Conferences that Work

MARCH 28, 2022

Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know this from looking at meeting planning textbooks. The meeting industry has redefined novelty as creativity. A “creative” event design is one with a novel venue and/or decor and lighting and/or food and beverage. Competent logistics are the new meeting minimum.

Food and Beverage 429

Food and Beverage Meetings Meeting Design Site Selections 429

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 21, 2024

.” Fall 2024 Freeman Syndicated Survey of Event Organizers. Copyright Freeman 2024 Why you should read this Freeman report Read this report to discover if you’re doing what’s needed to improve your events for your attendees. Only a quarter of event organizers are constantly evolving their event designs.

2024 240

2024 Event Design Meeting Design Education 240

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Rereading a 2012 post by Jeff Jarvis , I was struck by the parallels between his take on news organizations’ responsibilities to their platforms and the responsibilities of conferences. ” —Jeff Jarvis At conferences, the “users” are primarily participants. Design in flexibility. Give them power.

Conference 240

Conference 2012 Conference Design Government 240

Gallus Events

DECEMBER 11, 2018

I spoke at IBTM in Barcelona ( you can read the “review” here ) at the end of November on one of my favourite topics, Meeting Design or fresh formats for conferences. Think of the future when you create an event today, take baby steps towards that future! What objectives should underpin meeting design.

Conference 178

Conference Meeting Design Entertainment Meetings 178

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Event planners often overlook the importance of attendee conversations. So, perhaps it’s not surprising that many conference organizers today make a similar mistake by emphasizing broadcast content over attendee interactions. Event planners must shift their mindset to seeing attendees as active participants, not just an audience.

Advertising 156

Advertising Conference Technology Events 156

Conferences that Work

JUNE 3, 2019

The first peer conference I convened and designed was held June 3 – 5, 1992 at Marlboro College, Vermont. So, as of today, the community of practice that eventually became edACCESS has enjoyed 27 years of peer conferences. Twenty-three people came to the inaugural conference. 27 years of peer conferences.

Conference 189

Conference 2014 Consulting Meeting Design 189

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

And yes, I admit it, during the second day of my vacation while enjoying the harmonies I hear, I’m jolted to think about religious meeting design…. Religious services are thought to be around 300,000 years old — by far the oldest form of organized meeting that humans have created. Keep ’em moving!

Meeting Design 166

Meeting Design Meetings 2014 Speakers 166

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. The massive disruption of in-person events since March 2020 has shaken our industry to the core. We have also seen the emergence of new forms of online events, supported by solid business models.

Meetings 367

Meetings Meeting Design 2020 Speakers 367

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. And the key to 100s PAs and one sell out event? And the reason?

Conference 173

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Fashion 173

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

Recently, a client asked for help designing a new conference. Thirty minutes of discussion with three stakeholders revealed they hadn’t yet settled on the event’s specific purpose, scope, and format. hoping that in the process the event’s purpose and desired outcomes will become clearer.

Meeting Design 192

Meeting Design 2012 2014 Meetings 192

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

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

I’ve been promoting the Conferences That Work meeting format for so long, that some people assume I think it’s the right choice for every meeting. two meeting types and three situations when you should NOT use a Conferences That Work design: — Most corporate events. Here are (drum roll!)

Meeting Design 120

Meeting Design Conference Meetings Conference Design 120

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2025

Aside from my first book , I havent written much about the effects of attendee status attendees’ “relative rank in a hierarchy of prestige” at events. It’s time to revisit this important topic because you can improve your meetings by making attendee status a real-time construct. Improve all your meetings!

Meetings 156

Meetings 2014 Conference Design Fashion 156

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 16, 2021

And it made me think about meeting design. And, me being me, I thought about what Marcy had just said in the context of meeting design. And meetings are no exception. The art and craft of the meeting designer. It’s a meeting designer’s job to create these contextual layers.

Food and Beverage 348

Food and Beverage Meeting Design 2021 Meetings 348

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

Gallus Events

MAY 18, 2017

Networking at conferences is always one of the top three reasons that attendees give for attending a conference. So, if it’s so important for our attendees, I think that we event planners should do a wee bit more to structure that networking; to make sure that good connections happen. The ice breaker tables.

Conference 187

Conference Conference Networking Technology Meeting Design 187

Conferences that Work

APRIL 18, 2022

The COVID19 pandemic created an explosion of interest in hybrid meetings, and the marketplace and event professionals are still defining what “hybrid” means. (No, No, sticking a streaming camera in the back of the room does not make an in-person meeting hybrid.) Sounds crazy, yes, but stay with me!

2010 423

2010 Meetings Conference Travel 423

Gallus Events

JULY 24, 2017

I have always used the metaphor of a production line to explain the need for meeting design. Unlike most of our events (which have scarcely changed in 20 years) a production line looks VERY different from the one I worked on during the long, painful, boring summers of the mid 1990s. Just In Time. A slow but deliberate process.

Meeting Design 124

Meeting Design Meetings Technology Sponsorships 124

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. Because participants love these meetings ! Now the covid-19 pandemic has forced meetings online. In person meetings have vanished overnight.

