The Meetings Industry. It’s Elementary

I love meetings and exhibitions, both online and face to face.  I like getting together with a group of people and share a learning experience, discuss ideas and takeaways, walking on a trade show floor to learn about new things and see how people connect. Even though I’m not the most extrovert of persons, events and exhibitions entice me to get out of my comfort zone every time.

So what is it in an event that makes me want to be a part of it?

Sure, subject matter and topic are a no-brainer. They have to fit my needs.

And yes, I meet new people. But I can do that anywhere.

Then how do they do it?

Here’s my answer. They bring me all the elements I need.

Fire – the excitement you feel when you are hearing or sharing great ideas. The way that all attendees or groups can work together, or the way that a speaker can inspire. You need fire at a meeting, to ignite that overall vibe. The sensation that you are part of a collaborative gathering that will help you do better things, and in which you can help others as well.

Water - events can bring an ocean of ideas, a sea full of possibilities. And even better, they are like rain: they will get you soaked eventually. Soaked with an overall feeling of the event, soaked with ideas and inspiration. There is no escape from it, so you need to learn to swim. And then float and play in a clear, transparent environment that carries you everywhere you want to go.

                             Family soaked in the rain at Niagara Falls - Hm. must be a hybrid conference :-)

Earth – if there is no structure, no clear objective, no foundation, you get lost. A conference program or trade show floor set boundaries and form a solid starting point from where you can explore any topic. They form the soil that you need to grow your ideas, and learn. And they can keep you down to earth as well, listening to the experiences of peers and teachers.

Air – even though an event can be pretty busy and invasive, it clears your mind from other things. It simply gives you some fresh air, stepping outside your day-to-day routine. Stepping outside your box. It blows away the clutter with a light breeze, removes old ways with a storm.  And it gives you the needed time to breathe, to see a new horizon, to know where you will be heading next

So yes, I love events.

As long as they include Fire, Earth, Water and Air, all basics are covered.

Confessions of a virtual attendee

I don’t know about you, but I don’t  travel to that many conferences and events. As a face to face  attendee I attend only a few meetings annually. I have to choose them with care, finding a  balance between learning and applying the new stuff in my daily routine. I prepare, enjoy the networking, chose my sessions beforehand, take notes, follow up, connect. To be honest, no matter how long I have worked in the events industry, face to face events are still pretty special to me and I treat them as such.

But what about hybrid and virtual events? How am I treating them? Honestly? Not so good.

As an online attendee I “visit” events all the time. I love them. And there are so many conferences, webinars and lectures to watch and participate in, events that are streamed, especially from the USA. And it is easy to attend – almost all events are in the late afternoon and evenings, thanks to the time difference between the USA and Europe.  Yey, I can double my working hours! Sounds like a good deal. Work in the day, learn in the evening.

So, why is the ROI from online events often lacking? What am I doing wrong?

The answer is surprisingly simple: I overeat. Even though the content of all events is appreciated, I don’t prepare for virtual events as if they are special. I attend too many. They become ordinary, mainstream, talking websites (and don’t get me wrong, the events are not the issue here. I am)

Hm. I can’t believe I let that happen.

So this year I will do it differently. Apply a few “how to attend virtual events” rules:

Choose with care – no matter how easy it is to attend, or how ample the choices are. No one goes to a couple  events each week. Let alone follow up on them.

Take “travel” time – white space before and after the event, preparing the sessions, determining ROI beforehand.

Keep a clean desk – no distractions, only the event. Earplugs, notebook, no mail, no work. Multitasking out of the window.

Engage, connect, and participate. Really. Engagement (often an issue for virtual event organizers) is in my opinion also a job/responsibility of the virtual attendee:  even if your event site is grey and dull, I should find enough to keep me engaged in your content, communication options and enthusiasm . If I only stay because of a game or layout, then I should just do another level of Angry Birds.

In one word: BE at the event.

Postscript:

BE at the event. Well, I am trying. Engaging in PCMA and Virtual Edge Summit to start with. Both having a break while I write this.

And both leaving me with a question: could we have a session on “how to be a virtual attendee?”. And promote us as a part of the audience that is not going anywhere?
I have heard so much about using virtual as a means to attract face to face delegates, that somehow I feel that I am just here as a temporary item….