Tara Liaschenko, CMM, creative executive officer for The Link Event Professionals Inc., will be presenting “The Playground” sessions throughout the World Education Congress (WEC), June 21-23 in San Francisco. The crowdsource sessions will allow participants to discover how the power of play can be used to solve challenges and find opportunities, and will focus on topics including risk management, attendee experience and engagement (digital and in person).
We spoke with her about the power of play and the evolution of meeting planner skills.
Why are the power of play and crowdsourcing important for meeting planners seeking solutions to today’s challenges?
“Two heads are better than one,” the saying goes. The idea is that multiple people will be able to solve a problem that an individual cannot. There is power in the collective knowledge of others for many reasons, including more solutions and more diverse options from different perspectives. The power of play is an effective engagement tool that aids in a more memorable experience with elevated knowledge retention. Not to mention it’s just fun!
The Power of Play at WEC San Francisco. Learn more about these and other timely sessions.
Can you tell us about one meeting planner skill that has evolved over the past few years?
Risk management has a whole new meaning after experiencing a pandemic. Planners were always concerned about the safety and well-being of their participants. Now, pandemic language and measures need to be documented and implemented.
Attendee engagement has evolved as a result of the pandemic. After much isolation, people want and need engagement more than ever. Planners need to derive and implement strategic engagement plans to attract participants to their programs.
What do you hope attendees will take away from this session?
I hope they leave with an understanding of how to implement the power of play to develop skills and solve challenges so that they can incorporate this in their programs. I want them to walk away with solutions to challenges around risk management, attendee experience, digital engagement, in-person engagement and intentional event design. And, most importantly to have FUN learning!
