One of the key themes for this year’s EIBTM Knowledge Program will focus on meetings design, highlighting the innovations that make events and conferences more engaging and productive, improve learning and support networking.
“Whilst the subject of meetings design is current, we are bringing the FRESH Conference to the stage at EIBTM with topics covering participant engagement and interaction, exploring meeting formats, meetings design, technology, innovation and best practice. The emphasis will be on giving meeting planners ideas, inspiration and the tools to elevate their meetings and keep up with future trends,” commented Erica Keogan, associations and education manager, IBTM Meetings & Events Portfolio.
The first FRESH Track session “Participant Engagement and Interaction” will give attendees a framework around participant action, interaction, involvement, how to expand their toolbox for designing more engaging sessions, including formats, facilitation, technology and much more, and will improve their skills and language they use to increase their influence.
“As we move attendees into more active and engaged participants with thoughtful meetings design, we are finding technology, particularly our newfound reliance on mobile devices in our everyday lives, is a key driver of interaction possibilities. Audience engagement including polls, crowdsourcing comments, opinions and questions is increasing participation both rapidly and measurably. In our session during EIBTM, we will look at a multi-faceted view including processes and tools, and ultimately how to achieve key benefits to the triad of audience members, planners and organizations,” said Banks Holcombe, general manager, EMEA, QuickMobile, and speaker for the FRESH Track session.
This session will be followed by the FRESH Track session “Exploring Meeting Formats: The Course of Meetings Design,” which will be led by Rosa Garriga Mora, meeting design and ROI consultant; Thorben Grosser, general manager for EventMobi in Europe; Maarten Vanneste, award-winner and president of the Meetings Design Institute; and Menno Pleij, owner and founder of Slidebox.
“Meetings Design is about teaching planners what tools are out there, and how to use them. We are excited to give event organizers practical examples on how they can improve their meetings and ROI while making them more engaging and educational,” Thorben Grosser commented.
Maarten Vanneste concluded: “Meetings design could be about the very future of our industry. Can we make meetings more effective and impactful without losing the fun? Meeting planning is also about the online segment, interaction design, content capturing, social media, presentation improvement, sustainability and more. These EIBTM sessions are all helping you to move forward in this challenging environment.”
On the last day of the show, Julien Carlier, CEO of Social Dynamite and current president for the MPI France-Switzerland Chapter, will present a new technique to leverage digital and media coverage for events in the FRESH Track session “Innovations in Meetings Design.” During this session animated by Kristen Carvalho, digital marketing manager at etouches, Carlier will showcase new techniques to leverage social media influence, helping the participants to easily put their event’s hashtag in trending topics.
Finally, the FRESH Track session “The Art Of Connecting With Your Audience” will be presented by Martijn Timmermans, storytelling facilitator and René Blom, executive producer at The RedLine Project. Open to all delegates and of particular interest to corporates, event and agency professionals and industry associations, they will show their “recipe” on how to create an interactive learning experience and connect with the audience.
Other EIBTM Knowledge sessions, focusing on meetings design and engagement include:
- Designing Guest-Centered Events – Session In Partnership with Maritz
- The Theatre Of Meetings
- Neuromarketing In The Events Industry
- No Profit For Profit: MPI Italia And Medicinema Italia Present A New Model Of
Corporate/Social Innovation
Meetings professionals also have the opportunity to attend “The Best of Meeting Architecture in a Day” course, the condensation of a five-day Meeting Architecture training, taking place on Monday, Nov. 17.
For information on prices and how to book onto this course, visit http://www.amiando.com/MeetingArchitecture.html.
Details of the EIBTM Knowledge Program are available on www.eibtm.com/knowledge and are regularly updated as new sessions are confirmed. The Knowledge sessions will be taking place across the show floor, in conference rooms and the ACS Lecture Theatre.
To find out more about the benefits of attending EIBTM as a Trade Visitor and to register, visit: www.eibtm.com/visit.
EIBTM 2014 will take place from Nov. 18-20.
