5 Reasons why Traditional Conferences are out of synch with delegates needs

Changing of Times

Current technology has far outpaced changes to conference formats and this has caused a great disconnect with how your delegates like to work. People’s everyday lives are often drastically different to traditional conference programs and services. It’s critical that conference planners recognize, understand and adapt to these changes. The good news is that by bringing innovation and fresh approaches to your conference design, your program will deliver greater value, and stand out amongst the many traditional format conferences.

The Story of Sue

Here’s a simple story that reveals the disconnect between current conference formats and everyday life. Consider Sue’s experience at a recent conference:

6.00 - 8.00am:

From her hotel room, the conference center, the coffee shop, the restaurant and bus, Sue connects to the Internet via her smartphone, tablet device or laptop to arrange meetups with friends she knows will also be at the conference.

Lesson:

Sue is digital, yet conferences are mostly analogue. Sue is already connecting with her online community, yet most conferences provide limited platforms for delegates to connect as an engaged community.

 

8.00 - 9.00am:

Before the conference starts, Sue views the program online for sessions she is interested in. She ‘googles’ speakers and scans their content, leading her to reflect on relevant questions and issues that come to mind

Lesson:

People no longer need to go to presentations to get information. They can “Google it.” Or “Bing it.” They can get it from blogs, enewsletters, ezines, Facebook, LinkedIn, online reports, Scribd, Slideshare, Twitter or other websites. Your program no longer has exclusive content that can’t be found elsewhere. With information proliferation, audiences look for other things to do at your conference. They look for opportunities to become participants, to collaborate, to network and to share so their learning is relevant and targeted to their needs.

 

10.00 - 11.00am:

Sue’s in her first breakout workshop and she’s bored, doodling on her note pad as the speaker presents in a traditional lecture style fashion.

Lesson:

Didactic presentations dominate conference schedules whereas our willingness to sit passively in a 60- to 90-minute presentation to sift for critical information has decreased. Today’s conference audiences are creators, not just consumers. They want active participation in dialogue and exploration of ideas. They want to be part of the conference experience instead of watching from the sidelines. As conference planners, the opportunity is to leverage keynote speakers who act as drawcards, and provide opportunities for delegates to engage experientially with their content.

 

12.00 - 1.00pm:

Sue meets colleagues she hasn’t seen for ages and is soon immersed in a rich conversation. The lunch slot is over and they linger long before moving late into the next session. She acts independent of the program.

Lesson:

Connecting with others is deeply important to us and without adequately catering for relationship building during session time, attendees go missing. They start setting up their own meetings with others and put this ahead of more speaker oriented content, which is a structure dependent on delegates doing the right thing.

 

2.00 - 3.00pm:

Another presentation, this time highly relevant and Sue is hurriedly taking notes. By the end of the presentation, she is overwhelmed with information and her head feels cloudy from a day full of information.

Lesson:

Delegates need time to integrate information and draw out learning. The brain is like our digestive system; after being stuffed full with information, we need more than 10 minutes of Q & A at the end of sessions to digest it all. As planners, we need to consider pacing the delegates learning experience, and provide time for integration and application through a wide range of learning and participation methods.

 

5.00pm:

An inspiring keynote ends the conference and Sue is given a survey to provide feedback asking what she thought of each speaker and the overall program.

Lesson:

We currently measure how delegates feel at the end of the conference whereas delegates judge the conference by the impact it has had on them and their work long after the conference is over. People and organisations are more discerning with how they use their time and money and conference planners need to track the long-term return on investment. People invest their precious time in a conference seeking an overall experience that delivers value. They want to connect and collaborate with others, share their know-how, learn from each other and increase their capacity to achieve results.

5 Disconnects With Our Everyday Lives

The contrast between traditional conference formats and everyday life reveals 5 key fundamental differences as outlined in this table.

Aligning your program with delegates needs

To address these gaps, and create an experience for delegates they will respond enthusiastically to, it is time to consider innovation at a fundamental design level.

What could a conference program look like when you put the delegate experience at the heart of your planning and create a program that aligns with a delegates modern life?

Next steps

To learn how you can embrace the new paradigm in conferencing and break from traditional formats, speak to us at FAST Meetings. We have 15 years experience in delivering long lasting value for delegates and client organisations. Our services encompass Program Design, Facilitation, Coaching of Speakers and integration of new technologies, such as social media, before, during and/or after a conference.

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Onur Ekinci & David Pointon

FAST Meetings Co.