Posts Tagged ‘education’
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
Here’s more fuel for the virtual attendance movement. For associations, event management company Glasgows has launched EventCast, a webcast service with interactive technology. The big deal here is two-fold: first, the service sends responses instantly to the event for real-time display and analysis by presenters. Watch for more polls and questions rather than comments. Demands for facilitation and “on the fly” content will spike. If canned speeches weren’t dead before, they are now.
For corporate markets, Unisfair introduces “Virtual Classroom” Training Environment. The reason behind the fanfare is the price. According to Unisfair, companies that have used the classroom have reported a 95 percent reduction in training costs, with the average cost per attendee going from roughly $2,000 to $100. They also report that industry giants such as IBM, Intel, and Intuit are happy customers.
Both companies tout that this can replace face-to-face conferences and training. Don’t believe it. Many organizations will use this as an adjunct, not a wholesale replacement. But experts will be expected to be comfortable with the technology and use it creatively. Let the learning begin…
Tags: education, events, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
As if the marketplace isn’t noisy enough, here’s another source for content at those association meetings: the attendees themselves.
Yep, the typical concurrent session of skill-building will make way for hot-topic idea exchanges, according to digital media researcher, Michael Mascioni. My reaction: this idea has legs, thanks to association industry focus on Gen Y’s in the audience and Corporate America’s desire to tap into its collective intelligence. I’m calling it the “reality TV trend of the meetings industry”. This will be a more popular option for association conventions, incentive meetings, and at leadership conferences.
Let’s not panic though. Not all concurrent sessions will ditch their speakers. Skill building and education are too important to leave to chance. Attendee-driven content will be another option, not a replacement. But… be prepared to answer this question: why should we hire you instead of using our attendees for free?
Tags: associations, education, events, Marketing, Speaking, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Another casualty of the economy: traditional incentive meetings. Industry insiders agree that a new model is morphing for these multi-day junkets. Now it’s a smaller party with a bigger purpose. And that’s good news for experts.
Three ways we can take advantage of the new trends:
- Instead of pure entertainment, a business portion is being added to the agenda. Most popular here: getting feedback from top performers. Facilitators, this is a perfect fit for you.
- I predicted this for years, and this trend is going strong: training is now an important part of the meeting agenda. More opportunities to interact with Corporate America is a good thing. Yes, speakers and trainers are a natural fit for skill-building. Consultants can get in on this act, too.
- And, finally, charitable activities are on the rise. This is a great area for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) experts — especially those with relationships in Sales and Marketing.
Tags: education, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Greetings from the NSA Convention in Orlando, Florida. First thing I learned here: humidity matters. I have come to appreciate the “dry heat” of Arizona.
I’m hearing one question over and over again: How do I “get out there?” Folks assume that if they “just get in front of the right people,” they are golden. The good news: there are so many opportunities to distribute your brilliance. The interesting news: these opportunities have created a lot of white noise. Getting in front of people is not the challenge; getting them to pay attention to you is the real first step. The more crowded the market, the harder it is to get that attention.
Throwing spaghetti at the wall no longer works. We have to go an inch wide and a mile deep, not a mile wide and an inch deep. We have to get strategic about what we know, not just tell it. How to create that kind of publicity? Check out the next Extreme Mini Makeovers call next Tuesday, July 27th and leave with a blueprint on what to do next.
Tags: education, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, promotion, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Nutrition, wellness and even stress management folks will see a boost in interest in their programs, thanks to the $200M grants for wellness programs in Corporate America. Spread out over five years, these grants will go to small companies with fewer than 100 employees.
Watch for small business groups to wade into this area — I know, they don’t have the expertise, but that’s where you come in. Beware: don’t assume that these small companies just want you to speak and get out. Experts in these areas will have to take a holistic approach and distribute their content in a variety of ways. Your next big step: bundle your services as a project that includes speaking, internet stuff, whatever and target the smaller companies.
Tags: branding, consultants, education, experts, Health, Marketing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, April 8th, 2010
One of my favorite industry insider pubs has gone to magazine heaven. Training Magazine and its website is no more after last month’s issue. I knew it was sick when the issues got smaller and smaller. While I hoped that the community could live via the Internet, owner Neilsen Business Media is getting out of the trade publishing business.
Moral of the story: even a well-respected expo, industry conference and a subscription base of 45,000 couldn’t save this platform. Will be interesting to see what happens in the vacuum Training leaves behind.
Tags: education, Marketing, publishing, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Here we go again…Congress is asking 33 top medical societies for a list of funding sources going back to 2006. What are they looking for? Ties to the pharma and medical equipment industries. “Transparency” is the reason cited.
My prediction: look for a chilling effect. Pharma funding is big here and the last thing they want is an “AIG” incident. There’s no evidence that conference content is bought and paid for — and that doesn’t matter. Watch for even more scrutiny on the horizon. The antidote: independent content from folks like us. Look for topics on soft skills and running a better practice. It won’t completely replace clinical education — just a safe alternative.
Tags: education, Marketing, medical societies, pharma, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Health, Marketing, Speaking, branding, strategy | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Think the AIG effect has gone away? Think again. A recent survey by Ypartnership reports that “35 percent of respondents would plan fewer meetings in 2010 because of image / publicity / public policy considerations.” Ouch! That translates to an estimated $2.5 billion in lost economic impact.
The industry’s response is a PR campaign — “Face time. It matters.” Yet another clue that two things — interactive experiences and education — take center stage this year. Position your expertise accordingly…
Tags: branding, education, interactive experiences, meetings, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, branding, strategy | No Comments »
