Conferences are a great way of sharing information and best practices among people from different backgrounds, industries and sectors. In the past, conferences consisted mainly of speakers and presenters delivering presentations to delegates and question and answer sessions at the end.
In some cases, there were breakaway sessions where delegates from similar industries, sectors or backgrounds sat down to discuss specific questions or issues before re-grouping to share their outcome with other groups in the main auditorium. With changing times, things have changed. Today’s delegates expect more than just getting information from presenters, some discussions and a question and answer session. They expect more. They expect value. They expect conferences to be more than just events. They expect wowing and memorable experiences.
One of the ways that conference organisers can use to add value to their events is by ensuring that they are interactive. Making sure that conferences are interactive is a sure way of increasing delegate participation and interaction. Interaction promotes the sharing of information, insights and experiences. It improves delegates’ perception of events. Done properly, planning for increased interaction also encourages repeat attendance by delegates in future editions of events.
There are countless ways of promoting interaction between speakers and presenters and delegates. Here are five most used methods of making conferences more interactive.
- Hiring a professional moderator
Most people pin the success of a conference on the organiser and speakers and presenters. Yes, these are key players in the event, but the moderator is the driver of the event. The success of a conference session depends on the moderator. It is therefore very important for organisers to hire a professional and experienced moderator.
According to speakwithpersuasion.com, an event moderator is the master of ceremony of an event. He or she ensures the speakers do their best job and the delegates get the most value out of conference sessions. He ensures that during sessions delegates are treated like royalty and they feel like kings and queens. The moderator asks and moderates the questions asked by the delegates.
A professional moderator is proactive and good at time management, He or she pays attention to the delegates and speakers and attends to their needs. Some needs and issues may not be conveyed directly. A delegate may insinuate that the speaker is rushing his session. The moderator should readily pick this and correct the situation with the presenter or speaker
2. Choosing great speakers
In the past, hiring a speaker who was considered knowledgeable on the basis of his qualifications and experience was enough to ensure conference success. Today’s delegate is more travelled, read and experienced. Being knowledgeable and experienced does not cut it anymore. Delegates are wowed by speakers who combine knowledge, experience great presentation skills and charisma. A reticent but knowledgeable and experienced speaker will send delegates snoring in his or her session.
A speaker whose delivery is captivating and interactive encourages delegates’ participation and adds value to the conference.
A great speaker is a good storyteller. Most delegates would not resist a good and relevant story. He or she is not afraid of interacting with the delegates. A good speaker should be great at public speaking and command listenership. Speakers with a good social media presence are also a plus. Even before the event, some delegates can begin interacting with her or him. This creates familiarity which also boosts interaction and event value.
3. Including a BONDay in the conference programme
Interaction during conferences should not just be between delegates and speakers and moderators. A great conference also incorporates a number of ways of encouraging networking among the delegates themselves. After all, conferences are about sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices as well as networking. Networking, apart from enabling delegates to share contact details and business opportunities, enables them to further discuss topics presented during the conference thereby enriching delegates’ knowledge and improving their view of the conference.
To encourage networking, organisers can include sessions that are dedicated solely to networking among delegates. These could be two afternoon sessions. For example, if a conference is running from Monday to Friday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon can be reserved for delegates’ networking. A new term for such a session has been coined. It is called a business opportunities and networking day (BONDay)
4. Varying session formats
However good a moderator and speakers may be, at some point boredom may set in among delegates. This is especially so if sessions follow the same routine every day of the event. Varying a conference’s sessions can add variety and improve delegates’ overall experience and rating of the event.
Apart from the usual session format where delegates sit in an auditorium or conference room with a speaker in front of them, organisers can improve interaction at their events by using other session formats such as the campfire type. These mimic the camping sessions where campers sit around a bonfire and discuss issues. The advantage of this session type is that the circular type of sitting enables everyone to participate in turns as opposed to the conference room where ensuring everyone’s participation may not be that easy.
Another session type that encourages interaction among delegates is the breakaway session. Under this session type, the moderator divides delegates into groups and provides them with rooms at the venue where they can discuss set topics. Delegates are usually grouped according to background, experience or some other criteria. For example, delegates at a Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry (CZI) Annual Congress, which is made up mainly of manufacturers, may be divided according to their sectors.
When the various groups regroup in the conference room to present the results of their discussions, further interaction is generated as group members learn from other groups’ discussions with the moderator’s facilitation.
The moderator can let delegates carry out group discussions within the conference room if the furniture set up and room size permits. These are also called discussion tables.
5. Having a Q&A session
Questions and answer (Q&A) sessions are a norm in conferences but not all of them benefit delegates meaningfully. What if after a session no delegate raises their hand to ask the speaker a question? A good moderator anticipates such a scenario and proactively sources questions during the session or prior to it.
At the beginning of the session, he or she can ask delegates to use platforms like Whatsapp messenger to send him questions as the speaker presents. Using such social media platforms, during the run-up to the event the organisers can solicit for questions directed at a specific speaker from paid-up delegates. This ensures that the Q and A session generates meaningful discussions and interaction which, in turn, builds delegates’ positive experiences and ratings of the event.
These are only a handful of the methods which conference organisers can employ to create positive experiences and build their event brands. Please share your own strategies that you have used to create interaction in your conferences.