If you’d asked me late last year to identify the big event technology trends of 2017, you’d probably have gotten an answer similar to what a lot of other folks were writing about on their websites and in their magazines: big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality—and maybe drones thrown in for good measure. So far, however, the No. 1 thing people have approached me about this year is regarding audience interaction.
I’ve been asked to host webinars on the subject, clients have approached me looking for recommendations and even while I was speaking with a candidate for our local city council, the subject of audience-interaction apps came up as soon as he heard about what I do. Recently at an event I was working, the CFO of a major financial institution seemed shocked to see two microphones on stands in the audience for the Q&A portion of his session.
“Don’t we have any of those foam microphones we can throw around?” he bellowed from the stage.
And now, I’m writing an article on the subject.
It seems the industry as a whole has decided that 2017 is the year to focus on audience interaction and attendee engagement—and that couldn’t make me happier. Because while drones are cool and VR is fun, we’re in the people business, and communication is at the heart of most of our meetings and events. Let’s take some time to dig into the latest and greatest when it comes to getting our audiences engaged in the conversation.
Low-tech: Re-evaluate your space
First, let’s start with some of the low-tech trends. Savvy planners continue to experiment with non-traditional seating. While there are a lot of reasons to do this, when it comes to audience engagement, the main reason is that theater and classroom seating can automatically lock us into a sit-back-and-listen mode of thinking. Even the setups themselves can prohibit interaction and engagement, as it can be difficult to navigate the rows and tables, discouraging a would-be question-asker from getting up and going to a mic stand or slowing down a potential mic runner. There are ways around that, but let’s come back to them in a moment. For now, just think about opening up your floor plan as much as your space allows, making it easier for people to move around.
Why would you want them to move around? Well, because one of the best ways to grab, and keep, an audience’s attention is to get them out of their seats and get the blood pumping again. My friend Adrian Segar has literally written the book on low-tech audience engagement—The Power of Participation is a field guide for getting people moving around, brainstorming and, above all, participating in a meeting or event, with little or no technology involved. It includes advice on room setups, voting techniques and even ways to display complex information such as graphs and charts using zero PowerPoint slides—just the bodies in the room. Any company or organization looking to break the bonds of the same old boring meeting should definitely give it a look.
High tech
Sometimes, however, you can’t break out of the old seating tropes. Maybe your room simply isn’t big enough to handle much in the way of creative seating, and you have too many attendees to even accommodate them comfortably at rounds. Or the schedule is packed to the point that full-on discussion sessions aren’t an option, but leadership would like to gauge the feelings or mood of the room. Now is a great time to inject a little technology into the mix to allow attendees to weigh in on a question, simply and accurately. There are a number of great apps and services out there, but I’d like to highlight a few that are on a short list for me and my clients.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the Sli.do folks a few times, and even used the service as an attendee. I always enjoy doing that, because it gives me a much better idea of how the service will be received by an audience, something no GoToWebinar sales demo can ever do. It was easy to use, and allows not only for polling but also open-ended Q&A. Additionally, questions can be up-voted, so the most popular questions rise to the top. Because it’s web-based, it’s incredibly easy to integrate into existing mobile event apps or to a live stream of your event so that remote audiences can get involved as well.
If for some reason you haven’t heard of this yet, I’d like to be the first to welcome you back to Planet Earth. These are exactly the foam microphones the CFO was referring to at the event I described earlier. A Catchbox is a soft foam cube with a wireless microphone inside it. Instead of a participant having to get up and walk to a microphone, you can literally just throw this one to them. It’s fun, it makes people laugh, you can brand it with your logo and it just works. It’s easy to plug into existing AV setups, and the internal gyroscope senses when it’s being thrown and automatically cuts out the audio so you don’t hear the jostling around.
