Win increased engagement and success through participation during the conference
Participation
More and more people realize that there are great advantages to co-creation conferences and meetings. Research consistently shows that participants tend to understand, remember, and do more at work after a conference where they have been engaged, compared to a conference where they have been passive for most of the day and only listened to various lectures.
The feeling that is often evoked in many participants after a conference consisting of several hours of passive listening is also anything but modern. Many have a hope and belief that just because the participants hear what is said during a lecture, everyone will understand and support what they have just heard. Therefore, great emphasis is often placed on finding the right formulations and well-thought-out presentations to make the message clear for everyone.
However, it doesn't quite work that way. The information definitely goes out – but rarely in.
It's time to rethink and break old patterns
If you ask a regular conference participant what they associate with a conference, a large proportion still thinks of a predominantly passive day in theater seating.
Lectures of various kinds are of course necessary as well. Participation increases the energy in the group and by alternating shorter lectures with interaction, you are guaranteed to be more effective, have more fun, and achieve more – while keeping the participants' focus on what you're there for, instead of the conference beer waiting at the end of the day.
The average person is said to be capable of maintaining full focus for 18 minutes when listening to something. After that, the ability to concentrate declines and learning drops drastically. So it may not be so strange that participants' thoughts sometimes drift elsewhere.
It's time to break old patterns and leave stale conference agendas behind us. Of course, there are certain tricks and tools that make the conference more dynamic and interesting – and memorable.
The perfect setup
When the participants arrive, make sure to greet them with positivity or with a touch of humor that might not be entirely expected. However, the line is thin between being genuinely funny and being seen as silly, so too much of a good thing may not be the right tune. Moderation is best.
The agenda for the day can of course look different, but below we give you an example of a good and effective setup to base your discussions on about the company's future and goals:
It is important to get the participants to feel both seriousness and positivity about the day as early as possible.
Describe the day's agenda with a red thread and be clear about how the setup looks. Read “15 tips for how to create a successful conference” for inspiration on how to plan and coordinate your next conference - before, during, and after the meeting.
Before the day kicks off – remind the participants why your organization exists and why you do what you do. Communicate a clear vision and outline common sub-goals based on it. This will lead to participants not experiencing it as so burdensome to achieve that goal.
Dividing the sub-goals into different activities for the participants to engage in is usually effective for them to grasp them. Choose activities and exercises that show the participants that they have the opportunity to influence. The goals will undoubtedly become more enjoyable to work towards.
A little way into the agenda, it will be time to evaluate the organization. Describe the company as a good friend. For example, what the friend could improve on, what is non-negotiable, and how could you support your friend? This can be one of the day's most challenging steps, but absolutely the most effective if done right.
At the end of the day, make sure to revisit the activities you did earlier in the day and the points you discussed then. Discuss measurability based on the evaluation. Remember to be clear that this will be followed up at a later time.
Conclude the day as it began – with positivity and preferably some fun activity to wrap up a – hopefully – successful conference.
Small, simple measures that also make a big difference
One suggestion is to ensure that after breaks, all participants are asked to swap places with each other, which is beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, it can be good to separate people who spend a lot of time together and usually exchange ideas with each other – by changing partners to discuss their ideas with, one always learns something new. Secondly, the participants view the meeting from a different angle. Another element that keeps the participants active and awake.