View
1
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
The Future of Conferences
Gihan PereraFuturist, Speaker, Author
Ten Things Great
Conference Organisers
Do Differently
The Future of Conferences 1
Is the In-Person Conference Dead?
Videoconferencing, online meetings,
telepresence and other collaboration
technology are gaining traction. Does
that mean the in-person conference
is obsolete?
No – not by a long way! But its role has
changed. Some of the benefits of coming
together for a conference can be achieved
just as effectively in other ways, but that’s
a good thing because you can focus on the
things that make the conference
experience special.
In this short book, we look at ten trends
affecting our professional and personal
lives, and how conference organisers
take advantage of them.
Good conference organisers adapt to
these changes.
Great conference organisers embrace
them and create transformational
conference experiences.
“The report of my death was an
exaggeration.”
- Mark Twain
The Future of Conferences 2
Networking is not enough. Your attendees
want to make strong connections and
build lasting relationships.01
Their thinking starts before they arrive.
Help delegates with better preparation so
they make the most of the conference.02
They are not just attendees sitting silently
and listening; they want to be active
participants in co-creating the conference.03
Gadgets and gizmos don’t impress
anymore, unless they are transformational
tools that enhance their experience.06
They want to take their corridor
conversations inside, and actively take
part in in-session collaboration.07
There are other places where they can
learn new skills. They want the conference
to shift thinking instead.08
The Ten Trends
They don’t come to the conference for
more information. They want actionable
insights that make a lasting difference.04
They don’t want you to work at keeping
them entertained and engaged; they want
a conference that flows effortlessly.05
A conference isn’t a one-off event. It can
now be an integrated part of their entire
journey.09
Online events aren’t the enemy of in-
person conferences. They can enhance
and extend the overall experience.10
The Future of Conferences 3
Ideas and Actions
From Networking to Connections
People have always attended
conferences for the chance to connect
and reconnect with peers and
colleagues.
Good conference organisers already know
the importance of creating spaces during
the conference for networking and
relationship building.
Great conference organisers facilitate this
by expanding it to include connections with
speakers and helping delegates connect
before they arrive.
Publish speakers’ contact details –
especially their LinkedIn address – on
the conference Web site.
If appropriate, publish delegate names
and contact details (again, LinkedIn is
a good balance between access and
confidentiality) as they register.
Create opportunities for planned
serendipity.
1
The Future of Conferences 4
Why LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the best social media platform for
connecting people at your conference because:
It’s a business/professional platform
Many of your speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, panellists and
attendees are already using it
It’s not as private as Facebook, and not as public as Twitter
It provides space for positioning and profiling
It has built-in features for publishing (Pulse), connecting,
recommending and collaboration (groups)
A great LinkedIn profile
has:
Good quality photo
Descriptive summary
Up-to-date history
Recommendations for and
from other people
Links to videos, slide
shows, downloads, etc.
The Future of Conferences 5
Ideas and Actions
From Promotion to Preparation
Don’t assume any real thinking by
delegates only happens at the
conference itself. Now, you can get
them thinking well before they take
their seats.
Good conference organisers use a variety of
promotional tools – including speaker
videos, e-mail bursts, social media, and in-
person promotion.
Great conference organisers take this
further by sparking conversations, seeding
ideas, and building momentum for the
sessions.
Ask speakers to write a 400-500 word
article about their topic.
Ask speakers to create a 60-second
video asking three key questions for
delegates to consider.
Interview leaders about key messages
and offer them as MP3 downloads.
Use the Twitter hashtag pre-conference
to promote interesting material.
2
The Future of Conferences 6
12 High-Value Promotional Tools
promotional webinar
delegatesurvey
promotional video
Google hangout
password-protected page
conference Web site
free report conference app
books from speakers
audio programs from speakers
sponsor giftspromotional CDs
The Future of Conferences 7
Ideas and Actions
From Attending to Participating
Your audience mix is changing (see
next page), with less than a third of
them happy to just sit and listen to
lecture-style presentations, as Baby
Boomers have done in the past.
Good conference organisers also cater to
Gen X attendees, who like group
participation and facilitation.
Great conference organisers also cater to
Millennials (Gen Y), who value individuality,
social media, and technology seamlessly
integrated into the conference experience.
Promote the Twitter hashtag widely
during the conference. Appoint social
media leaders to seed the online
conversations.
Ask speakers to tweet key messages
automatically during their session.
Live stream selected sessions.
Encourage speakers, sponsors and
exhibitors to share conference
messages to their online networks.
3
The Future of Conferences 8
Who’s Turning Up?
