PLAY is FINALLY off the list of four letter words for meetings! With Play making the top 6 list of critical design elements for meetings and conferences, it has become a strategic tool to create community, magnify learning and drive ROI.
Play has traditionally been a synonym for ‘teambuilding’, done on the last day and last session of the meeting, and placed in the position of “let’s cut loose, laugh and have some fun together”. And while that is a great use of Play, there are so many more strategic opportunities.
If we think about the definitions, traits and what play is good for, it opens doors to include Play throughout the entire meeting. Play is:
As you look at your agenda, use the above list to think about places where Play might fit in. Here are four ideas to try:
1. General Session
Typically when planning our openings, we lean toward entertainment as the ‘engagement’ component. But a recent study reported that if a new attendee connects with 10 people in the first few hours of the conference, they are 92% more likely to come back again. Instead of encouraging people to watch - encourage them to interact. How can they become part of the opening? What can we do to get guests talking with each other? How do we help them begin building relationships?
2. Keynote Speakers
Have you ever questioned our use of big name, high priced keynote speakers? We bring them in, they spend an hour sharing their stories, data, and messages, then we immediately go to a coffee break never to think about what they said again. What if instead, we planned an interactive opportunity to discuss, debate, rehash, debunk, deploy what we heard?
3. First Timers / Newcomer Welcome
How many times have you been to a welcome, only to sit in a chair and have the host introduce you to the board or senior leaders, explain how the agenda works, and say “enjoy the networking reception”? And you leave feeling just as awkward and alone as when you arrived and thinking “maybe I’ll skip the reception tonight because I still don’t know anyone?” This event should jumpstart conversations, facilitate interacting and create a community that makes everyone in that group part of their very own clique for the rest of the conference!
4. Learning Sessions
Neuroscience shares that the number one form of engagement is conversation. And adult learning theory substantiates that all adults want to be able to share what they know about any given topic. So adding to Play to learning not only promotes deeper more impactful learning, it facilitates relationship building and networking.
Play is a powerful tool to drive all the components we create meetings for. Add it to your toolbox today.
For more info:
Sharon Fisher, IdeaSparker
407-474-0388
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