Sessions:
Event Engagement
Face-to-Face Meetings
2010 Education Day Breakout Sessions
Bowermand_Levin
Session Facilitator Samantha Bowerman with speaker
Jessica Levin
Creating Event Engagement

Jessica Levin,MBA, CMP
President & Chief Connector
Seven Degrees Communications

by Lynne Nordone, CMP
                                                     

Social media has become an essential part of the meeting experience. Meeting professionals need to capitalize on its benefits to enrich the experience and create a more vibrant community of attendees.


"Creating Event Engagement" session leader Jessica Levin, MBA, CMP, President & Chief Connector of Seven Degrees Communications, LLC , advised attendees that there is no magic formula for social media, and they should approach the use of the technology with a strategic eye. What are you trying to accomplish? What will provide measureable objectives?


When selecting your tools of engagement, Levin cautioned to think strategy versus tactics. What would you like to achieve by using social media? To help select the right tools for the job, Jessica suggested to:

  •  Listen to attendees (talking to each other or organizers); 
  • Communicate with attendees (foster two-way communication); 
  • Promote the event (increase exposure, viral marketing); 
  • Find potential business connections (social networking); 
  • Brand your event or exhibit (a face and name for your event, product or service); 
  •  Create fun and exciting content (give people a reason to like you!)

Terms of engagement can enhance the attendee experience using emotion, entertainment, education and exposure before - during - and after the event. As an example Levin cited the National Restaurant Association Hotel-Motel Show this past May. NRA hired a choreographer who posted moves on their website before the event for an out-of-the-box flash mob routine onsite which created a fun and memorable event enjoyed well after the show as a YouTube video. (Click on 'before' and 'after' links above to view.)


Using social media allows us to have conversations in public way and to be able to listen/identify solutions through shared information with those who can respond and interact.


What's in your toolkit? Here's a few potential options for your plan that will help you get started:


Content is king - permitting attendees to collaborate in building their own programs and continuing conversations after they leave.

  •  Blogs - have speakers contribute to blogs before/during/after an event; contract for 2 to 3 blog posts. Important for technical speakers. Get attendees engaged on-site with live blogs. 
  • You Tube - generate pre-conference excitement on website. Ex: how to register step-by-step. (Note: Jing free download video capture screen shots and add audio to post on website.) Sharing speaker content in advance. Get attendees involved; videotape people and put on website. 
  • Slide Show - share PPT presentations. Great way to find speakers. LinkedIn app for slide show. 
  • Flickr - photo sharing; public streaming. 
  • Webinars - use to help promote conference with speakers; track who visits and try to get to confernece. Types: social media, speaker.

Connection/Co-creation:

  •  Facebook - not right for every event. Specific event pages or use company page. Ex: SxSW Conference.
  •  Twitter - one of the best ways to engage/promote/educate; designate a monitor for attendees using; great opportunity to listen at the event; Tweetchats.com schedule time to have a discussion before or after.
  •  Four Square - social location; check-in to a location when you arrive. Allows venues to offer specials and incentives to those who check-in (like Places on Facebook).
  •  Private Online - requires meeting manager; create private communities online; can upload conference materials - go paperless (CrowdVine,  Pathable, Social Collective, Member Fuse).
  • Groupon - is a  deal-of-the-day website that is localized to major geographic markets in the US, Canada and UK.
  •  Live Streaming / Webcasting - need to have someone talking to audience; have speakers interact. Ex: Event Camp - Emily Gartin in between sessions. Can put up camera, but are attendees engaged? Satellite project have moderator at location; possibly can have a Skype feed back.

Collaboration/Communication:

  • Skype
  • Google Wave
  • Smart Phones/Mobile Applications
  • Polling
  • Back Channel

Extras:

  • Room set: can change engagement experience
  • Visual Twitter feed
  • Technical Moderator
  • WiFi, power and seating arrangements
  • Contests
  • Flash Mob
  • Program design

How to manage social media? Figure what you need to do and schedule time (5 minutes morning/5 minutes mid-day/5minutes evening). It will probably replace some other activity you do. Ex: email, phone calls.

                                                     
RRickard
Session sponsor rep John Iannini, Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts with speaker Roger Rickard
Face Time. It Matters.
The Case for Face-to-Face Meetings

Roger Rickard
Chief Business Solicitor
REvent LLC

by Leslie DiLeo, CMP
Even with his smooth banker's hair and pinstriped suit with pale blue shirt and matching pocket square, Roger Rickard reminds one of a taller, less rumpled Jack Black.  His animated delivery clearly reflects his fervent belief in the importance of people conducting meetings and conferences in person.  A self-described "political science geek" (who sends $5 to each and every presidential candidate on principle), Roger has the thorough knowledge and passionate eloquence of an advocate: and what's more, he says it's crucial that meeting professionals embrace the advocate role within their organizations.

"The other shoe of the economy has dropped," he says. "There has been the perception--and the government has reinforced this--that in many cases, meetings were perks or boondoggles."   Another blow to the support of meetings and conferences that continues through bad and good economies is that organizations usually refer to conferences as "cost centers."  And, unfortunately, "our industry hasn't done enough research to make our case for the value of business travel including larger conferences, smaller and medium-sized meetings, retreats, and individual business travel."

The planner's role is most definitely about educating and advocating for one thing: it's not about the financial costs and logistics--it's about the impact of people meeting face to face.

"We are not brain surgeons, rocket scientists or world leaders," Roger states. "We lead more innovation and change than anyone else.  We facilitate the biggest changes in the world.  We won't innovate change or grow without the ability to get together in person."

So, what are some of the benefits of meeting face to face?  Roger asks the audience members, who contribute the following:
  • Human interaction enhances learning;
  • Social media serves as an "introduction" or stepping stone to make in-person experiences more thorough;
  • Body language and facial expressions complete oral comments
  • It builds relationships;
  • Side-line conversations round out and build on "official" content;
  • "Kismet" moments occur--the course of one's life can change by meeting the right person/being in the right place at the right time.  This cannot happen electronically.
In fact, Roger continues, "every day we meet people who can impact our life in a small or big way.  So why wouldn't that happen at a gathering of like-minded people particularly?  It's not about the size or the scope, per se, it's about the occurrence itself."

"We won't innovate or grow without the ability to get together in person," Roger reinforces.  "There is no replacement for human capital and the importance of exchanging knowledge, building relationships and the contribution of the individual."  So, what can we do to start advocating that face time matters? "Commit to being a trusted advisor, a thought leader in your organization.  Tell management what they will lose without face to face meetings: sometimes it's revenue, profits, innovations, or market share."

"Our industry is vital to society, innovation, education and change," Roger states firmly.  "And all advocacy is local.  We have to advocate for our own industry."


Roger Rickard is a proven advocate with a wide range of experience in all aspects of business travel. Founder of Voices in Advocacy™ and a Partner at  REvent, LLC, a knowledge exchange business specializing in the meeting, incentive and event industry.  His focus is to work with organizations to provide advocacy education through positive and productive interaction. You may contact him at roger@rogerrickard.com or terrie@rogerrickard.com.