Adventure into Experiential Conferences
Anthony Vade, CED
Helping organizations use EXPERIENCES to drive change and continuous improvement. Offering facilitation, speaking, training and experience design for the corporate, entertainment, association and non profit industries
You step away from your desk and log out of your Microsoft Teams account. You've been invited to a conference, and you hear it will be a conference like no other you have attended.
After weeks and months of seemingly pointless online meetings, you will finally be in the same room as colleagues and a host of inspiring thought leaders.
It feels good, doesn't it? The anticipation is building, and you envisage a world of possibilities before you...
But what did they mean when they said "A Conference like no other"?
As you jet off to your destination, you reflect on past conference experiences.
Traditional academic conferences seem like ancient relics in our modern, connected, vibrant human ecosystem.
You picture a Hotel Ballroom filled with rows of chairs, a podium at the front, and a speaker droning on about their latest research.
You instinctively yawn in anticipation of long days and dry content delivery. Sure, they are undoubtedly experts, and you care deeply about the learning tracks. But why are they always so long-winded, and how do they continually make interesting stuff seem so boring?
Although attentive, the audience around you is also passive. They are doing their best to absorb information and search between the words for their context.
You hear an audience member behind you say, "This could have been a blog post."
While pivotal for sharing research and networking, these conferences often fall short regarding idea adoption, community engagement and equitable inclusivity.
You shake your head to remove the memory of a boring conference past...
You steady yourself as you get into the ride-share car from the airport to the venue.
Quickly, you shift thinking back to the promise of a "Conference like no other." You are hopeful in your belief: "This won't be like the other times; they made a promise, and I trust them to deliver it."
You arrive at the venue, and immediately, something feels different...
Excitedly, you delve into a world where every corner reveals a discovery, every conversation a spark of inspiration, and every experience catalyses positive change. Welcome to the possibilities of a well-designed, highly experiential, and innovative conference. A conference experience where information is not only delivered but felt, believed, and adopted, where human behaviour is not just managed and directed but truly transformed.
As you enter the learning space, your senses are immediately engaged. It is alive with immersive exhibits, interactive workshops, and dynamic presentations. Here, learning is not just about listening; it's about experiencing knowledge and skills.
You find yourself in a state of 'creative flow,' fully absorbed in the activities around you. This deep engagement fosters a profound emotional connection to your community and peers, making the information and fellowship memorable and transformative.
In this world, the barriers of traditional conferences crumble. You are no longer confined to a rigid schedule or a single location.
Virtual and hybrid formats open doors to a global audience, democratising access to knowledge and fostering a more inclusive environment.
The social dynamics are also different. Instead of merely observing, you actively participate, forming new relationships and learning from diverse perspectives.
As you navigate this conference, you notice how the organisers have created an optimal context for curiosity, risk-taking, and experimentation.
The environment encourages you to step out of your comfort zone, explore new ideas, and courageously embrace uncertainty.
This is not just a conference; it’s a playground for innovation, where every interaction is a potential breakthrough.
The impact of these experiences extends beyond the conference itself.
You return to your home office and rebuild your computer, ready for your next Teams Meeting.
But something about you is different; you actually want to reconnect online with colleagues (who have become friends), and you are madly searching for more content to continue your learning journey. A learning journey you now share with others who depend on you for their progression and you on them.
Memories are sparked, and the emotional responses and connections you formed at the conference influence your attitudes and behaviours long after the event has ended.
This extends the event's value for you as an attendee, the generous conference host, and the organisation they serve. You have a deeper sense of purpose, a renewed set of actionable knowledge, and a feeling of accomplishment and competence within your peer group.
This conference didn’t just inform; it transformed, creating lasting memories and connections that shape your professional and personal life.
You sit back and take a deep breath, thinking to yourself.
"That is what they meant when they said a conference like no other."
So, the next time you need to host a conference, remember this mind adventure you just took.
Are you ready to walk bravely into the future of event-based learning and collaboration?
Imagine what you could achieve if you started rethinking, reframing, and redesigning your conference experience with a deep focus on transforming human behaviour.
What might your journey look like to create an experiential and innovative conference?
Who will you ask to help you on your innovation journey? (surprise, I know a few people, just ask me)
Let's rise above and beyond only sharing knowledge in prosaic ways. Let's evolve with #EventDesign to create experiences that transform individuals, organisations and the wider world.
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Regional Director of North America at ICCA | Championing Growth, Innovation, and Collaboration in the Global Meetings Industry | Technology Enthusiast | Effective Storytelling | Always Curious, Always Learning
8 个月I enjoyed the post & seems like WXO is certainly matches your expectation! Funny though, those AI generated photos, despite you asked for gamify environment, still looks pretty traditional setting.
Experiential Marketing @Kubik | MSc Leisure & Tourism
8 个月Love your write up! Although I didn't get to see many of the sessions at the summit, I especially loved how Heather Gallagher M.Sc. arranged a dating show and Mishawn Nolan got everyone to dance. I hope we'll get more of these creative sessions at future events! ??