Are you ready for “Family” meetings ?

The other night I was reading  about generational studies in events. Organizers and exhibitors trying to cope with Generation Y, trying to encourage them to come to their conferences and exhibitions. Searching for answers to this generation’s abundant use of technology, short attention span, here-and-now mentality, and need for instant gratification. Finding a balance between Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.

Wait a minute. Where do I recognize this from?

When I look at my personal environment, such as my family, I see all sorts of age groups sharing space, life and interests. What would happen if I use my own family as an inspriration for events?

I know it is not a good idea to bring your work  “back home”, but in this case it might just work.  Not because I like to work from home (sorry family!), but because my home environment can bring inspiration to the workplace.

Take a family birthday a few weeks ago. Remote (phonecalls, emails) and live (parents, children, grandchildren) attendees. If I were to look at it as a “conference specialist” , we had a  main conference, breakout sessions, catering breaks and  a keynote speaker. Attended by  at least 3 different generations, both online and face to face.  

So what made it work?

Know your audience

Make sure you know who to expect at your party! Have plans for all age groups and interests, but remember that they are all coming to the event because of you, the topic, the cause. So don’t overdo your segmentation and leave room for improvisation, unconference. Small groups are pretty good in organizing themselves.

Find common ground

Even though our lifestyles can be very different, we all have someting in common. Our DNA, anyway. And just as in any other community that is formed around a topic,  profession or interest,  you do not get to choose the members. They form the group that shares your interest, and that is a great starting point. Be part of the community, and learn about them.

The young teach the old

New technology can be overwhelming, and use of tech tools changes every month. Let key users, the ones that were born after the birth of the internet,  show you how they use it, and why. It helps to shape an event into a hybrid that all age groups can enjoy, with maybe shorter sessions and more Q&A. And more screen time…

The old teach the young

Learning from stories and experiences is so important. Talking to industry leaders and hearing about both best practices and failures, engaging in Q&A sessions ….. it makes younger attendees connect with the industry’s history, and be part of it. Share an experience. Bond.

Let’s face it: we live with different generations every single day, and  catering for different age groups at events is in our system  anyway. So pick your familiy:  All in the Family, Married with Children,  Modern  Family…  and transform it into a family meeting.

Dare to share ! (and a big THANK YOU)

When I ask my son about stuff at his school, he often doesn’t answer right away. Reluctant to tell his mother the full story, I guess. Not willing to share all discussions he has with his friends and classmates. I understand  that, and unless there is a real problem, this is OK. I do not need to know everything. Let him have his own world.

I am just like him, in a way. Often I try to find my own solution for professional challenges. I can spend hours and hours writing, planning, researching and summarizing. Knowing that I can get the job done. Often not realizing that maybe I can do a better job if I consult a few peers.

However, sharing your story can help. It  helps if you are a 10 year old struggling with a show and tell, but also if you are a meeting planner trying to find new conference formats .

Ask a few questions. Listen to a few different opinions. Share your own views. Dare to share.

Bottom line: if you dare to share your thoughts and ideas, you will benefit. It is that simple. Find listeners in colleagues, industry peers, neighbors, friends…different ears hear the same story in different ways, and will give you a diverse feedback that can help you find solutions you would otherwise not have found. Better still, share with people that you might not even know. To get a fresh view.

Why am I going on about this? Simple.

On October 3rd I will start a weekly chat on Twitter for European event professionals. Inspired by the event professionals community on Twitter, a great bunch of people that showed me that sharing ideas, views, thoughts and challenges in the events industry can be rewarding and inspiring. Can be provocative and scary. Can be hard and confronting. Can be caring and helpful. Can be fun and full of laughs. But always leave behind a few good ideas that can help you.

The chats by groups using hashtags such as #eventprofs, #engage365, #expochat, #assnchat showed me communities that are keen on educating and sharing experiences. Giving insights in events, organizers, exhibitors, venues, delegates, technology, you name it. From day to day routines to global trends. Open discussions, with people giving their opinions freely. No holding back.

Such a great learning experience… so a big THANK YOU is due.

And I hope that maybe we can follow your example.. by providing a platform for European event professionals to share their thoughts. Let’s give it a try. Dare to share! (by the way, #euventprofs will be the thing to look for…)

How would YOU like to feel special ?

