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January 31st update:
Associations
Playing Games
Let's end this month with one more study, this time from the IMEX
survey at their trade show last October. Yes, they had all the usual
trends -- do more with less, shorter meetings, going green. But
this finding about associations and educational content got my attention.
According to attendee responses, associations are more firmly planted
in the education business. Using content from the conferences before
and after the event is pretty standard now. What's new: the format
is diversifying into interactive experiences and, yes, even -- gasp
-- gaming!
I've preached for years that we experts need to "gamify"
our content for corporate segments. Now it looks like we have a
new group of customers coming up. My prediction: look for these
formats to be underwritten by industry sponsors. This is a great
way to be a guru to a community -- you can go from being the expert
to (fill in the blank) to being the creator of blah-blah game that
is taking the industry by storm. See the difference?
Let's put that on our resolution list. As for the IMEX study, click
here to see the rest of the findings.
January 26th update:
Mixed
Bag For Speaking
Want to use public speaking to get more clients? Good news: you
will have more opportunities this year according to the latest study
out by American Express Meetings and Events Global Meetings forecast.
Interesting news: companies are more focused on "value"
(translation: cost cutting). Another bummer: attendance is expected
to decline. Meetings will also be shorter.
Prediction: There will be a rush for low-cost speakers, using smaller
groups as an excuse not to pay more. My advice: choose your opportunities
wisely.
Other cool findings are in the report. Click
here for the highlights from Meetings and Conventions
magazine.
January 24th update:
Cut
The Content Clutter
If Martin Lindstrom says something, I remember it. Why? Because
I trust him. In this
Fast Company article last month, he explains how that
happens.
His theory: our brains store information by how much we trust the
source. We link information to the emotional relationship we have
with the community, the person, the media outlet where we found
the information. Think about it: this happens all the time in politics.
How many ideas were dismissed because of the news outlet where they
showed up? Or because of the person who had the idea?
Perhaps this is a new standard we should apply to our content marketing
efforts. Key question: do our ideas show up in high-trust places?
Are there other places our best clients trust even more? Sounds
like the old "throw content on the wall and see what sticks"
doesn't work anymore. Lindstrom has other ideas in this article
as well. Click
here to learn more.
January 19th update:
Meeting
Overhauls Are Coming
Like everything else, the structure of meetings and conferences
are being overhauled. And that's a good thing. In the good old days,
structure stayed the same, then content was plugged in. What's happening
now and in the future: the structure will be designed around learning
and experience. The buzzword you'll hear more of: meeting architecture.
Yes, the economy is driving these shifts. But so is a belief we
all need to be aware of: buyers believe that everything they need
to know is online. Yep, our content isn't ours anymore. It's out
there and anyone can take it. So the emphasis now is on interaction
and learning. And we're not talking about using Twitter and text
to ask questions. Think: 30-minute presentations followed by 30-minute
breaks.
This
provocative article in Meetings and Conventions magazine
explores a variety of opinions. For those who speak at conferences
and conventions, we need to be ready for any format.
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