Make Your Next ‘Big Meeting’ Unforgettable [CEO]
By Cassie Brown
It’s that time of year again: the big company meeting that you hope will be even better than last year’s. However, for some reason, registrations aren’t flying in like they used to. This isn’t exactly good for business and could be a strong sign you need an event “refresh.”
As CEO, a company-wide meeting is the last thing you want to worry about when you already have so much on your plate. Consider these five reasons your attendance may be dropping and how to keep your business partners, vendors and other attendees excited about the event.
The old format is dead.
People love the unexpected. They love the mystery involved in an event and not always knowing what will happen next. Therefore, if you have the same general theme, type of speakers, predictable content and refreshments each year, what’s to get excited about? Change up that hackneyed pre-event networking cocktail party from 6-8 the night before with not-so-great wine, with only people they know.
Evaluate what’s not working.
You may typically have an after-hours session with a key speaker or a presentation that is similar to content already in the program earlier that day. If few people are going, and it’s not delivering much value, scrap it. Moreover, to truly take an accurate pulse on what is and isn’t working, make sure attendees have access to feedback cards or email feedback forms to gauge what they like and don’t and would like to see happen.
Have a format.
Yes, guests like a bit of surprise, but they also like structure too. It’s important to keep speakers on time and moving. Don’t let speakers go too far over their allotted time, as once you’re off schedule it’s difficult to get back on track. Research shows that the human brain can work well for about 90 minutes then it needs a break. That’s why the best speeches are 18 minutes or under. Every 7-10 minutes there should be a change at your event – a song, a video or something interactive to allow the attendee’s brains to take a break.
Make it intimate.
For a big meeting, letting people do their own thing and “hope” they talk to the right people or make connections isn’t the way to go. Instead, consider having smaller groups of people in intimate breakout sessions with one or more facilitators to structure the networking. Small breakouts and spaces encourage more thoughtful and engaging conversation especially with those they didn’t think they should meet.
Don’t shy from controversy.
I’m not suggesting you invite the local picketing group to your conference. However, if all the speakers have all similar views, it’s not really challenging attendees and bringing any fresh viewpoints. It’s okay for people to disagree. It engages people and gets them to reassess their assumptions about a particular subject.
As CEO, it can be difficult to strike the delicate balance between an informative and a fun company-wide event. But with just a few critical pieces in place, you can pull off a successful event with no hiccups.
About the Author:
Cassie Brown is the chief experience officer at TCG Events, an award-winning, full-service event planning company. TCG’s work includes milestone, corporate, and nonprofit events, grand openings and more. TCG Events specializes in planning and executing corporate events with the company’s proprietary EventSmarter™ approach. This includes a detailed pre-event walk-through that covers every facet from the perspective of the attendee, to ensure absolute success.
Read the original article in CEO.com.
