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In conference and meeting environments, attendees receive more messages and content from attending six to eight hours of presentations than a typical day of being bombarded by advertising, direct mail, radio and TV. Duplicate that day two or three times, and you have a mind that is flooded with messages and information on excessive conference overload.
But how many of those messages are remembered? How many are actually learned and retained?
Here are ten conference adult learning myths – busted.
Myth 1: In order to learn, some portion of the attendee’s anatomy must be in contact with a chair at all times.
Fact: Attendee’s ability to learn diminishes in direct proportion to the amount of time they spend sitting.
Myth 2: The attendee that does the most listening does the most learning.
Fact: The person doing the most talking–or moving, writing–is doing the most learning.
Myth 3: The best way to teach and present is to be the “sage on stage” and give information in a well-planned lecture.
Fact: If conference presenters want someone to “hear” something, they lecture. If conference presenters want someone to “learn it,” they should be the “guide on the side” and involve attendees in discussion and activity.
Myth 4: If conference attendees would only listen, they would remember more.
Fact: Vision trumps listening in learning. Repeating the information out loud increases the chances of retention. In order to learn anything well, attendees need to talk about it with each other and “do” it a number of times.
Myth 5: The more serious the conference topic is, the more the attendee will remember.
Fact: Attendees learn–and remember–the best when there is an emotional connection. Storytelling and laughter help make conference sessions memorable.
Myth 6: Fun is only marginal to learning during a conference.
Fact: Not only do conference attendees learn best and remember more when they are having fun, they will also be more willing to seek other challenging learning experiences when fun and humor is involved
Myth 7: The only person who should be a presenter or “sage on stage” is the expert in the field.
Fact: The gap between the presenter and attendee has shrunk. Often the attendees know more than the presenters. And, not all experts make good presenters. Actually, most experts have poor facilitation skills and make lousy presenters.
Myth 8: The more times an attendee hears an exhibitor or sponsor’s message broadcast at a conference, the more likely they’ll remember it and buy from that vendor.
Fact: A Harvard study stays that people can only remember 8-12 messages a day. The messages attendees remember are emotional, enthusiastic and entertaining, interesting and relevant. You’ll get further by being humble and authentic, than showing off that video marketing is so proud of.
Myth 9: The focus during conference sessions should be on how people present and teach.
Fact: The focus should be on the attendee, how they learn, how they retain information and sessions should be designed with the attendee’s learning in mind, not the speaker’s presentation.
Myth 10: There is only one best way to teach (lecturing) or learn (listening) in all conferences and meetings.
Fact: Every adult has a different way they prefer to learn. Lecturing and listening have the least amount of ROI of all the different learning strategies.
What conference attendee adult learning myth would you bust? What adult learning facts do you wish more conference organizers used?
I’m sure you’ve read the horror stories that some speakers have faced as an audience turns on them in Twitter.
I’ve even participated in some of those backchannels where the audience challenged a speaker for more current information, less boring PPTs or corrections of misstated facts. (I’ve also participated in backchannels, where the conversation and tweets were very robust, fueled by a speaker’s great presentation.)
Presenting with Twitter can be challenging. Olivia Mitchell has written a fantastic free eBook “How to present with Twitter (and other backchannels” to help your speakers avoid the fate. You should download a copy now!
Free eBook on presenting with Twitter backchannels by Olivia Mitchell.
I had the privilege of reviewing an early copy and think it is a must-read for all meetings and event professionals, and speakers as well. As I wrote in an email to Olivia:
[It is a] “Fantastic eBook! Outstanding information and well worth the read.”
Download your copy, read and enjoy! And, stop by her blog, Speaking About Presenting, for other great tips for your speakers.
I am just now returning to the office after managing my association’s 21st annual conference.
After seven days in Scottsdale, AZ at a beautiful resort and 100 degree temperatures, I’m grateful to be home.
