X-ray your event

My cat broke his toe.

Strange, in the past  13 years he never had any problems. He came to our household as a kitten with his sister. She turned out  a petite, sleek and shiny black number, slightly nervous, whereas he grew into a big (OK, maybe too big), relaxed, laid back, no-nonsense, black-and-white rock.  

He had been walking with a strange limp for a while and when we saw no improvement we took him to the vet. There was nothing to be seen with the naked eye, but an X-ray showed a fracture. So now he is walking around with a bright blue cast, trying to make sense of it all and coming to terms with 6 weeks of indoor entertainment. Oh dear.

Why am I getting into such detail about my cat?

Well, imagine that it is not my cat, but your event that is the main topic of this blogpost. It sort of gives you the same story. I am sure you’ve heard it many times before: “the event model is broken, it needs to be fixed”. So many big events are like rocks. How do you find out which (if any) parts are broken? And how would you fix them?

Be aware of change – Is your event still going smoothly? Really? Look at all aspects, all delegates movements, all sessions, all communications, all surveys. Small changes can have a big impact if you leave them unattended. One not-so-good session this year might affect attendance at your whole programme in the next event. Are all aspects of your meeting still flawlessly joined together?

Get a second opinion – Sure you are the one that has the only day-to-day knowledge of your event. But when it comes to fixing problems you might need a fresh pair of eyes form a specialist. Marketeers, technicians, researchers, business analysts, IT specialists – all have special skills that can help you see your event in an new light – and inspire innovation.

X-Ray your event – Do not take things at face value. Use surveys, focus meetings, qualitative research and ROI measurements to see what issues might be hidden below the surface. That smile on your delegate’s face might not tell the full story. Dig deep. Do you provide a  perfect customer journey from beginning to end? Being successful for years is no guarantee, after all. One crack in the road can make you trip…

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I guess that my cat Kareltje (Dutch for Charlie) could not care less about events and analogies.  His focus lies mainly in eating and being outdoors. Well, maybe he would like another post about the brilliant flexibility that cats have and events need…..as long as he gets to be in the centre of attention J

For your next event: break a leg!

Exhibitions say more than a thousand words

First of all: I am really proud of the research we (my company and partners) just concluded. It is a study under Gen X and Y visitors of trade shows and exhibitions. We wanted to know what makes them tick. What do exhibitions and trade fairs mean to them?

I have to say, even though we all belong to one generation or another and can predict  some of the answers, the results  were pretty amazing. We matched the answers with overall generational trends and studies, and this gave some interesting points of view. If you want to check out the research, you can do so here: Gen X & Y research

So what is my point in this post? 

Well…as I was reading through the results of the study, one thing really struck me.

A thing that I wasn’t aware of or did not think about before. A simple thing, really.  Just the word: exhibition. What does it say? What does it mean to you? What image or feeling, which sentiment comes to mind?

An exhibition or an event? Searching on images gives an idea.

As it turned out:

Gen Y sees a possibly  outdated product. Just in the label “ exhibition” or “trade fair”.

Hm. Do they have a point?  Truth is, no matter how much we engage in renewing and reinventing the product, the overall word has stayed the same. We added hybrid components, apps, interactive features, show-and-tells, talks, peer-to-peer sessions, experiences, surprises, communities, a whole new live look, feel and world……but still call it an exhibition. Or a trade fair. 

The content might have changed, the label did not. 

As a result our potential Gen Y visitors have an old idea about a new product. Wow, that IS something to think about.

So I am wondering…should we include the terminology in our reinvention package? Add a new vocabulary to reflect the new meeting architecture and exhibition design?

Anyway, food for thought . Should we  give "trade fairs" and "exhibitions" a new image, a new interpretation? Or do we need to come up with new brands to make sure that generations to come will find excitement and learning in events that we used  to call trade fairs? 

What are the words that sum up an exhibition?

I bet we can come up with more than a thousand!

It’s an art to keep connected

Just imagine: you are an association conference or a trade fair  with a huge amount of international attendees and followers, you have a steady input of new ideas and views, you have an important story to tell…..and then you realize that your next event is 10 years from now. Whoa, 10 years!

How on earth are you going to stay  in touch with your community  and keep the momentum going? Will people forget about you? Will you become old news? How can you ever survive?
Well….it happens. Not just in the events industry. It happened to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, closing 10 years ago for major renovations, and due to open again April 13^th 2013. Less than a month away. And they had a way of keeping the conversation going that inspired me. And can inspire events as well.

1 Stay open, even though you are closed  

Confusing? Well yes and no. Even though the main building was closed, they kept a “greatest hits” collection on display in a separate part of the museum. Plus, the collection went on loan to other museums and special exhibitions, engaging people outside Amsterdam. Lesson learned: stay in touch using smaller spin-offs, and share your knowledge in other events. Be out there!

