve their products and services.

Conference 110

Conference 2011 Education Events 110

Conferences that Work

MAY 11, 2020

I’ve been designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich in person meetings — aka peer conferences — for almost thirty years. Unfortunately, most online events are still using a traditional webinar/broadcast-style approach: presenters speaking for long periods, interspersed with chat-mediated Q&A.

Conference 395

Conference 2012 Meetings Meeting Design 395

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. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post A class is a meeting appeared first on Conferences That Work.

Meetings 296

Meetings 2022 Education Speakers 296

Conferences that Work

JULY 8, 2019

Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Squaring the circle: creating room sets for connection appeared first on Conferences That Work. The notes at the.

2011 291

2011 2014 Conference Education 291

Bizzabo

NOVEMBER 15, 2018

The most authoritative 2019 tech conferences directory on the web. Searching for top technology events to attend in 2019? Or looking to wrap up 2018 with an exceptional conference? Scouring the internet for event information could be an overwhelming task. They are held to educate, inform, or train attendees.

Tech 168

Tech 2019 Conference Technology 168

Event Industry News

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

The AEV brought together over 240 event professionals for another sell out year of their annual conference last week, 14 November 2024, at the ICC Birmingham for a content rich and engaging programme on the theme “20:20 vision. Experience.

Conference 59

Conference 2024 Education Events 59

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

One of the most valuable tools I use liberally at the start of peer conferences is a variety of human spectrograms , also known as body voting. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post How to use human spectrograms to improve in-house events appeared first on Conferences That Work.

2020 320

2020 Entertainment Conference Education 320

Conferences that Work

MARCH 19, 2018

Do your conference programs include pre-scheduled sessions you belatedly discover were of little interest or value to most attendees? If so, you’re wasting significant stakeholder and attendee time and money — your conference is simply not as good as it could be. The key to successful 21st century conferences Attend Participate!,

Conference 149

Conference 2011 Education Event Design 149

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

In my book Conferences That Work , I shared a story about when I—and everyone else in my graduate class—never admitted we didn’t understand what our teacher was teaching us for weeks. I think he remained quiet for his own reasons, perhaps uncaring about his success at educating us, perhaps ashamed that he had lost us.

Conference 394

Conference Meetings Education Event Technology 394

Endless Events

JUNE 25, 2019

All the way from Toronto, we bring you the World Education Congress! If you’ve been paying attention, you know the World Education Congress just took place. If you’ve been paying attention, you know the World Education Congress just took place. The Event Design Handbook. Event Canvas.

Education 95

Education Trade Shows Tourism Event Design 95

Event Industry News

AUGUST 28, 2020

The Meetings Show ’s education programme has been unveiled and is set to assist event professionals to navigate the challenging times, no matter where they are. For the first time, buyers will be able to access the comprehensive education programme both live at Olympia London 19-20 October and virtually 19-21 October.

Education 115

Education Meetings Consulting Sustainability 115

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 21, 2019

I think about status at events as the relative levels of proclaimed or perceived social value assigned to or assumed by attendees. There are two key kinds of event status — let’s call them old-school and real-time. The notes at the.

2011 225

2011 Meetings 2012 Education 225