Why some meeting pros struggle to engage attendees

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event design

Why some meeting pros struggle to engage attendees

Even though engaging attendees is likely the easiest and cheapest way to enhance the quality of the meeting, as well as attendee learning and satisfaction, there is still a lot of resistance.

By Bo Krüger

Even though engaging attendees is likely the easiest and cheapest way to enhance the quality of the meeting, as well as attendee learning and satisfaction, there is still a lot of resistance. This is due to the following.

RISK AVERSION.

Most of us would rather do something that might not work too well—like having loads of PowerPoint presentations—because it feels comfortable and familiar from previous experiences than take the risk of trying something new that could potentially go wrong but lead to a much better outcome.

LACK OF IDEAS.

We need new ideas on how to engage attendees. There is so much more you can do than just having a breakout, a poll or a Q&A.

CONTROL OBSESSION.

Many meeting planners are obsessed with control and perfection. Engaging participants can feel like letting go of that. However, engaging more does not mean chaos; with a good format and a skilled facilitator, it just means more enthusiasm, learning and networking. Remember that the attendees are usually on your side and will help make the engagement work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bo Krüger

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