PollEverywhere has been around for some time now, but it still warrants inclusion in this listing of the latest and greatest. I’m a fan of their pricing structure, which is based on the number of responses, and they have no problem with moving your pricing plan up or down from month to month. That’s perfect for planners and companies whose attendee counts vary wildly from client to client or event to event. I also feel they’re one of the only companies that effectively implements SMS text messaging as a form of response to polls and open Q&A sessions. This can be huge for an audience that might not be as technologically savvy, but can handle sending a text message.
Like I said, there are a lot of companies out there providing interaction technology for events. Most of the major app manufacturers are starting to bake basic polling and Q&A technology into their meeting and event apps. Evenium is a mobile app company with amazing polling and interaction pieces, including real-time slide sharing directly from the presenter’s computer and screen overlays of polling results. Smaller companies such as SocialPoint and Podiobox each have features that can be appealing to certain groups. SocialPoint focuses on audience engagement and data capture in trade show booth. (Full disclosure: I’ve done some freelance work assisting SocialPoint with on-site management of their services.) Podiobox is one of the lightest-weight apps I’ve ever seen, making it a great choice for events at which bandwidth might be an issue. So don’t be afraid to look at some of the smaller audience engagement companies out there—they might be just want you’re looking for!
Orange juice is about the best thing ever. Growing up right in the middle of Florida’s 200-mile-long Indian River Citrus District, orange juice was always a bright part of my life. I always envisioned the act of drinking it as like that of consuming a sweet, liquid extract of the sun (we all know what that tastes and feels like, right?). Lately, however, the cost of orange juice has been on the rise—whether due to myriad general economic factors or the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid, which can lead to bacterial infection, “greening” and the decimation of citrus crops. In fact, just this winter, orange juice futures—yes, that’s a thing—hit an all-time high.
Of course, the high price of orange juice isn’t in and of itself a significant problem—nothing like what you’re experiencing in the meeting landscape. You’re seeing costs at nearly every stage of planning and executing your meetings and events creep up and up and up. At the same time, if you’re lucky, your budgets are growing as well. However, the associated trend that is proving a challenge is that your budgets are not increasing at the same pace as costs.
The good news is that solutions for your cost challenges exist within the minds of your ever-creative peers—and they’re not closed off to the idea of sharing these strategies and tactics. That’s especially suitable in that various ways of sharing with other planners to save costs pop up throughout the cover story of the newest issue of Plan Your Meetings—including sharing menus to leverage bulk purchasing of F&B and sharing speakers to minimize travel expenses.
Notably, you can also get an in-depth look at how one peer, Pat Guerrero, CVA, senior manager of volunteer engagement and programs for Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, saves staffing expenses by leveraging the power of more than 150 volunteers for her group’s national conference.
“This conference is a light in the darkness that we sometimes see in animal welfare,” Guerrero says. “It’s our volunteers’ job to be that light because together we can illuminate the world!”
The hope is that within these cost-saving tips and other articles from the newest issue of Plan Your Meetings, you’ll find some ideas that can act like a sun-filled glass of Florida orange juice—bright, eye opening and refreshing.
Orange juice is about the best thing ever. Growing up right in the middle of Florida’s 200-mile-long Indian River Citrus District, orange juice was always a bright part of my life. I always envisioned the act of drinking it as like that of consuming a sweet, liquid extract of the sun (we all know what that tastes and feels like, right?). Lately, however, the cost of orange juice has been on the rise—whether due to myriad general economic factors or the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid, which can lead to bacterial infection, “greening” and the decimation of citrus crops. In fact, just this winter, orange juice futures—yes, that’s a thing—hit an all-time high.
Of course, the high price of orange juice isn’t in and of itself a significant problem—nothing like what you’re experiencing in the meeting landscape. You’re seeing costs at nearly every stage of planning and executing your meetings and events creep up and up and up. At the same time, if you’re lucky, your budgets are growing as well. However, the associated trend that is proving a challenge is that your budgets are not increasing at the same pace as costs.
The good news is that solutions for your cost challenges exist within the minds of your ever-creative peers—and they’re not closed off to the idea of sharing these strategies and tactics. That’s especially suitable in that various ways of sharing with other planners to save costs pop up throughout the cover story of the newest issue of Plan Your Meetings—including sharing menus to leverage bulk purchasing of F&B and sharing speakers to minimize travel expenses.
