What does the word ‘conference’ mean to you? A lot of people see it as a boring event that keeps them trapped inside a hall for the whole day with boring speakers taking turns to lecture them about topics that seem relevant but are not. To others, a conference is a fun event that presents them with the chance to learn new stuff, get new ideas, and meet new people. Whichever way that an attendee will see a conference will largely be determined by the people who organized the conference. No one wants to organize a boring event. People will struggle to gain anything when the conference is boring so if you want to bring fun to your next conference, here are a few ways that you can do that.
- Use An Interesting Theme and Keep To The Theme:
Before attending the conference, you want to assure people that it will be fun to attend. Choose a theme that will raise people’s hopes for the event and have them prepared. If you are going to be doing any graphic design for the conference, let the design portray the theme. It will make people more enthusiastic about attending. When people are already interested in the conference before the D-Day, that’s a lot of good news for any organizer.
- Center Every Activity Around Your Theme:
On the day of the conference, as you usher in your attendees, give them an environment that will remind them about the theme of the conference. The decoration, the arrangement of the conference center, the dress code of workers and volunteers should in a way relate to the theme of the event. One thing is very important; while the theme of your event connects with the ambiance in the event location, make sure that everything connects with your audience. This is how you can make them a part of the event without having to tap any mic.
- Be Strategic About The Order Of Event:
You must know that at one point in the event, people will begin to pay less attention so you have to act accordingly. As a rule, you should plan your event to begin from the fewer fun activities to the more entertaining ones. This will help you keep the attention of people throughout the conference. Give time for breaks so that the attendees can refresh themselves and renew their energy. As you gravitate towards the end of the conference, do interactive activities like a Q and A session. Encourage your speakers to use ice breakers before and during their speeches. This will help to improve the attention span of the audience.
- Make Arrangements For ‘Others’:
Everyone attending the conference will not be the same. This is true in the sense that people who speak foreign languages will be at your conference. Also, people who are visual or hearing impairments will be present. To iron out this issue, you need to make arrangements for translation equipment for these people. Translating the conference for these people who cannot flow with the majority of the audience is very important if you want to carry everybody along at the same time. It also makes sure that everyone follows the event in real-time.
- Bring In Something Unrelated:
When you have been at a task for a long time, it is a rule of thumb that you should leave it and let your mind wander for a bit before coming back to the task. It helps you come up with new ideas and gives you new energy. How does this relate to your conference? You can chip in something unrelated to the conference to help people drift off for a bit. You can bring me music or organize a quiz. Be creative. It will help to change the tone of the room and also allow people to know each other better.
Conclusion
Adding fun to your conference should not be seen as a waste of time but rather as a way to make sure that the goal for the conference is achieved. At the end of the conference, ask for feedback. People will not outrightly tell you what they did not enjoy about the conference but from the feedback, you will be able to tell what changes you can add to your next conference.
