“No gift can ever replace the value of being there in person.”
– Denis Waitley
Nothing is better than being together live, in person, especially after two years of zoom meetings! I just came back from coaching my first post-pandemic live event, and the energy was amazing. It felt so good to hug people again (those with the green buttons), to look friends in the eye, and to finally meet people I had been working with over Zoom.
Over this three-day event, we learned a few things about the new era of live events. The landscape has changed, but these small tweaks are very important for delivering the best experience.
As you plan your first live event, focus on making these adjustments to have the most impact.
1. Plan Breaks. The pandemic has shrunk our attention spans. Your listeners don’t want to sit through hours of content. We noticed that 90 minutes into the keynote, phones came out. To avoid distracted listeners, plan breaks every 90 minutes so people can get up, talk, stretch and engage.
2. Toss out the script. Many presenters became accustomed to reading scripts during the pandemic because it was easier. It wasn’t as noticeable on Zoom as it is in person, yet many feel tied to scripts as they go back to live events. But your audience doesn’t want to be read to. They want a conversation. Pry those long-form scripts out of your presenter’s hands. Use bullet points on confidence monitors, not scripts, so you can speak conversationally. Remind speakers that the audience would rather have an imperfect conversation over a boring monologue. Add in fireside chats and panels so speakers can engage in natural conversation and share from the heart.
3. Prioritize emotional connection over data dumping: The best audience engagement happened when a speaker added humor on the fly. The audience wants to connect with the speaker. So many speakers find it tempting to flood people with 2 years worth of information and data dumping. Instead, speakers who peeled back and brought in analogies and stories to their presentations, as well as self-effacing humor, let the audience feel something. These were the speakers everyone was talking about in the end. SHARPs are one of the easiest ways to build emotional connections and ensure people remember your content.
4. Create space for connection After two years of isolation and working from home, people are craving human interaction! Build-in time for fun, for conversations, and for connection. The company I was with did an amazing job breaking up the time to enable connections through team breakouts, Olympic game events, and cocktail receptions. The executives made a point of circulating to each happy hour to build connections.
5. Remember downtime. It was thrilling to be back in person and also exhausting. We’ve forgotten how much energy it takes to be “on” for hours at a time without the benefit of slouching at your keyboard while you work from home. I needed time to decompress throughout the day so I could bring my best energy to the table. Make sure not to over-schedule events. Encourage people to take time away to refresh and rest. It’s okay to head back to the hotel early and kick off the shoes instead of hitting after-dinner festivities.