This August we were in Italy, with our ten year old son. We were in Tuscany and planned to visit some of the great cities and works of art. I was a bit worried about that. I am a former  art historian and can be in churches and museums all day, but my son likes to run, hike, swim, game, and do all kinds of activities that do not include old buildings (unless there is a tower to climb).

He is a child of the 21^st century, fully online, used to the  internet, You Tube, building games… His school lessons are crammed  with digital images, TV and online quizzes, and I guess it won’t be long until he is on Facebook or something similar.

 But there we were, looking at a beautiful fresco in one of the Sienese churches, and he said: “Is this a famous old picture? Because you know, if this picture is really that special, and this is the only place where you can really see it and almost touch it, and I am the one looking at it, IT MAKES ME FEEL SPECIAL, TOO.”

Wow. Just like that he nailed a key ingredient of the meetings industry for me. Feeling special. I never thought of it from that perspective.

Feeling special. More so, knowing that the encounter you have, looking at a real thing or talking to a real person, or having a real experience, cannot be duplicated in exactly the same way. No matter how many copies you make. It is in the here and now, and totally involves the personal experience of the attendee. An experience, by the way, that does not need to be “original” all the time (which was another key takeaway for me, looking at my son). After all, we all like to do the same thing, sometimes. It does not mean that the experience is less genuine.

So when do your attendees feel special? With a keynote speech and personality  that leaves them with a personal goal and an upbeat attitude? With a balanced meal that gives them brainfood for thought AND a satisfied stomach? With an open discussion that gets their adrenaline going and  truly connects with other attendees? With an app for their event that starts when they leave their front door?

And when do your  hybrid attendees feel special? With a programme inside the physical meeting that allows them an experience that truly connects them? With pop up international Google + hangout discussions  that suit their schedule and timezone? With a virtual emcee that acknowledges their questions and gets the answers?

Making people feel special. Core business for venues, suppliers, planners, exhibitors and organizers. Feeling special inspires involvement, engagement, learning, ROI. Getting the most out of an event.

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The rest of our trip to Italy we sort of alternated between the swimming pool , hikes and works of art. He made numerous photos with his Nintendo DSi and tried to capture all the main sights digitally. In that respect, he did not care about being original himself. And that was OK. The main attraction were the real things, the “live events”. Because they made him feel special.  

A renaissance of meetings

Last week I participated in the wonderful Event Camp Twin Cities 2011 *, and no doubt you will read lots of blogs  about it …well here’s my bit. At last. A huge 4 days later.

(Why so late? A very recent holiday in Italy, with no mobile services or internet on the site where we were staying, made me aware again of the need to reflect. To take my time and chew on a topic. Think. These days I get so many input from so many channels, that it is really hard to form an opinion without being influenced.)

From the remote hills and wildlife of Tuscany to the wired rooms and fast life in the Event Camp pod in Amsterdam was like going from 0 to 100 Mph in less than a second. And yes, I loved the ride on the rollercoaster and I was truly happy to be a part of it. But to be completely honest: I would have loved a ride in a slower vehicle just as much.

This was my second Event Camp Twin Cities: I participated as virtual attendee last year, and was part of the Amsterdam pod this year. So what are my takeaways after two experiences? 

Dare to share – thoughts, visions, technology, formats: without try outs and collaborations they would probably not be as good. Celebrate success and celebrate failure – both help you to find new ways and learn new skills. And build better meetings.

Reach out – if you are part of a remote group within a meeting, it is hard to connect with the main event. Tweets and so on are sent easily, but a real conversation is a challenge. The experience in our group was great because we made our own party, but some of that feeling should have found its way back in the main conference. Hybrid goes both ways, so reach out and make your connection.

Form follows function – to get your content across you can use many types of meeting architecture, formats, technology, games, and so on. But never forget that all are in service to get your message across. If there is too much going on, your message might get lost in the fun.

Smell the roses – take time to reflect and then choose how you want to participate. I got carried away a bit, into the flow, into the game, and missed out on topics and conversations I could have enjoyed more. Taking a break, also during sessions, can help you make better decisions. A conference format should have  a pause button sometimes. 5 minutes reflection to see the big picture again.

In Italy I saw some great “big pictures” – Piazza del Campo in Siena, the frescoes in Arezzo’s San Francesco, the Dome in Florence. One of a kind. Perfect examples of cooperation, vision and innovation.