Notably, you can also get an in-depth look at how one peer, Pat Guerrero, CVA, senior manager of volunteer engagement and programs for Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, saves staffing expenses by leveraging the power of more than 150 volunteers for her group’s national conference.
“This conference is a light in the darkness that we sometimes see in animal welfare,” Guerrero says. “It’s our volunteers’ job to be that light because together we can illuminate the world!”
The hope is that within these cost-saving tips and other articles from the newest issue of Plan Your Meetings, you’ll find some ideas that can act like a sun-filled glass of Florida orange juice—bright, eye opening and refreshing.
This Sunday (June 18) is International Sushi Day—and I’m betting you didn’t even realize that was a thing. This special event was launched in 2009—an announcement, unsurprisingly, via Facebook. The sole activity to celebrate International Sushi Day: Eat and appreciate sushi (for bonus points, introduce someone to sushi).
My own introduction to sushi happened 10 years ago at the Loews Lake Las Vegas (now Westin Lake Las Vegas)—so if you’re in Vegas for MPI’s World Education Congress next week, know that sushi options abound even though you’re in the Mojave Desert.
‘Fish in the Desert’
[This tale into my first dip into sushi was originally published in the September 2007 issue of The Meeting Professional.]
How serendipitous that I’d land at the table of one of the nation’s finest sushi chefs while newsstands hold a 12,000-word tome on the cuisine by one of America’s finest authors. I hadn’t considered the circumstances, but in hindsight, I really had no choice—I was visiting the desert and I was going to eat sushi, this much was certain.
“Trust Chef Fuji,” my hosts say.
“But…but…but…I don’t really like fish,” I squeak.
I taste a variety of sake and select one to accompany the meal.
“Is there anything you absolutely do not want?” an amused waiter asks.
“No eel. Wait, no. I’ll take whatever Chef Fuji wants to make,” I say in overly dramatic tone.
Master Sushi Chef Osamu “Fuji” Fujita’s signature Tuna Cocktail visually pervades the table—an orb erupting with dry ice vapors beneath chunks of sumptuous tuna swimming in a spicy sauce that celebrates the fish’s flavor.
I place the first piece of tuna in my mouth, trying not to taste. I finally breathe, and experience a stunning delight. A sip of sake created a fuller experience—the two tastes mingle and temporarily take over. I shake my head. Whoa.
Moments later, the tuna is gone and the dry ice cloud has diminished. And then? A large plate of indeterminate seafood ingredients appears.
“There’s more?” I thought.
The waiter is a swell guide, and my taste buds find a favorite flavor in the exotic unagi. I take more sake and in a near-out-of-body experience realize that I love the taste of freshwater eel. If you knew sushi…
Sushi knowledge nuggets
Image courtesy Benihana
As one of the F&B trends showing no sign of letting up, meeting and event attendees love to be educated about what they’re eating, where it came from (geographically and culturally) and any associated factoids that can make dining a memorable experience—something more than just gobbling down sustenance in between education sessions.
Following are some sushi facts, courtesy of Benihana.
The term sushi means “vinegared rice” not “raw fish.” Vinegared rice is the base ingredient to every piece of sushi.
Sushi is estimated to have started as early as 500 B.C. but it didn’t transform into the bite-sized sushi everyone knows until the 19th century.
Traditionally, sushi chefs use special Japanese carbon steel knives. These knives are only honed on a single side to create the sharpest possible cutting edge for prepping sushi.
Sushi is as much of an art form as it is a delicacy. In Japan, sushi chefs must undergo 10 years of professional training before earning the stamp of “Sushi Master.”
Sushi is meant to be served in a particular way. In order to achieve the rice’s ideal “stickiness,” chefs aim to keep their rice around 110 degrees Fahrenheit before adding the cold fish. Once served, soy sauce is meant to serve as a complementary condiment rather than a dipping sauce.