Most of your conference attendees fall
into one of three groups. According to
McCrindle Research, this is how they are
distributed in the Australian workforce.
38%
Gen X (age 35-50)prefer interaction and
discussion groups
33%
Millennials (age 15-35)like technology, social
media, and having their say
29%
Boomers (age 50-70)prefer traditional lecture-
style learning
Three Generations, One Event
The Future of Conferences 9
Ideas and Actions
From Information to Insights
People don’t need more information in
their life, and they certainly don’t need
to attend a conference to get the
information they need.
Good conference organisers create
programs that balance information with
interaction, collaboration, and participation.
Great conference organisers find ways to
capture insights in the moment, package
them for future reference, and distribute
them in bite-sized chunks.
Coach internal speakers in the use of
visuals, stories and audience
interaction in their sessions.
Book external speakers who can help
participants make sense of the
information overload.
Create a Storify.com story to capture
key ideas and insights from the
conference.
4
The Future of Conferences 10
Crafting Magnetic Messages
You can’t turn inexperienced speakers into brilliant presenters
overnight, but you can give them some useful guidelines to help
them improve their presentations.
Download the Presentation Skills chapter from my book
“The Future of Leadership” for simple ways to
improve presentations.
You have my permission to share it
with your speakers.
The Future of Conferences 11
Ideas and Actions
From Energy to Flow
Managing delegates can be like
herding cats, and one of your biggest
challenges is keeping their attention,
focus and energy.
Good conference organisers manage their
delegates’ energy by arranging the program
to balance action and reflection, listening
and talking, education and entertainment.
Great conference organisers align
everything with the conference theme, and
help delegates flow through the conference,
so they manage their own energy and
achieve their own goals.
Brief speakers, sponsors and exhibitors
about your organisation, the audience
expectations, and the conference
theme.
Emphasise the importance of speakers
presenting a session customised and
tailored to the audience and theme.
Coach the MC to tweak speaker
introductions and session
announcements to align with the
conference theme.
5
The Future of Conferences 12
Briefing for Speakers
Do you send briefing notes
to help speakers prepare?
Here are a few of the
questions I ask clients. Use
them to create a briefing
sheet to send to speakers.
The best speakers will ask
these questions anyway, but
most won’t.
What do you want my presentation to accomplish?
What do you want your audience to do or do better
as a result of my presentation?
How would these results affect their professional
and/or personal lives?
What is their current attitude about the topic?
How receptive is the audience to change?
How will you measure the results of my
presentation in three to six months?
The Future of Conferences 13
Ideas and Actions
From Gadgets to Tools
Technology has the power to transform
the entire conference experience, but
only if it used effectively and not just a
random collection of Bright Shiny
Objects.
Good conference organisers use technology
that replaces old techniques – such as a
conference app, online session bookings,
and downloadable resources.
Great conference organisers use technology
that enhances and transforms the in-person
experience, rather than just making it more
efficient.
Provide reliable, high-speed WiFi for
delegates; it can make or break all the
other technology you use.
Use QR codes (and teach delegates
how to use them) on all printed
material.
Always ask, “How we can get more from
this technology?”
6
The Future of Conferences 14
Beware the Bright Shiny Objects!
These are common, but consider
whether they really add value:
Prezi
Electronic polling systems
Geo-fencing technology (e.g. iBeacon)
On-stage Twitter stream
3D imaging
On the other hand, these usually
are valuable for your conference:
Free WiFi for delegates
Charging stations
Conference mobile app
Twitter hashtag for conference
QR codes on printed material
“Every piece of technology you use reduces your chance
of success by one-third. That’s why I don’t wear a watch.”
- Gihan Perera
The Future of Conferences 15
Ideas and Actions
From Corridor Conversations to In-Session Collaboration
If so many delegates think the
conversations they have outside the
sessions are the most valuable part of
the conference, why do you bother
with the sessions?
Good conference organisers know the
sessions are important, but only if they
allow opportunities for participants to chat,
contribute and collaborate.
Great conference organisers look beyond
the list of delegates and tap into the
extended community for conversation and
collaboration.
Design sessions that allow back-and-
forth interaction with the presenters,
group discussions, and one-on-one
conversations.
Use the conference Twitter hashtag to
spark conversations, ask (and answer)
questions, and invite input and
feedback – even from people who
aren’t at the conference.
Provide a live stream of selected
sessions, and enable anybody to
comment.
7
The Future of Conferences 16
Can You Afford to Let Outsiders In?
If you open up your conference material to outsiders with live streaming,
Twitter hashtags and public comments, doesn’t that diminish the value of
registrations? Not if you do it right!
