Surprise by Design

I am addicted to TED talks in the same way some folks are addicted to Pinterest. TED holds two annual conferences per year (one of them will now be hosted in Vancouver next year...yay Vancouver Convention Centre) which I can dream of one day attending. In the meantime, I watch TED talks online and it was during one of these viewings, that I stumbled upon Tania Luna and the concept of “Surprisology” (this particular talk was on the TEDxTeen site - Tania also has talks on the TED home site)

Tania speaks about gratitude and the concept of the appreciating the moment. She also talks about the amazing feeling that washes over us when we are surprised. You can check out her website at surpriseindustries.com

What is the best part of a surprise?

It is the look on the face of those involved at the point that they realize that it is really happening. It is the “wow” moment. Luna calls it the “freeze” effect or the “duh” face because it hijacks all of our senses and stops us in our tracks.  What about the child who tastes lemon for the first time – think about the look on their wee face. Shock followed by realization. It turns out that something else happens when we are surprised…… we learn.

We habitually drive the same route every day to go to work. The novelty has worn off and we now travel on autopilot – not taking any notice of our surroundings. What if you decided to change it up and go another way? Your senses would be heightened, you would be much more aware of the turns you are making, the people you are seeing. You would be looking at your daily drive through fresh eyes.

The same premise can be applied to a conference. When we surprise our attendees, they become engaged. When they become engaged, they are much more likely to learn.

Some examples of where you can add the element of surprise at your next event:

Speakers: Hire speakers with a message that is untraditional, a message that evokes an emotional response from the audience……someone with whom the attendees may disagree.

Entertainment: What about a music group that poses as the wait-staff and then suddenly breaks into song. A wonderful surprise!

Food: introducing non-traditional conference food can create conversation. Provide a juicing machine and a selection of fruits and veggies - invite guests to create their own super juice. Interrupt their meal selection with something a little different – make them go “wow”.

Go from Day to Night: Have you ever considered scheduling your conference sessions in the evening and giving attendees the daytime hours to go sightseeing or to participate in a daytime team building exercise?

Room layout: what if attendees walked into a room that had no tables or chairs? What if the room was full of bean-bags, exercise balls and benches? Granted….this approach might not work in many situations, but occasionally, it would be a welcome change.

Tahira Endean, Director - Creative & Production, Cantrav Services recently wrote in her blog post titled, "Power of the Collective" that "....Flashmobs are another great example of bringing people together in an unexpected way". She is correct! The best part of a flashmob is looking at the faces of those watching as they begin to realize what is actually happening. 

The element of surprise can be healthy. It keeps life from becoming boring….it keeps US from becoming boring, it keeps our brain active. Pick up a book that you would normally have passed over in favour of another, try a food that you normally shy away from, listen to a different type of music – embrace the concept of being surprised. You never know…..you might learn something.

I would love to hear other examples of using the element of surprise at a conference or event!

Judy

Can this Conference be saved?

Many have attended them. One, two or even three days of mind numbing sessions, in a large space devoid of attendees, people leaving early. This is a conference gone bad. It might have been great at its “first annual” but now has run its course. It just may be time to say farewell and move on.

What should you look for when planning your next annual conference that speaks, “time to pull the proverbial plug”?

Look back – Look back at the post mortem notes from your last conference. Read them carefully and look for clues. The post event survey should highlight where there were difficulties. Be incredibly open minded when reviewing this data…..you are about to commit precious time and money.

Volunteers have vanished – No one wants to volunteer! Volunteers sense a sinking ship and if they participated last year and were under-whelmed, don’t expect them to come back for a repeat performance. These alternatively compensated employees are seeking something other than money…they look for excitement, the opportunity to network, fun, personal fulfillment, etc. If they are not getting it at your conference, they won’t come forward willingly.

Poor attendance – Look back at the attendance for the past couple of years….is it decreasing? If you are seeing a decrease in attendance that you cannot explain, that is a sign that this year may yield even lower numbers.

Sponsorship is diminishing – There MUST be a return on investment for sponsors…..if they don’t see value for their sponsorship money, they will quietly step back. It starts with a large sponsor who might have been a “Premiere, Gold, or Platinum” sponsor last year but this year are looking at only sponsoring at the silver or bronze level. They are being kind – they don’t want to say no right off the bat, but next year they may be “unfortunately going in another direction with sponsorship funds”.

