Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2019

This (slightly edited) interview by JT Long appeared in the March 2019 issue of Smart Meetings Magazine. 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. What led to writing the book, Conferences that Work ?

2014 259

2014 2019 Conference Meeting Design 259

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Increasing attendee satisfaction increases the effectiveness of the event for all stakeholders: attendees, sponsors, and event owners. I’d argue that hiring me is the most effective and cost-effective way to improve any event. ” “Substance, not celebrity… celebrity speakers will not boost registrations. .”

2024 235

2024 Conference Meeting Design Speakers 235

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

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Status and power at meetings. I think of status at events as the relative levels of proclaimed or perceived social value assigned to or assumed by attendees. And power at events is an individual’s capacity to influence the actions, beliefs, or conduct of attendees. At many events, only high status people talk.

Meetings 352

Meetings Conference Negotiating Speakers 352

Conferences that Work

APRIL 9, 2018

In a nutshell, I think that our industry associations have become too focused on justifying their continued existence financially, and are neglecting their core mission of supporting and representing their members and association meeting attendees. But their inclusion looks good on the promotional materials.

Education 194

Education Meetings 2006 2012 194

GEVME

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Most of the meetings today are still about people sitting down and listening to one or more speakers. And in this information age of declining attention span, it is not a surprise to see that 73% of people acknowledge doing other work during meetings. . Kevin Hoffman has written a pretty good book about it: Meeting Design.

Trade Shows 156

Trade Shows 2019 Speakers Meeting Design 156

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.

2012 227

2012 Speakers Education 2019 227

Gallus Events

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

November is always a busy month for event organisers in the event industry. Whether we are trying to shoe horn in a few events before peoples minds start to wonder to the festive period or maybe we are upping the marketing for our events in the first quarter of the following year, November can be a car crash of a month!

Event Tech 127

Event Tech Speakers Tech 2011 127

Conferences that Work

MARCH 21, 2022

Earlier this month, the folks at Gatherly kindly invited me to host an event of my choosing for their clients and potential users. This coming June will mark my 30th year of designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich meetings. Designing an online workshop in Gatherly. I’ve shared the why?

Meetings 381

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Speakers 381

Gallus Events

AUGUST 7, 2017

Staying on top of everything that changes in the events industry is a job in itself, never mind actually organising events. The possibilities of event technology seem to change almost every day. And new areas such as meeting design, seem to spring up from nowhere. Be an event creative. So how can we cope?

Speakers 113

Speakers Meeting Design Events Venues 113

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 215

Meetings Meeting Design Conference Speakers 215

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. You have a hotel with this view. Venue Fail.

Venues 140

Venues Hotels Meeting Design Speakers 140

Conferences that Work

JULY 1, 2024

All the conferences I design and facilitate have a time and place for participants to share their experiences. But most clients don’t give me post-event feedback about my work or the event. PSFG has a deep appreciation for the importance of meeting design. And that’s okay. I copied the details below.

2024 235

2024 Conference 2023 2022 235

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? That’s Meeting Design.

Conference 100

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Fashion 100

Gallus Events

JULY 1, 2019

PCMA EduCon took place in Los Angeles in June 2019 and I was lucky enough to be asked to mentor the attendees of PCMA’s Homeless Hackathon and to present a session on online events. . PCMA continue to dedicate their efforts towards leading the event industry response to homelessness. Taking Your Online Events To The Next Level.

2019 113

2019 Meeting Design Speakers Meetings 113

Gallus Events

JUNE 17, 2016

I always try, if possible, to attend an event every month. However the last few months have conspired to make it pretty hard to get out and spend a day at an event. So I was delighted that the Association of Association Executives allowed me to attend the first day of their “Event Strategy” event in London.

2016 113

2016 Meeting Design Sponsorships Events 113

Gallus Events

MAY 11, 2020

Many event organisers and event companies are seeking out the best online training courses for virtual events and there are a lot on offer. We have searched far and wide to find the five best training courses for online events. . Run by organisations who have been talking about hybrid or online events for a while.

Trade Shows 130

Trade Shows Meeting Design Events Management 130

PCMA Convene

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Instead of scrapping their events amid COVID-19 concerns, more organizations are moving their face-to-face programs online. The multi-hub format, with multiple connected venues like this meeting with 18 hubs in Spain, combines the benefits of both. Maarten Vanneste. For planners, there’s been a technical barrier, Vanneste said.

Consulting 100

Consulting 2020 Meeting Design Speakers 100

Gallus Events

MAY 18, 2017

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. 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.

Conference 187

Conference Conference Networking Technology Meeting Design 187

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). I decide to write a book about it, and in… 2009: I self-publish Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love. I quickly discover the size and interest of the meetings industry.

2005 161

2005 2009 Consulting Conference 161

SpotMe Blog

JULY 6, 2021

Let’s face it, planning an event is never as easy as 1, 2, 3. In 2021, that notion has never been more prevalent as event professionals and brands find themselves teetering between online events , in-person events and something in the middle (aka hybrid events ). Carol Galle, CEO of Special D Events.