In 15+ years of planning conferences and events, this was one of the most difficult I’ve ever managed. The convergence of the recession, health care reform (which directly affects the industry association I work for), challenging venue negotiations, and free online content put us on the precipice of the unknown and constant change. We did our best to manage attendee’s expectations and move on a dime as needed. Many “Midcourse Corrections” occurred at this event. Thankfully, as a small staff association we were prepared to change quickly both off and onsite as warranted.
Attendance was down. Revenue was less than expected. Expenses were cut. Yet, the attendee experience did not suffer and our delegates enjoyed the event and resort. That’s what ultimately matters although the fallout of the bottom line is yet to be seen.
As we head into 2010, here are 16 of my meeting planning takeaways from this experience:
Don't expect the economy to rebound to the way it once was. We are now in the new normal.
1. Signing venue contracts two and three years before the event is no longer the new normal.
There is too much risk for the customer regarding contractual obligations including attrition and food and beverage requirements. Some venues are suffering financially as well and want to hold the customer to their contract instead of negotiating a win-win. Things change very fast today. Shorter planning times mean venue contracts are being signed closer to the event.
2. As an association event planner, forget your history for meeting room space and sleeping rooms.
The past is not a good predictor of the future at this time. The better predictor of your attendance is to connect with your members and ask them about their plans. But don’t expect them to follow through with their plans if they are paying for their own way to the event.
3. Cell phone and WiFi access are necessities like water and electricity for any event venue and should be free.
I’ll never do another RFP that does not include requests for information about all cell phone carrier access at the venue and the venue’s WiFi access. People are doing business 24-7 and need to be able to connect online and through their cell phone. Venues that don’t have good cell phone reception and those that charge exorbitant fees for WiFi will lose business, including mine.
4. Phone-in presentations don’t work without visuals, good land line connections and quality hybrid phones (phones that connect directly to sound magnification).
Don’t assume that SKYPE or the cell phone speaker are good back up plans unless you’ve tested them during a site visit. Both may be inaccessible from the facility.
5. Less is more, green is in and spending dollars on content and connecting people creates success.
Cut back on the extravagance and put money towards good content, helping people connect with each other and extending the conference experience before and after the event (webinars, blog posts, conference social community, virtual experiences). A conference social community is a must!
6. Attendees want to pay less for conference registration and expect more value from the event.
The attendee wants more immediate gratification. If the content or experience is not relevant or applicable to their personal or professional lives immediately, forget it. Also, associations that depend on a large portion of their annual budget revenue from conference revenues will continue to face increased challenges. Watch for more associations to drop registration fees or even offer free conference registration. (Also watch as some associations begin to merge with others in the coming year.)
7. Online free content is affecting the conference content and attendance.
Attendees expect onsite conference content to be stellar and better than what they have already seen online. Providing the same ‘ole speakers that you have always used is not good enough anymore.
8. It’s time to view the annual conference within the context of a larger community eco-system.
It is actually only one touchpoint within the eco-system of virtual and face-to-face member experiences. Some of your attendees will be at the venue, others will be outside the venue’s four walls. The organization needs to reach both. Also, step away from viewing the annual conference as a one-hit wonder or stand-alone climatic meeting within the year’s events.
9. Presentations need to move from vertical, one to many presentations to more horizontal, many to many, style sessions.
Attendees want less talking heads, more interaction, networking and structured engagement with each other and with the content. They prefer to learn from each other than a panel or presenter. Structure learning experiences around the audience as the experts. Use crowdsourcing and peer-to-peer exercises for increased attendee engagement and satisfaction. When delegates attend a presentation, they want time to interact with the content and with each other during or after the session. Plan and provide that opportunity.
10. The conference attendee list can drive your registration.
People are attending an event less for content and more for face-to-face time with friends, business colleagues, competitors and vendors. Identify the influencers in your attendee registration and empower them to be your event evangelist.