Speakers have gone A.W.O.L. – You have difficulty recruiting speakers for the conference. You may be trying to pull from a pool of speakers who have attended a previous conference where they were not impressed with the lackluster attendance and audience interaction.

The good news is that these signs don’t have to spell disaster. Sometimes, when you note these issues occurring, it just means you have to change the way you are doing things.

Here are some tips for reinventing your annual conference:

Re energize your organizing committee – this may mean replacing your chairperson which can be difficult. Often annual events go the way of the dinosaurs because someone in the organizing chain is resistant to change. Engage these individuals in other ways utilizing their expertise and experience.

Downsize – Wouldn’t you rather do an amazing job of a smaller event than a poor job of a large event? Downsize and make your new event much more exclusive. Downsize the maximum number of attendees, cut the event back to 1 day, change the venue to a more intimate space, etc.

Be Sustainable – By taking a sustainable approach to your conference, you will minimize unnecessary waste and become much more attractive to sponsors and attendees. No one wants to see waste or over the top excess. Focus on the hospitality – a smile is free!

Rewrite your sponsorship package – Completely change up your sponsorship proposal to reflect the new project. Look carefully at exactly what sponsors are receiving in exchange for their money.

Be Relevant – Times….they have changed and your conference needs to keep pace with not only the material being presented, but also the use of social media.

Be Responsible – Attendee’s are spending money on registration, accommodation and travel – you need to take some responsibility for this and offer them excellent value for their dollar.

Be Creative – Don’t create a cookie cutter conference – personalize it as much as possible.

Be Organized - Many times attendees are frustrated because the conference seems unorganized and/or unprofessional. If this is the case it may be time to call in a Professional Meeting & Event Planner who can guide you properly through the planning process.

J

Do you take anything in your coffee?

Who is a conference planners' greatest asset? That would be her speaker(s) of course!

You work hard to make sure that your participants are comfortable, but how hard do you work to ensure your speaker(s) are happy?

A happy speaker = a better speaker. Better speaker = happy participants. Here are my tips for ensuring you have a positive relationship with your conference speakers.

• Engage them often throughout the planning process. Often we book our speakers up to 6 months ahead of our event. Alot can change from the first time we spoke to them so make sure you drop them a line giving them an update about your event.
• Give them the "lay of the land". If you are not doing their hotel booking, make sure you recommend a hotel that you are familiar with. Look for a hotel within walking distance of the event venue.
• Channel your inner "welcome wagon". About 2 days prior to their arrival, email them a "welcome wagon" package which contains information about the community. Make sure you include maps or links to maps for the running/walking trails, the location of the closest Starbucks/Tim Hortons, a movie listing for the dates they are in town for, etc. I usually partner with the local tourism office to compile this information. Be sure your your package includes any changes to the conference agenda.
• Offer them a ride. Don't assume that they will be renting a car at the airport, make sure you offer them transportation. Even if you don't have time to pick them up, often there is a member of your conference team who can pick them up and deliver them to their hotel. 
• Leave a message. Leave a personalized voice mail message on their phone in their hotel room that they can listen to upon arrival. It may say something like, "Welcome Susan! Thank you for participating in (insert conference name). I wanted to invite you to the reception this evening downstairs in Grand Ballroom. It begins at 7:30 and dress is casual. I look forward to meeting you"
• Rise and Shine! It is really important that you are available in the morning to meet your speakers/facilitators as they arrive at the venue. They have spoke to you over the phone, they have corresponded by email, now is the time to meet them face to face. Which brings me to the next tip....
• Youtube! I have met my speakers "virtually" prior to the event by harnessing the power of Youtube. I have uploaded a short video welcoming them, providing details about the event, etc. They really like being able to put a face to the name.
• Don't leave me! There is nothing worse than seeing a speaker panic when their powerpoint won't work, or their mic quits. Make sure that you provide audio/visual assistance for your speaker. They will appreciate it...believe me
• Thank you! Two small words, big impact. Let them know you appreciate their participation.
• And the survey says.....Lastly, provide them with the post event survey results, particularly the results that are about their presentation. Even if the results are not all positive, your speaker wants to know.

J