2 Tell your news – good AND bad

During the 10 years, the Museum kept an open conversation about delays, problems with builders and cyclists (well, it IS Amsterdam after all), as well as achieved targets and great designs. The mix of messages kept an open conversation going – we all had our own opinion and were able to share it. Lesson learned: keep the conversation going! Really…

3 Show your work in progress

During the building, they kept us informed. Not only by telling news, but also showing the building in progress face to face – they had “hard hat tours” and unveiled new acquisitions. Lesson learned: people like to share in progress. Invite your stakeholders to comment on new ideas, use surveys or your social media – ask questions and let delegates share their views.

4 Share your knowledge - everywhere

With the collection in other exhibitions and in huge depots, it was up to the museum to keep those great works of art “on view”- and they used the website to do it . They opened RijksStudio https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio , a part of the website where you can collect, share (on social media) and use your favorite parts of the collection. Images with a superb quality to make your own. Lesson learned: your content is valuable: share it in whitepapers, blogs, chats, events or webinars, and see which parts will spark a conversation.

5 Engage in all forms and formats

The museum used old, new, social, formal - you name it -  media to keep in touch. And now that the opening is getting close, there are numerous of different smaller special events and pre-viewings to get the buzz going. On site, on line – everywhere. For all stakeholder groups: all feel connected. Lesson learned: look at the segmentation of your stakeholders and  be relevant to all of them. Make sure to keep Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y on board and dare to change your event format accordingly, with a meeting architecture that meets all needs.

And then?…. enjoy the connection with old friends, new views, in a fresh environment where history is shown and made.

As far as I am concerned, the Rijksmuseum did a great job, and I am really looking forward to visit again. To do a little re-connecting. And safe to say – I will be inspired again.

Do you see what I see?

So, it has been a while, what’s new? Well…that depends how you look at it.

In the Netherlands we will have a new king soon, and I just learned that there is a new pope. On a more local scale, at work we changed the brand of tea in our offices and started flexible work areas, and in my neighborhood, the Chinese restaurant changed owners. Better spring rolls, but I won’t be ordering the noodles & vegetables again.

Things change on a daily basis. Some good, some bad. Also in events

Change, innovation and reinvention: they are key ingredients when it comes to keeping visitors, delegates and exhibitors engaged with the events we design and the conversations we start.

The blueprints of classic conferences and tradeshows are gradually changing into live maps with touchpoints, telling us which buttons to push and where to begin the change in content, format, design, venue…. a starting point, that’s all. Innovation never stops.

But let’s face it… sometimes, it is just too hard to find the creativity to deal with it.

I guess the trick is to keep it simple yet inspiring. Stay close to home, one thing at a time. But how?

I was thinking about this when I received a tweet from a friend, who is an artist. One of the many things she does, is photographing ordinary objects and turning them into a new reality, choosing the right angles and title. I always feel inspired when I see her work.

She turns torn paper into a hawk, a trash bag into a blackbird, metal fittings into an owl. Ready-mades, ready to change.

She shows that staying close to home can bring about a big change. One thing at a time.  It just depends how you look at it.

So back to events:  what do we really see? An old catering concept might be a new networking tool. A hallway can serve as a walking breakout. A brick wall could be a…  well, anything. Innovation is everywhere, it  just depends how you look at it. Have a special eye. Do you see what I see?

Thanks @mapestaartje (http://www.maartjejaquet.nl/) for letting me use the images: always an inspiration.

A hybrid fairy tale

Once upon a time there were two neighboring countries called “Outside” and “Inside”. The border was marked by big gates and fancy welcome signs, but appeared to be the most quiet on earth. For no one living in Outside seemed interested to visit Inside, and Insiders were never seen on the streets….let alone near the border.

King Content was ruling Inside with a college of  writers , his subjects happy to exchange thoughts online and in blogs. On the other side Queen Experia and her court-engagers ruled the Outside, with lots of people in the squares engaging in conversations and laughter.

A happy lot on each side, but safe to say that tourism rates were slow. Really slow.

Years went by and even though the countries were aware of their neighboring state, the borders remained the loneliest place on earth.

That is…until one fall afternoon. It just so happened that the Outside was having its annual conference near the border, and only a brick wall separated  Outside from Inside. Spirits were high and people were busy visiting sessions and keynotes, listening and talking, enjoying networking sessions in the sun with lots of food and entertainment. ( Just too bad that the sessions were not recorded.)

The joy of meeting people was so great that the mere sound of the conference drew lots of on-site registrations. In fact one of the conference rooms was so full that its breakout session literally turned into a break out: the wall of the room, which was situated on the border, broke down.