11. Our attendees are seeking boutique event experiences with fewer people.
We are seeing an increase in requests for a smaller conference experience that we plan every year with condensed meaningful professional development content. People actually enjoyed the smaller number of attendees and felt like it was a special event, just for them.
12. You cannot go backwards with virtual and technology integration.
Attendees expect the same level of virtual and technology integration as in past events. Reducing costs by cutting technology and virtual expenses ultimately reduces attendee’s experience and increases their concerns. Charging extra for virtual and technology integration will be a sure fail whale and you’ll jump the shark at the same time.
BONUS TIPS:
13. Attendees welcome more adult white space in the conference schedule.
Build in adequate time for breaks, connecting with the office, conversations with each other, and time to reflect. Don’t try to cram in more stuff thinking more is better. Reducing the amount of scheduled presentations or events is actually welcomed by the attendee and gives the attendee time to digest and reflect on content.
14. Fear and change are two themes all audiences face regardless of the discipline or industry.
If you provide content on dealing with fear and change, you’ll have a winner. These are unique times indeed and these themes are ubiquitous as attendees grapple with the unknown.
15. The corporate and nonprofit mantra has been “If we can just hold on, one of these days things will get back to normal.” Forget about getting back to normal. This is the new normal.
16. What is the new normal?
According to economist, Don Reynolds of 21st Century Forecasting, “More regulation, a weaker consumer, higher rates of unemployment, years before housing prices get back to old highs, a weaker dollar, more government debt, more taxes, a little deflation, then a lot more inflation and an end to U.S. global economic downturn.” (Don was one of our keynote speakers and delivered optimistic yet cautious economic news.)
As we look into the 2010 crystal ball regarding the meetings, events and associations world, what can we expect? More of the same.
According to Reynolds, “The economy has improved and will continue to do so. However, we are in the new normal!” He felt that this recession will last a minimal of six quarters. He also said, “To expect a normal recovery cycle, whether it is corporate profits or lending or consumer spending or capital investment, or (pick the category—increased meeting attendance, or association growth) is just not reasonable.”
Welcome to the New Normal.
Livestreaming from Times Square: Boldly Going Where You Should Already Be
If not you missed an excellent presentation on virtual and face-to-face events as well as eLearning.
The presentation included a power-house of who’s who professionals from the corporate world now offering virtual events and eLearning. (I had no idea these folks were doing this either.) Here are the professionals on panel:
Ben Chadar, President Stream57 – moderator
Glenn Butcher, Director, Online Communications, Merck & Co
Robyn Duda, Director of Events, Ziff Davis
Celeste Mosby, Vice President, Life Sciences, Wilson Learning Worldwide
Robert Rosenbloom, CoFounder & CEO, PlatformQ
JoLee R. Southard, Director, Professional Programs, GlaxoSmithKline
Neal Thompson, Director, Strategic Business Technology, Maritz Inc.
Don’t miss the cameo by #eventprofs own Paul Salinger too!
Stream54 Live Webcast Panelists
It looked like a Sunday morning TV talk show and it was very well done. I was 15 minutes late to the presentation and immediately begin to tweet about it. In a matter of minutes, I had others joining me in conversation as well as the panelists answering a couple of my questions.
If you’re interested in the integration of virtual and face-to-face events or eLearning, you should watch the recording.
Here are some of my take-aways:
- Virtual events are here to stay and panelists agreed they expect 75% increase in growth of virtual events in coming year.
- Attendees will not pay for virtual events or eLearning unless the content is extremely unique or exclusive. Internet flooded with good, accurate free content.
- Virtual events will not replace face-to-face events or cannibalize the face-to-face attendance.
- Neal Thomas of Maritz says an event is an eco-system that encompasses multifaceted approach and exists within larger context of community.
- Ziff Davis used virtual events to gather lead information and see if there was a market for a regional face-to-face event in specific cities.
