Life's
challenges
- how do we handle them?
What does a
"life challenger" do? And why?
It all comes back
to your conference audience: what do they need, in addition to the
technical aspects covered in your conference program, to return home
saying
"that
was great, can't wait for next year!"
My challenge, as a
'life challenger', is to help them (your audience) do just that. You
see, as you know only to well, a conference is a total experience. A
significant part is covering trends and new ideas on the technical
aspects of your industry/profession. There are many 'experts' who
can cover these, some of them brilliant, some even good presenters.
And there are 'motivational' speakers who, using their life
experience as an example, will rev up your audience to achieve great
things . But does the 'buzz' remain? Do your attendees remember your
conference program and the speakers even a week after they return
home? No, if research is to be believed.
So what else is
needed?
I'd suggest a
formula I've used several times with success:
- develop an
audience involving lifestyle subject, within (maybe specific to)
the conference theme
- email all
potential attendees asking them to comment by completing an anonymous
open ended web based survey on that subject
- correlate the
answers and comments
- play back
(email) the results, as teasers, to the potential attendees,
further involving them in both the conference theme and in the
content of my sessions - both keynote and workshop. This is
proven to help increase registrations
- hold audience
involving sessions that have them asking for more
- provide more
with after conference follow up via web pages, email and eBooks.
- maintain this
follow up into the next years conference registration period
If you'd like to
see an example of this approach, download my eBook
on life/work balance to see the results of a 2005 conference
audience comments. Ask me for examples of the pre and post
conference emails and follow up web pages. Then let's get
together and talk about how I can help you make your next conference
the best ever!
