Logistics is a major part of the meeting plan, but in many cases planners also have the opportunity to help shape the content of the meeting through their decisions. Planners can help keep content at the forefront by understanding the needs of the listener and choosing to lend themselves to the format of interaction and speakers involved in entertainment.
Here are 5 strategies that will bring more meaningful and memorable content:
1. Do homework
It requires in-depth research to select topics that need to be covered, titles that attract people to register, and the right speakers to convey the content.
“You have to determine people’s needs by doing qualitative and quantitative research with the community,” said Lea Worth, program development and activity manager at Southern Methodist University.
2. Ask yourself if you can actually do it
It’s time to rethink the old 80-20 rules, where 80% of meetings are auditorium or group time, while 20% are networked. “Switch it completely to work that you can do on things that you can’t achieve on Zoom meetings,” said Bruce Bolger, president of the Corporate Engagement Alliance.
A successful example is a plenary meeting that provides a platform for group discussions and decision-making.
3. Change room format
Why not put the stage in the center of the room? Or use the town hall setting where everyone talks to each other? These formats focus on content and transform speakers into facilitators who engage audiences and encourage them to tell stories.
4. Opportunities to provide feedback
Companies have the opportunity to make the most of their investments and bring people together thousands of miles away from their homes. Meetings are not only an opportunity to disseminate content, but also an opportunity to create content by using groups to brainstorm, innovate and solve problems.
5. Focus on Roe
Another thing that is difficult to achieve in a zoom meeting is emotional reaction. Tobias Weber, Creative Director and CEO of Live Communication Agency format, highlights the importance of emotional design content and emotional rewards for connecting opportunities.
“There are many theories about how emotions work in the audience, perception and how the audience digests content and visual input. We call this theoretical stage identity,” Weber said. “We firmly believe that all these aspects of live events need attention.”
