The prevailing trend in corporate events is an emphasis on interaction and collaboration. Previously, it was common for events to center around a featured speaker who stood on a stage and spoke for 30 minutes to an hour. Now, event planners are focused on total audience collaboration rather than one expert lecturing to the crowd.
“It’s not just about information anymore,” says Mary Kline, facility sales manager for conference and facility sales and operations at Corporate College®, a division of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®). “It’s about transformation. This approach helps build new skills that people can apply immediately because there’s an emphasis on hands-on learning as information is being presented and trying to create experiences so people can relate.”
Smart Business spoke with Kline about new trends in corporate events and what to look for in an events team to bring those ideas to life.
What does this model look like in practice?
One way this emphasis on interaction shows up in corporate events is with breakout sessions that cater to smaller groups. In these settings, attendees are able to interact more with the experts and ask questions to get exactly the information they need. Depending on the industry focus, there are often more hands-on activities, skill labs or team building happening, rather than more passive learning. When people are more engaged, they tend to absorb a lot more information and are better able to apply it to the problems they’re hoping to solve.
How does planning for this model differ?
In this model, there are a lot of moving parts. Logistically, planners want to structure the day so that attendees are together for a general session at the start and a closing session at the end while giving them plenty of options to explore in between.
Because there’s an emphasis on interaction, some venues have built spaces for team building to bring people together to collaborate and build camaraderie. There are also event spaces that facilitate marketing opportunities, such as podcasting, which enables companies to feature the experts speaking at their conference to get their message to a larger audience.
Technology is also being more creatively and purposefully integrated to enhance the conference experience, help attendees capture and retain information, and expand content to an audience outside of the venue. For instance, cameras and audio systems can channel the conference into a virtual experience, opening the day up to those who can’t attend in person. There are also interactive technologies that allow attendees to brainstorm during a session and post their thoughts to a shared digital board. That board can then be captured by attendees and taken with them. It facilitates creativity and collaboration.
What should businesses look for in an event partner?
To effectively plan a more interactive conference, companies should look for a knowledgeable team. When the event staff have a great deal of experience planning meetings and conferences, they know what could go wrong and how to address it before it happens.
Having the right team in place offers support and guidance to a company throughout the process. They’ll listen to what’s needed and guide the company to the best solution to make that come to life at the event.
Having a team that works well together, knows the facility and how to put the pieces of the day together creates a seamless process for companies. That’s important because, despite all the planning and preparation, issues arise. Having an experienced team that has learned from the successes and challenges of the past is crucial to adapting to those unexpected changes and executing a smooth event.
Looking ahead, the most successful corporate events will be built through collaboration between event professionals and learning partners. When these groups work side by side from the start, they create experiences that are not only engaging but strategically aligned with organizational goals. ●
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