19 Meetings than objects and spectacle. This approach involves creating an environment that facilitates intense interaction, powerful learning, and fun. By focusing on creative processes, we can escape the notion that there are only a few “correct” ways to run conferences. A Gift and its Wrapping When considering what makes an event successful, I like to use a metaphor of a gift and its wrapping. The gift symbolizes the purpose of the event—the connections made, the learning that takes place, and the consequent outcomes. The wrapping equates to the event’s logistical necessities and sensory glitz—the food, drink, venue, and entertainment. A beautifully wrapped empty box is at best a joke and at worst an insult. A naked gift, shorn of all wrapping, is still a present. Without a useful, meaningful, and successfully implemented purpose, the most beautiful event is a hollow shell. Budgeting for Process Design Unfortunately, there’s often “no budget” for meeting process design. Instead, budgets prioritize a nice venue, food and beverage, fancy decor, AV, entertainment, and big-name speakers. This is a tragic waste, as competent meeting process design costs far less than these traditional logistical components. When designing and implementing an event, its purpose must remain at the center of our attention, energy, and budget. Focus on What Truly Matters The most memorable conferences are those where the process leads to intense interaction, powerful learning, and fun. By focusing on the core purpose of the event and designing creative processes to facilitate meaningful interactions, we can create conferences that leave a lasting impact. The environment and spectacle, while important, should never overshadow the fundamental goal of fostering learning and connection. Adrian Segar has over 40 years of experience designing and facilitating association meetings, is the author of three meeting design books, and a passionate advocate for participation-rich and participant-led meetings. Adrian writes regularly on event design and related issues at conferencesthatwork.com. The real opportunity for making conferences memorable lies in designing behaviors and processes rather than objects and spectacle.
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