There’s more to sushi than rolls and maki. Nigiri (pieces of fish on top of rice), sashimi (sliced fish only) and temaki (hand rolls), are all more common in Japan.
Emerald Coast
Twitter: @EmeraldCoastFLA Go online to discover a wide range of Emerald Coast meeting venues, more than 13,000 rooms, and the only convention center in Florida’s Panhandle.
Caesars Entertainment offers meeting and event planners one dedicated team that works as a united front, committed to providing the most successful meeting experiences possible. Enjoy elite perks, rewards and privileges with our Total Rewards Meeting Diamond Program.
Click here to fill out the survey for your chance to win!
Emerald Coast
Twitter: @EmeraldCoastFLA Go online to discover a wide range of Emerald Coast meeting venues, more than 13,000 rooms, and the only convention center in Florida’s Panhandle.
Caesars Entertainment offers meeting and event planners one dedicated team that works as a united front, committed to providing the most successful meeting experiences possible. Enjoy elite perks, rewards and privileges with our Total Rewards Meeting Diamond Program.
Click here to fill out the survey for your chance to win!
It started with the Bastille Day attack in Nice almost a year ago. Eighty-four people were killed when a driver deliberately drove his truck into the crowd of revelers. Ten children were killed that day. This was not the first attack of this nature. In 1981 and 1983, there were similar incidents in Beirut. However, since the Nice Attack, there have been similar incidents at Ohio State University as well as in Berlin, Jerusalem, the United Kingdom (Westminster) and Stockholm. The May 18 Times Square incident has led to speculation that cars will be banned from Times Square. In the most recent attack on London Bridge over the weekend, a van mounted the curb and the driver deliberately mowed down pedestrians and three attackers then stabbed random innocent people nearby, killing seven (more than a dozen victims are currently hospitalized).
The recent bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester (UK), in which a 23-year-old man detonated a shrapnel-laden device, injuring 116 individuals and killing 23 (including children), was another reminder of the vulnerability of soft targets.
What are the implications for event industry professionals? One thing is certain. These incidents are a HUGE wake-up call.
With soft targets becoming increasingly vulnerable to attacks by terrorists, lone-wolf attackers as well as individuals who have severe psychiatric disorders, it is extremely important for event planners to heighten their vigilance. Whether it’s a conference, trade show, sporting event, concert, festival or corporate event, anywhere crowds gather can become a target.
At minimum, the following steps are recommended:
1. Conduct security audits and risk assessments
This is becoming a MUST DO not a nice-to-do—and should be undertaken by a team of security professionals (no time for amateurs).
2. Background checks
Perform thorough background checks on all staff and volunteers, both temporary and permanent.
3. Control access points
This should not be limited to entry and exit points. Take steps to control access to stage doors, staff entrances, delivery bays, emergency exits and parking (both outdoor and underground).
4. Erect barricades
Remember to also provide protection in areas where participants are boarding shuttle busses and accessing event venues from public transportation and pedestrian walkways. Venue owners should consider erecting permanent barricades.
In some incidents, attackers have ploughed through barricades and attacked the crowds. So set up very sturdy barricades far from the crowd.
It is unfortunate, but frisking, which has become a common precaution in many nightclubs, may soon become necessary at run-of-the-mill meetings and events.
8. Ban weapons
When possible, bar the possession of weapons by attendees and participants—as we’ve seen, this should include knives and other bladed objects, as well as firearms. U.S. jurisdictions present special challenges in view of the Second Amendments. Please consult the following blog posts.
Soft target attacks are a game changer for our industry. Unfortunately, they are not going to go away any time soon. If anything, indications are that it is not a matter of if they will come to your jurisdiction but when. As the Latin saying goes “Praemonitus, praemunitus.” The translation? “Forewarned is forearmed.”
In today’s evolving meeting environment, planners are opting to provide a more experience-driven program for their attendees.