Conference 395

Conference 2012 Meetings Meeting Design 395

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2022

Here’s a rare opportunity to ask me anything about meeting design and facilitation at a unique, free, online workshop. Join me next Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at 12:00 pm EST for Ask Adrian Anything ( AAA ): an online participant-driven workshop on the future of events. Experience a participant-driven online event.

Meeting Design 296

Meeting Design 2022 Conference Meetings 296

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

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Presentation versus interaction at meetings. But our meeting designs, in large part, haven’t changed to reflect this shift in cultural awareness. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Presentation versus interaction at meetings appeared first on Conferences That Work.

Meetings 315

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Event Design 315

Conferences that Work

JUNE 14, 2021

When the leading candidate for the Mayor of New York City has this take on how people learn, perhaps it’s not so surprising that we’re still sitting through endless broadcast-style sessions at meetings and conferences. Learning researchers and our best teachers and meeting designers have known this for a long time.

Meetings 348

Meetings 2021 Meeting Design Conference 348

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Software testers do peer conferences right! They even call them a peer conference , rather than unconference , a term I don’t like.) As evidence of software tester conference awesomeness, I offer three examples below. a short history of the peer conference. The 2022 SoCraTes peer conference. But first…. …a

Conference 156

Conference 2022 2004 Meeting Design 156

Gallus Events

APRIL 24, 2017

No one likes to see a half empty room at any point during an event. It makes no difference that the room has been full for most of the day; it’s still a pain to see empty seats and even empty rows at the end of an event. What “traditional” ways are there to stop your conference delegates leaving early?

Conference 153

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Venues 153

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Finally, as a meeting designer I’m convinced that using meeting formats that facilitate and support sharing amongst peers of relevant information is one of the most powerful ways to improve the effectiveness of meetings. Share information; don’t hoard it. Image attribution: Flickr user ben_grey.

Consulting 369

Consulting Meeting Design Conference Meetings 369

Event Marketer

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

And there’s one strategy that solves for each of those objectives: internal events. Whether it’s a meeting designed to galvanize the salesforce or a beach retreat that rewards staffers for their achievements, companies are leaning on team-building events to support—and retain—employees. Enlist internal ambassadors.

Airlines 307

Airlines 2024 Conference Events 307

Conferences that Work

JULY 19, 2021

Ever since my first encounter with the hybrid hub and spoke meeting topology at Event Camp Twin Cities in 2011, I’ve been a big fan of the format. Yesterday [see below], I realized that hub and spoke is a great format for purely online meetings too. What’s a hub and spoke meeting? But first…. Convenience.

Meetings 367

Meetings 2011 2021 Fashion 367

Conferences that Work

JUNE 28, 2021

During our 25 minutes together, we discussed various panel formats, their value, and how to structure and design powerful panel discussions into the larger context of meetings, conferences, and events. We covered a lot in a short time, but there’s much more to learn about Powerful panels and good meeting design!

Meeting Design 334

Meeting Design Conference Meetings Event Design 334

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 12, 2024

I learned about them when I presented at The Religious Conference Management Association annual conference in 2014, and I’ve written about what meeting designers can learn from religious services. Olsen ‘s paper Events, Faith Communities, and the Public Square. and Olsen, Daniel H. 4, Article 13.

2014 240

2014 Tourism 2023 Conference 240

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.

Conference 296

Conference Events Meeting Design Event Design 296

Conferences that Work

APRIL 25, 2022

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. All are welcome to attend this event at no charge (both CSAE members and non-members). Where & When.

2022 290

2022 Meeting Design Conference Meetings 290

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Ten years of Conferences That Work ! Ten years ago today, I started this website and published my first book: Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love. (A These days, this site gets about six million page views per year, making it, as far as I know, the most popular website in the world on meeting design.

Conference 27

Conference Meeting Design Meetings Events 27

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

? ? Here’s a standing invitation for event and hospitality teachers. I will meet online with your class for free. As an experienced facilitator and designer of participant-driven and participation-rich meetings, I love to share what I’ve learned during my four decades in the meeting industry.

Hospitality 227

Hospitality Education Meeting Design Conference 227

Smart Meetings

JANUARY 27, 2025

Instead, meeting designers have to understand the core values of their attendees. 4 Let Them Choose Their Own Event Adventure Choice is a big priority for younger audiences. The days of back-to-back meetings wont be tolerated anymore by any generation, Lester concluded. #5

Event Design 130

Event Design 2026 2012 Events 130

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

These two quotes are from my posts on the parallels between the evolution of journalism and events (2015) and on the parallel missions of journalism and participant-driven and participation-rich events (2018).] This brings us to a key question that is rarely openly discussed: Whom are conferences for?

Meetings 245

Meetings Meeting Design 2015 Conference 245

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 11, 2021

All meeting design needs to recognize this reality. What we think of as modern business meetings and conferences are hundreds of years old. The traditional top-down formats of meetings and conferences reflect the top-down structure of the institutions that still largely dominate our world. Institutions.

Meetings 320

Meetings 2009 2002 Technology 320