Nowhere is fascination more relevant than at a big meeting or conference.
Even if your event has a limitless budget, it’s even tougher to impress your clients and audiences. Expectations are higher, and attention spans are shorter.
At a conference, when people are fascinated, they’re not thinking about the texts or emails they need to send. They’re not checking their calendars, or even the meeting agenda. They’re completely consumed by the event and the experience. Your audience wants to be fascinated.
It’s not just about the logistics, it’s about creating an unforgettable and fascinating experience. Attendees need to leave thinking, feeling or believing something different than when they arrived.
Too often when meetings fall flat there are not enough “a-ha”s. Your audience is asking “What am I going to learn in this room that I can’t get elsewhere?” The internet being what it is, that’s setting a high bar. But if you capture your audience’s attention, your message will have impact.
If we fail to fascinate, and fail to create these moments of intense focus, then we’re far less likely to persuade. People will get distracted by the next notification, the next vendor, the next shiny object in the lobby.
You need to fascinate, or you will fail.
A truly great conference is not just about delivering entertaining content. It’s also not just about giving people tools they can use back at the office. The secret of a great event is that it inspires connections.
It gives your participants something to talk about throughout the rest of the conference, so they can create relationships and meaningful conversations that are the foundation of getting people to come back again.
So how can you make your event more fascinating? What are you going to do at your event that could never be experienced virtually? What’s going to happen in that room that could never be relayed in a PowerPoint slide?
When looking to create more engagement at your live event, consider turning to your Fascination Advantage® to elevate the experience of your participants.
You have 7 different ways to make your meeting (or your speech, or your organization) more fascinating. Here are some tactics to consider for captivating your audience and setting your event apart from every other meeting this season.
If you use PASSION to fascinate your audience, you seek out ways to connect with them on an emotional level. You don’t just provide rational data, you find ways to make them feel strongly about your topic.
- incorporate the senses: use elements of taste, sound, scent
- discover what your audience is passionate about and work that into your program
- add custom songs written about and for your people
Using POWER to fascinate your audience means you present your organization, or yourself as an authority. You could even flip this by giving the audience some control of their experience at your event.
- don’t hesitate to express strong opinions
- take a proactive role by establishing your expertise
- control every aspect of the experience; map out every agenda item
When you call on PRESTIGE to create a fascinating experience you’ll elevate the perceived value of your participants’ experience.
- create scarcity; hold your event every two years, limit registration numbers
- make your event a high-end experience; incorporate exclusive products; use luxurious design elements
You can fascinate your audience by building curiosity and intrigue, using the MYSTIQUE Advantage to promote your event.
- withhold details; don’t reveal the keynote speaker or culminating event in advance
- ask for participant input in selecting subject matter and program items
Use the ALERT Advantage and highlight the severity of the problem that you’ll solve. You will command your audience’s attention and keep them engaged for your entire event.
- present a limited time offer around your event
- emphasize impactful, negative consequences
The INNOVATION Advantage is a way that you can change the game for your participants. Surprise them by turning the traditional meeting format on its head.
- experiment with alternative locations, unusual introductions, unique activities or gifts
- launch an unconference – all the content is driven by participants
Using the TRUST by creating a predictable pattern to plan your event can be a way to capture your audience’s attention. They will feel comfortable in the familiar framework of your program. You could also:
- build continuity with membership over time
- look back to the past; include your audience in your history
- clearly communicate exactly what will happen in advance
If you are planning a meeting or event, your success or failure depends upon your ability to earn a level of intense focus. You need to fascinate your audience.
Use these 7 tactics to take meetings from “uninspired” to “unforgettable.”
What ways have you used your Fascination Advantage to fascinate at a meeting? Tell us in the comments!
(You can review or discover the ways that you are naturally fascinating right here.)
This article was first published on How To Fascinate.
Sally skyrocketed to the top of the advertising world in her early 20s, fascinating millions of consumers for clients such as MINI Cooper and Coca-Cola. Since then, she’s published two New York Times bestsellers on the science of fascination, and is one of only 182 living members in the Speaker Hall of Fame. Over a million professionals have taken the Fascination Advantage® personality test to discover how others perceive their communication.