And even though I cannot compare Event Camp with Italian art, it IS showing us the way to a “renaissance” that I strongly believe in. A renaissance of meetings.

*Eventcamp is a series of innovative events that explore new ways of meetings, hosted in various US cities (and soon in London, on September 9). Groups of people can link online to the event in small groups (pods) or individually (virtual attendees).

Too much of a good thing?

(Setting:  after dinner)

OK, so I am multitasking again. I am typing, sharing some old CD’s with the Ipod, commenting on an ” I Carly” episode that family members are watching,  and chewing on a thought I had during dinner.

It was a really nice dinner: home made fresh pesto, with good pasta, big salad, some sausage that my son loves, a nice wine, olives, bread, good oil, cheese  --- the works. 
I loved every bite. But to be honest, I ate to much.

And I somehow was reminded of a thought I have about trends in events. Like an old fashioned simple dinner, I used to see events as the big meal of the day. That was it. 
I was hungry for  them, enjoyed them, and then had to wait for the next serving, which usually was a while later. Until that time: back to work.

But now the ” 24/7, 365 days a year” thought has taken over. Events use social media, are part of or initiator of communities, talk to me, go hybrid, send webinars, newsletters, online versions, live webcasts, virtual booths, recaps and previews. My calendar of events has grown immensely, and being an online attendee allows me to "travel" to events worldwide easily. The time difference even lets me attend meetings and get in a full day of work at the same time.  And I do love it. Learning, meeting great people online....

But with all the knowledge that I can feast on, it is too much of a good thing – I am not able to eat it all.

How much can I digest?

Hypothetically:  if all events, conferences, trade fairs and  exhibitions  adopt an online presence that involves 24/7 commitment and community-involvement,  then events that used to be complementary in real live, will affect each other online much more than they used to.

What will come out of it? Only a few big live events that thrive on- and off line, or loads of local niche events with smaller groups enjoying them? Will we get small or big dishes? 
 I can't tell but am curious to find out.

In the meantime, I might need an event diet. Suggestions, anyone? 

Grow your own meeting

This spring my son, who is 10 years old,  started with gardening in school:  his class has a plot and they grow all kinds of things:  beetroot, onions, broad beans, fennel, potatoes, garlic – you name it.

A variety of vegetables that is nurtured with care and eaten with joy – even the things he usually avoids. It seems that being in charge of a vegetable makes all the difference. It is mine, I grew it, I will eat it. All of it. It is good stuff.

For a boy who lives in the city, growing his own food is really magical. And I guess it is true: you are much more likely to try new things if you have some influcence over them.  Participate, engage, facilitate, care.

That made me think: doesn't this apply to events as well? Where attendees are able to plant their own seeds, have a say about the content and then take some of that content back home? An event made by audience participation with attendees as stakeholders, owners almost, instead of buyers who can shop in any store. 

Just wondering: how many events are made this way? With true community participation? And more important: a willingness of the organizer to let attendees look after their own specific part of the overall schedule? Trust them to make it work. To water the plants if needed, so to say, harvest them when it is time, and maybe start new varieties.Crowdsource-style. All in the same plot, at the same event. Watch it grow.

When all participants get a sense of ownership,  an event will have a much bigger part in their professional lives. They made it; they will attend it. Organicly grown, sustainable meetings: what more can you ask for?

Maybe a drop of rain, now and then.

Good old fashioned multi-tasking

I do it all the time: talk on the phone, and at the same time answer an e-mail on an entirely different topic. Or listen to a webinar while I am ironing, catching only a few of the slides  

That makes me less productive, I read in articles that say true focus is key. They have a point, maybe. But being able to wonder a bit, to zoom in and out of focus, helps me see things in a better perspective.

How would that work at a conference, I wonder?  Just a thought.

At most conferences, delegates with mobile devices constantly shift focus form mobile screen to keynote speaker, typing while listening, tweeting or checking mail. Nothing new here. But what if that was taken a step further?

Can you see attendants knitting during a keynote? Or husking corn while brainstorming in a breakout session?  They could even cook their meal together. I don’t see why not, to be honest. Merge some social activity into the conference room. Business/leisure, old skool.

As I was writing just now, I started a fruit cobbler which is filling my kitchen with blueberry and cake smells. There is some butter on my Caps Lock and I forgot a few words, but otherwise both activities were truly rewarding. And that is a good feeling – not to mention that I get to eat some of the results.