The power of your conference is in the people, not the material – and people have more
influence than ever before. Your delegates have access to networks you could never
reach. By allowing them to share with their networks, you gain access to those networks
as well.
You don’t have to provide access to everything.
Choose bits and pieces at first, and watch what
happens. Chances are you’ll improve the value for
everybody – including yourself.
The Future of Conferences 17
Ideas and Actions
From Skills to Shifts
There are so many channels available
for learning new skills, and a
conference isn’t usually near the top
of the list.
Good conference organisers include some
sessions for developing skills, and provide
multiple streams to help participants self-
select the most valuable sessions.
Great conference organisers focus on
shifting thinking rather than teaching skills,
and plan the program around ideas,
mindsets, and inspiration for new ways of
thinking.
Choose speakers who can change the
audience’s minds, but can also show
them “how to get there from here”.
Schedule sessions that encourage
fearless conversations on controversial
topics.
Ask keynote speakers to provide
breakout sessions that reinforce their
key messages.
8
The Future of Conferences 18
Use Online Courses for Skills Training
Online courses have transformed the way people can learn new skills.
Instead of using valuable conference resources for training, encourage
people to use online courses instead.
There are large online course providers like Coursera.org, but it’s easier to start
with smaller – but still high-quality – providers like Open2Study.com (backed by
leading Australian and New Zealand universities).
Browse Open2Study for courses related to your
conference them, and link to them from the
conference Web site and mobile app.
The Future of Conferences 19
Ideas and Actions
From Event to Journey
A conference shouldn’t just be a single
event in a participant’s life; it’s one
part of an engaging journey.
Good conference organisers show
participants how to get more value from the
conference material after they leave the
room.
Great conference organisers create ways for
participants themselves to keep the learning
alive.
Ask speakers to suggest post-
conference activities that keep the
learning alive after their sessions.
Create mastermind groups or “buddies”
for participants to keep each other
accountable.
Host follow-up sessions as webinars,
videoconferencing, and mastermind
groups.
9
The Future of Conferences 20
Ideas and Actions
From Online Substitute to Online Enhancement
Online collaboration tools can replace
some of what happens at the
conference. You can see that as a
threat or an opportunity.
Good conference organisers create hybrid
events by adding online components before
and after the conference.
Great conference organisers treat the
combination of online and in-person events
as part of one continuous learning journey.
Ask speakers to provide additional
online resources in a variety of formats
(written, audio, video, interactive).
Capture key takeaways and drip-feed
them by e-mail to delegates post-
conference.
Help each participant create their own
Personal Learning Network for ongoing
actions.
10
The Future of Conferences 21
You Don’t Have to Change Everything
Some people suggest throwing out
the old conference format and
completely replacing it with
something else.
That is one option, but not the only one.
As you can see from the ideas in this book,
you can add, mix, complement, enhance
and extend the traditional conference
format to create a better experience.
It’s also worth exploring other
formats for your sessions, such as:
Fishbowls
World Café
Kinetic Spectrum
Professional Speed Dating
Appreciative Inquiry
Open Space Technology
Ignite presentations
The Future of Conferences 22
Do you like these ideas? Ask me to help you!
I’m a conference keynote
speaker, but when you
book me, you get more
than just a presentation!
I can help you implement
some of the ideas in this book
to improve the experience for
your next conference.
Here are some of the most common ways I
help conference organisers who book me:
Additional online resources
Post-conference modules to keep the learning alive
Interviews with key people before the conference
Advice on using Twitter
Promotional videos and slide shows of my session
A selection of articles and audio programs for use
in your marketing and promotion
And more – just ask!
The Future of Conferences 23
About Gihan Perera
Gihan Perera is a futurist, conference speaker,
author and consultant who gives business
leaders a glimpse into the future - and what you
need to do to take advantage of it.
Since 1997, he has worked with thought leaders,
change agents, business leaders and
entrepreneurs, helping them with their strategy
for thriving in a fast-changing world.
Forbesmagazine rated him the #5 social media
influencer in the world in his area of expertise.
The Future of Conferences 24
Some of My Speaking Topics
The Future of Leadership
Great Minds Don’t Think Alike
We need a new kind of leadership to navigate our volatile,
uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.
Bright Sparks
Innovation and Collaboration in a Customer-Centric World
Customers have more power than ever before, and that’s
good news if you actively involve them everywhere.
Channelling Chaos
The New Rules for High Performance
Instead of fighting our “always on”, 24/7, connected world,
harness the chaos so it works to your advantage.
The Future of Conferences 25
Gihan Perera
thank you
Published under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NoDerivatives licence.
Please pass it on!
Recommended