2021 179

2021 Event Planning Fashion Retail 179

Gallus Events

APRIL 18, 2017

I would suggest event planners use this as a “basis” for a conference. Add some meeting design. This is where I would also place really good speakers! In this example (unusually for a PA event) the conference did actually end the day at 16:30. Can Gallus Event help you in 2017? Meeting design.

Conference 140

Conference Meeting Design 2017 Sponsorships 140

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

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? While the shifts are plentiful, there are five that stand out from the fold when it comes to modern event design.

Meetings 157

Meetings 2016 Trade Shows Social Media 157

Gallus Events

JUNE 17, 2016

I always try, if possible, to attend an event every month. However the last few months have conspired to make it pretty hard to get out and spend a day at an event. So I was delighted that the Association of Association Executives allowed me to attend the first day of their “Event Strategy” event in London.

2016 100

2016 Meeting Design Sponsorships Events 100

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. Perhaps it’s your KEYNOTE / best speaker wrapping up the day.

Conference 153

Conference Meeting Design Speakers Venues 153

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

From more engaging, holistic experiences to the the bold new expectations of “bleisure,” event planners and suppliers are racing to adapt in an industry that’s as dynamic as it’s ever been. While the shifts are plentiful, there are five that stand out from the fold when it comes to modern event design.

Meetings 158

Meetings 2016 Trade Shows Social Media 158

PCMA Convene

JULY 22, 2020

The Hague Convention Bureau’s first hybrid webinar welcomed five events professionals either in-person or virtually to the World Forum in The Hague. When planning a hybrid and digital event, your content is the key to its success, panelists agreed during The Hague Convention Bureau’s first hybrid webinar. Holland Park Media).

Financial 134

Financial Venues Meeting Design Events 134

Conferences that Work

APRIL 16, 2018

Fun fact: the testing community often uses my term “peer conferences” for their get-togethers, due to a chat about meeting design I had with tester James Bach at the 2004 Amplifying Your Effectiveness conference.) Most meeting conveners concentrate on feedback about meeting content (“great speakers!”)

2018 169

2018 2004 Conference Trade Shows 169

Expo Pass

MARCH 31, 2021

The event world is changing, (once again)! Venues are reopening, the virtual world is blending with the in-person world, and hybrid events are definitely the future. Feel free to stream to the full event — How to Hybrid: The Mysteries Unraveled , and keep reading for our recap. It’s just another meeting.”

Speakers 151

Speakers Tech Venues Hotels 151

SmartMeetings

MARCH 11, 2021

chairman of ROI Institute, penned this primer on measuring meaningful outcomes along with Joe Fijol, DMCP, founder of ETHOS Event Collective. Today, meeting and event planners are pressed to do more with less while being expected to raise the bar on experiences year-over-year. Phillips, Ph.D., productivity, sales).

Meetings 116

Meetings Speakers Consulting Events 116

SmartMeetings

JUNE 22, 2020

Marteen Vannest, senior consultant at Meeting Design Institute , which produces a free masterclass and certified training on producing online meetings , suggests starting with the “why” of the meeting. One of the main reasons for business events or meetings is to deliver some kind of information.

Meetings 111

Meetings Food and Beverage Speakers Travel 111

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

The speaker icon next to the “All Tables” caption allows you to choose the “background chatter volume” Like an in-person social, you can set this so you can hear some of the conversation at other tables. They expect repeated event monthly costs to be comparable to Zoom pricing.

Conference 235

Conference Venues Marketing Meeting Design 235

Event Industry News

JUNE 6, 2019

Miguel Neves is a passionate social media advocate and experienced events professional who consults, trains and speaks on digital marketing and event technology. Ahead of his discussion at The Meetings Show, ‘The future is hybrid, are you ready?’ What are some of the main benefits of hosting a hybrid event?

Social Media 108

Social Media Consulting Meeting Design Education 108

PCMA Convene

JULY 6, 2020

Unless we intervene, we could be heading in the direction where we’re more self-conscious about how we present in meetings.”. As a researcher, digital “events are really fascinating,” she said, “because we’re using these tools now to try to connect.

2020 105

2020 Technology Meeting Design Consulting 105

Event Industry News

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

During all our years designing and deploying event technology for events, one thread remains a constant – that technology adds the most value when it succeeds in actively facilitating human connection and communication. Bringing teams together with event technology. Motivating and unifying the team.

Event Technology 104

Event Technology Technology Event Apps Speakers 104

Event Leadership Institute

APRIL 30, 2021

The Event Leadership Institute’s Business, Design & Strategy Summit , held virtually on June 3, invites meeting and event professionals to chart their course for the future. We will also take a meaningful look at diversity, with Antwone Stigall advising how to make DEI principles part of your event DNA.

Site Selections 96

Site Selections Trade Shows Sponsorships Tech 96

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