With a huge turmoil the bricks collapsed and revealed a small room, where one person was happily tapping on his keyboard and looking at his screen.  He was in tweeting  with lots of Inside people because they, too, were having their annual online conference, with chats  and webinars connecting  lots of people.

And then? Magic happened! An Outsider almost fell on the Insider and before they knew what happened, they  shook hands. The touch of that handshake was so powerful that the Insider tweeted about it…instantly reaching all Inside delegates. And also reaching the Outside delegate, who looked in awe at the online discussion as it developed. He immediately searched for his smartphone  and joined in the conversation.  And they were not alone… in the moments that followed, both Inside and Outside people gathered at the border, engaging in face to face conversations and online talks with the people that stayed in their homes.

For the first time both countries truly connected, and in the days that followed both the physical border and online communities were really busy; all wanted to learn about their neighbor. They  decided to merge their conferences, and when the face to face event was joined with year-round online content, it grew to be one of the best events in the world. With the best of both worlds, really.

Oh and yes,  the King and Queen got in touch as well and hey, since this is a fairytale, who knows where that story will lead to…  

Old things, new eyes

This summer I have been writing my trends report on meetings and events for the time to come. All about new and exciting things and a change of an era, but also about a mix of generations and the keeping of good and valuable things. Because it is surprising how old favorites shine in a new light when put in a different context.  A spoken word, a touch, a room. New connections.

This weekend I have been helping my parents clear part of the interior of a holiday house they have used for 40 years. They are in a fortunate position; the buyer of the house is happy to use most things in it, and all they have to do is select the items they want to keep and take them home. The things that are staying will see a new use, new eyes, new ideas, and will be joined by other stuff.

See where I am going with this? Indeed, a small step from interior decoration to meeting design J .

I like that idea, the combination of old and new things that make up a household. Or a conference. Or a tradeshow. A mix that shows a personal signature, ultimately unique. Never brand new all at once and never static, always with the main objective of its users in mind.

Adding furniture, changing color, re-using rooms. And occasionally a new roof or a new owner. Stuff that one generation throws out, is the cherished antique of another. The mix of it all makes it interesting! Plus a fresh pair of eyes.

So are there any things from that old house coming home with me? Sure. Meet my new pepper and salt buddies: from kitchen cupboard to conversation piece….I bet THEY would work wonders during a conference networking break !

(meeting) ( architecture ) inspiration

Recently  two museums caught my eye and reinforced the vision that to really innovate and improve meetings and events we need to look outside our own profession. How are other venues engaging with their visitors, their audience? What are they telling them, how are they making their stay a pleasure?  

First there was the intriguing Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, which shows art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.  Although an interesting collection, it was the building itself that spoke to me most. With a large green vertical garden enriching the exterior and a garden with great variety of plants and  noises leading into the entrance, it made a perfect harmony of inside/outside (not to mention that it really is a “green” building). What an experience, just walking to the entrance.

Inside we were “greeted” by a permanent installation called “The River”, words flowing down a pathway, making you want to explore its source. It brings you to the permanent collection that lies on the same pathway, with larger and smaller exhibits on each side, eventually bringing you back to “The River” on your way out.  

Lessons: connecting inside/outside, flow, engagement, a double “wow” in the entrance (and exit), visible sustainability. This museum would make a great model for a meeting layout. Just think about it. I know I am!

The second was the great building of MAS in Antwerp, Museum aan de Stroom (which means it is situated at the river). It has 10 floors, the top one being an observation deck that is open to everyone: you don’t have to buy a ticket to get a great view. Every floor tells a story about the city and its inhabitants and shows a new view of the city itself through huge windows, as you go up floor after floor.

The exhibitions on each floor have the same pattern: a small entrance room with a unique experience (no, I am not telling what they are!) brings you into the actual collection, with  more detail on your mobile phone if you want to. On your way out there is an invitation to participate in an activity connecting you to the story. It brings an element of surprise and familiarity at the same time, and gives a great topic for your conversation as you go to the next floor. 

One floor has its collection open to all visitors: it houses the public depots and gives the non-paying visitors and idea of what the museum is all about. Sharing a bit of the history of the city and its collections with everyone, and probably convincing some to go and see the rest of the collection after all.

Lessons: connecting inside/outside, engagement, interaction, wow factor, use of tech, segmentation, ease, rest, sharing. How would this translate to a tradeshow? Just think about it. I know I am!

Main lesson learned? Go visit a (new) museum. Anywhere. It will teach you.

I am eager  to see what our Amsterdam Rijksmuseum will be like when they re-open in spring next year. I’ve seen images of a small plane on the top floor, and a very crisp new logo – can’t wait!