When is it, and when isn’t it, appropriate to allow our event attendees to have fun?
Are your delegates actually enjoying their time in the conference room, or are the ‘end-of-break’ chimes evoking a collective Pavlovian response of, “Oh no, time for the fun to end and the boring bits of the conference to begin”?
Instinctively we think of the night times as the times where fun can be had, but that overlooks the fact that the vast majority of our delegates’ time is spent inside the conference room.
And this misses an incredibly valuable opportunity to make our events (and the information being shared in them) memorable.
Our delegates, in the course of their day-to-day work, probably have very serious roles doing serious things in very serious ways. By designing events that show them that their world of work is an enjoyable one to be in we gain many valuable benefits.
As John Cleese once said, “Those who laugh more, learn more”, so the more we can get our delegates to smile DURING the conference sessions, not only will they automatically enjoy our events more, but they will take away more afterwards.
But people who are enjoying themselves are also more energised, are easier to inspire and motivate, get more in touch with their creative sides and feel more like they are involved in an event.
So, how can we make our delegates’ experience within the conference room more enjoyable?
Here’s my tips (some are simpler than others, but all add tremendous value):
1. Have Bright Music Playing As They Enter And Exit The Room.
This is not so much because having music instantly makes a place seem fun (although for some people it does). It’s more because NOT having music playing DEFINITELY gives the impression that it’s NOT.
2. Make Better Use Of Your Big Screen (or Screens)
Before any human begins talking at your conference, your audience is spending at least a few moments staring at your screens.
Naturally, that’s when we like to give our sponsors recognition and perhaps share some housekeeping messages. But once those slides have scrolled through a few times, they become repetitive … and repeated things become boring.
It seems counterproductive to begin a conference day (or session) by making your audience feel bored, when it is so easy to engage and excite them.
I’m a fan of using our screens in a more creative way. To show delegates that your event is going to be a bit different. A bit more engaging.
And, to be clear, I DEFINITELY am not suggesting you invest in what the industry calls a ‘Hype Reel’. They cost an outrageous amount of money and all they do is say, “Hey! All of you who already work for or belong to this organisation, here’s why you should work for or belong to this organisation!”.
The only true value they provide is to the Hype Reel Manufacturing Industry.
Sometimes, photos of the previous day/night are shown in a slideshow at this point. I think that’s a great move.
I saw another great use of the screens when waiting in the audience of an Umbilical Brothers show, where the screen scrolled through a collection of weird facts and funny lines.
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A further alternative is something that a number of you might have seen at events: things like my Grin & Tonic Reels, which can kick proceedings off with a mixture of humour and engagement, whilst giving sponsors recognition and handing over to the opening speaker or MC.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a peek here.
3. Having A Format That Provides Engaging and Interactive Sessions
Whilst all of the people we invite to the stage at our events are experts in their field, they unfortunately are not all compelling presenters. This means there is a risk that even a conference program that is packed with interesting topics can come across as a bit dry.
Certainly it means that, although delegates are learning, they are also not having much fun and, as John Cleese said, they are not learning MORE.
We can improve this situation in our event design, by:
- Turning some presentations into interviews (which allows the presenters to speak as themselves, using their true personality)
- Sourcing speakers who are known for also being entertaining (For example, we’ve all probably heard many economic commentators speak, and some are far more engaging than others). Head to your favourite Speakers Bureau for help.
- Planning sessions where the delegates become the educators. Delegates learn from discussing issues with other delegates better than they learn from listening to people on a stage and the vibrancy and dynamic atmosphere a session like this produces is always enjoyed and appreciated. If you want some ideas on how to do this, just be in touch.
- Turning a topic into a comedy debate
- Having one presentation (at least) that takes delegates away from their work world and into an area of life that will be useful and fascinating. Again, contact a Speakers’ Bureau for ideas or, if you have an MC, ask them for ideas. They see lots of speakers.
- Plan an activity in which delegates will find themselves doing something unexpected. Whether it’s done inside or out of the conference room doesn’t matter. It could be as simple as a quiz, or getting them to produce the next conference program … or something more complex such as creating a group art work. There are many options out there.
- Introducing some form of structured networking in the breaks that forces delegates to have at least one conversation with someone they don’t yet know.
My point is, if your conference is simply ‘Presenter gives presentation’ followed by ‘Presenter gives presentation’ followed by ‘Presenter gives presentation’, you aren’t delivering a program that engages and enthuses as well as it might.
Our new audiences, comprising more and more Millennials and the like, actual require more stimulation than audiences of the past.
4. Provide Some Speaker Training To Your Presenters, Focussing On Their Ability To Engage
There are many Presentation Skills Training options out there, but speakers are generally time poor, so you can’ expect them to sign up for a course with many sessions in the lead-up to your event.
However, if you invite them to attend a one or two hour Zoom session at a set time where a Presentation Skills Coach can share some tips on how to make a presentation fun and engaging, they’ll get a much better return on their time.
5. Use A Professional MC Who Can Inject Some Light Humour Into Proceedings
Conference presentation topics don’t often lend themselves to humour and fun, which means the spaces in between are often the places where your delegates can get their refreshing injection of enjoyment.
The dryer the topics, the more essential and helpful an engaging MC becomes.
CONCLUSION
They say to fully understand what someone is going through, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. This is absolutely true (although the full benefits of being a mile away, with someone else’s shoes, haven’t been made completely clear).
In the case of organising events, you need to place yourself in your delegates’ seats. If you were told you had to spend the better part of eight hours listening to other people speak at you, you probably wouldn’t be feeling a high level of anticipation.
It’s not that hard to make life in the conference room more engaging (and, therefore educationally effective). But the benefits are undeniable.
Hopefully there’s something useful in the above that will help our delegates really enjoy our events.
Darren Isenberg is one of Australia’s most booked and re-booked Corporate MC’s and Presenters. He also speaks to groups on how to improve their Positive Influence and the Presentation Skills.
You can learn more about him by heading to www.dipresents.com.au or by asking his kids. But don’t talk to his mother. She still has no idea … but thinks he’s great at whatever it is anyway.