By coordinating energizing group activities to facilitate connections, or incorporating the scenic outdoors to create a memorable event, planners are using distinctive experiences to ensure the success of their meetings and create a lasting impact for their attendees.
Planners should consider several elements when coordinating an experience-driven meeting for their group.
Utilize your destination
When choosing a location, it is important for meeting planners to select a destination that provides a wide variety of venues, backdrops, and activities that will help to encourage connections and foster creativity.
Meeting planners should work closely with their venue to determine how to incorporate experiences that are unique to the destination and are in line with their goals. For example, if a planner is looking to build connections within their team, they can organize outdoor activities that explore the local nature, or excursions to take part in the area’s local culture.
I always recommend that groups coordinate experiences that are unique to our resort. For example, groups can take a rafting trip down the lower Colorado River or interact with real-life Texas longhorns (T-Bone & Ribeye) as part of the resort’s “Hooves and Horns” mascot program.
In terms of golf, we’ve had meeting guests participate in two-hour sessions with our pro before the group goes out.
Be creative
Finding creative ways to incorporate experiences that can serve as an overlay to a meeting program are often useful and can kick-start engagement. Planners can consider starting a session with a fun and interactive history of the destination or venue, and then parallel that with a short introduction and history about their own company.
Meeting planners can also consider surprising their guests with unexpected activities, such as unannounced special appearances or incorporating unique local culinary creations during the middle of a session.
Another great way for planners to keep everyone interested and engaged is to incorporate experiences in line with popular culture. Examples can include The Amazing Race-style scavenger hunts or Iron Chef-style competitions led by the property’s executive chef. Types of activities like these help the most reserved and quite members of a team to step out of their shells and begin connecting with their peers.
Personalize the experience
The most important advice I can give meeting planners is to simply ask their attendees what type of experience they desire.
Whether it’s providing a recommendation card that attendees can fill out at the previous year’s event or having attendees take part in an online survey, attendee feedback is invaluable when it comes to hosting a successful event.
Through the responses, planners can cater directly to their audience by gauging personal interest of specific destinations and activities and then customize an experience based on those elements.
Try it before you book it
Another important tip is for meeting planners to actually experience the destination and activities before booking a venue. Planners should not hesitate to ask the venue’s sales manager to take part in various activities related to their event.
For example, if planners are looking into the possibility of booking a spa retreat for their guests, they should experience a treatment. If they are booking a corporate golf tournament for their team, they should play a round first before booking the venue. The key to these visits is to meet with the spa director and director of golf to strategize on what the property has to offer that can help compliment the goals of the event.
By taking part in the activities first hand, planners can truly understand the experience they are creating for their group and can adapt and customize it accordingly.
Additionally, when planners are on site for their property tour, they should inquire about other meetings taking place while they are touring the hotel. This provides the opportunity to see the property in action and determine if they can visualize their attendees there.
Ask about best practices
Finally, I recommend that planners ask the venue’s representatives about the types of meeting experiences they’ve coordinated in the past and which ones were most memorable. Working with all types of groups, the sales managers and event planners will have a good idea of what works best and most importantly which ideas fostered connectivity and provide impacting experiences.
I’ve been asked to host webinars on the subject, clients have approached me looking for recommendations and even while I was speaking with a candidate for our local city council, the subject of audience-interaction apps came up as soon as he heard about what I do. Recently at an event I was working, the CFO of a major financial institution seemed shocked to see two microphones on stands in the audience for the Q&A portion of his session.
Of course, the high price of orange juice isn’t in and of itself a significant problem—nothing like what you’re experiencing in the meeting landscape. You’re seeing costs at nearly every stage of planning and executing your meetings and events creep up and up and up. At the same time, if you’re lucky, your budgets are growing as well. However, the associated trend that is proving a challenge is that your budgets are not increasing at the same pace as costs.
Meeting planners should work closely with their venue to determine how to incorporate experiences that are unique to the destination and are in line with their goals. For example, if a planner is looking to build connections within their team, they can organize outdoor activities that explore the local nature, or excursions to take part in the area’s local culture.
