Plato said it first—the beginning is the most important part of the work.
It’s not because the core of your message is located at the start, but because that tiny part grabs your audience’s attention and gives a glimpse of the content you are trying to provide. First impressions are valuable. When someone kindly introduces themselves we remember them in a better light than someone who ignores us and brushes past. Naturally, this logic applies to conferences as well.
Set the mood for a fantastic event that will make everlasting memories for each attendee by using these top 5 best ways to open a conference.
1. Grab attention with a captivating story
Humans are naturally drawn to tales, as natural curiosity drives the mind to guess the possible outcomes each story has. Subsequently, a particularly engaging story can be a useful way to stimulate each attendee through emotions—whether it is inquisitiveness at your tale, excitement at the result, or awe at your cleverness.
However, there is a fine line between a boring narration and a fascinating one. Make sure your story is no longer than two minutes, and make it relevant to the interests of your attendees. A typical story follows this structure: start with an inciting incident (an introduction to the problem or a spark that leads the story), build momentum with conflicts to a climax and finish off with a resolution or conclusion.
2. Start with an original, inspiring video
Videos are appealing for multiple reasons. People absorb information through different means—some prefer a visual experience, others are inclined towards audio, while most are enticed by a combination of both.
An exciting video will appeal to most attendees. Make sure your chosen one sets the mood for the rest of your conference—whether it is through inspiration, humor, or life-changing testimonials. A great example is from Apple’s latest iPhone 11 unveiling. The artistic video introduces us to the out of the box creativity and beautiful designs apple is known for. It also is exciting by showing us new products in an interesting way.
3. Don't open those slides yet
It can be very tempting to kick off your conference with good, reliable PowerPoint. Slides are a concise yet effective way to capture your audience’s visual interest and transmit, the core of your message in a few minutes.
That is by itself fantastic—just not at the start of your event.
A massive input of information at the start of the conference is certain to overwhelm your audience, and perhaps even bore them. Much like essays need an introduction before the main content, conferences need a hook to keep the audience’s attention
4. When in-doubt, use an icebreaker
Mmm freaking out about tomorrow. Going to a design conference which is awesome, but my anxiety is going through the roof. Literally gonna be at this thing for around 12 hours.
— HiddenSpikeTrap (@HiddenSpikeTrap) November 9, 2019
WISH ME LUCK ON LEARNING, SOCIALIZING AND NETWORKING LIKE A FUNCTIONAL HUMAN BEING!
Conferences gather a big group of people that probably have never been together. An unfamiliar experience can cause awkwardness and stress to even the most experienced of extroverts.
Using the appropriate icebreaking method in your conference can disrupt the tension, bring a smile out of your attendees, and stimulate conversation between them. More comfortable, they’ll be receptive and attentive to the information you are going to provide.
Human bingo, two truths and a lie, find the man, and many others are possibilities you should explore.
5. Consider the specifics of your audience
At the end of the day, none of these methods will work if they are not designed to appeal to the specifics of your particular conference.
Each crowd is unique and has particular interests when attending your meeting, so the most fundamental step is to understand and study your audience. You will evoke the most appropriate emotional reaction if you know what spots to hit. For example, scientists want to be inspired by cutting edge research show them a new tool or publication that is awe-inspiring, marketing professionals want to know what works in their industry and what isn’t show them a powerful technique. Each audience requires their own special treatment and it’s up to you as the conference organizer to figure out what will really energize them.
Ready to start your next meeting?
When you start scheduling the activities of your conference don’t forget to use these top 5 ways to open it. Use these ideas in combination or pick only a few of them but be sure to start off on the right foot and make a solid opening your attendees will never forget. Have we missed any openers that you have used to great success?
Meetingscouts can help get your next meeting get off to a great start by finding your next hotel. Contact us today to get started.