- Ziff Davis believes in having dedicating people to live tweet and blog about the face-to-face and virtual event to increase reach of message, lead generation, conversation and engagement with virtual attendees.
- Virtual events take just as much time to create as face-to-face meetings. Also, expect content to arrive late for virtual event just as face-to-face event.
- Meeting professionals must begin to understand the technology of virtual events and use it.
- Fear is big barrier to acceptance yet public embracing it quicker now. If company has call center and is going virtual with some events, turn call center into created virtual concierge center for virtual events. Create a virtual attendee ready center before virtual event as well.
- Panelists encouraged use of back-channel and virtual attendee peer-to-peer engagement to increase social and informal learning.
Note: If you were following me in Twitter, you watched me create a major snafu too. I didn’t know hashtag for event so Samuel Smith and I created one. I suggested bodly and meant #boldly. So you’ll see us using tweets with both hashtags if you look at history. About two-thirds into the presentation, Ziff Davis suggested #f2f and we picked that up as well.
Should you offer live streaming of your conference for free or for a fee? 
Many associations and conference planners face this question and there are no easy answers. If you read this blog regularly, you know I have an opinion that has sparked great debate around this issue. Most agree that live streaming is a great value add-on and way to reach more people. But at what and who’s cost?
In the past five days, two organizations held face-to-face conferences with live streaming:
- SmartBrief & Socialfish’s Buzz2009 in Washington DC, July 9, 2009
- Meeting Professionals International’s WEC 2009, in Salt Lake City, July 11-14, 2009
Buzz2009 sold out with 70 attendees for its boutique association social media conference. Attendees paid $395 or $495 for the one-day experience. Buzz offered a free live streaming 90-minute webinar with four panelists and one moderator featuring Alltop’s Guy Kawasaki and GasPedal’s Andy Sernovitz.
WEC 2009 was $625 for full event or $560 for one-day ticket and had approximately 2,500 people onsite. (This is the best guess I could get from onsite attendees.) MPI charged $299 for members or $399 for nonmembers for full Virtual Access Pass (VAP) to live streaming or $19 for the live streaming of the 90-minute opening general session. WEC 2009′ s 90-minute opening general session had actor Ben Stein, COO for the Obama Presidential Inauguration Betsy Myers, and Harrah’s Entertainment chairman, CEO and president Gary Loveman.
Both asked people to use a Twitter hashtag and tweet during their events. Here’s an interesting comparison of Buzz2009’s Webinar and WEC2009’s opening general session Twitter reach for their respective 90-minute presentations and from one day from each event. Statistics are from wthashtag.com and transcripts from twitter search.
Comparison of Twitter tweets from two 90-minute sessions from two conferences SmartBrief and SocialFish's Buzz2009 and MPI's WEC 2009.
Interesting comparison, right? Buzz2009 has 379% more people who did not attend the face-to-face event tweeting about their event. WEC 2009 had less people tweeting about the event, approximately 7% of total attendance. Yes, WEC probably made some money from their paid VAP that Buzz2009 did not.
(Note: In case you’re wondering, Michael McCurry tweeted yesterday a different total number of tweets for MPI’s WEC2009, 1,093. That’s the total number of tweets from several days, not just one day or a 90-minute presentation.)
From my perspective, the free live streaming reached more people and had more people engaged than MPI’s paid virtual access. The paid live streaming had less participation and the majority of the people tweeting were on location at the event with a few people tweeting while watching the live streaming. Even more interesting was that WEC had a steady stream of tweets from people who were not onsite and wanted to know more about what was happening.
So what do you think? Who had the farther reach virtually? Who had the greater ROI (Return on Influence)? What are your observations from these statistics? What does this tell you about free versus paid live streaming from a conference? Which event’s content is more likely to become viral, spread, have more eyeballs seeing it in the future and will continue to live virtually now that the event is passed? Which event’s content could trigger a “World Wide Rave” as author David Meerman Scott calls it?
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