If you’d like to answer to the next question and be featured on a post like this check out this link.

Here is the question:

What was the most outstanding event you attended? What did you enjoyed? What worked particularly well? What did the management do that you perceived as remarkable?

What’s in it for you, reader? The chance to get insights for your next event. I suggest you go through all the answers as they entail great feedback and inspiration.

The best answer (the first you’ll see below) was selected, as always, according to my own preference. You can use comments to vote yours.

A few considerations:

- Incredible to notice how plenty of people indicated events of more than 10 years ago. What is going on with current events? I guess it is becoming harder and harder to impress and exceed expectations. Looks like we all need to deal with this.

- A lot of people talked about their marriage of children birth. I didn’t leave that out as I think there is a lesson there. Those are the events where you are the protagonist. It would be difficult to get more involved than this. The lesson is: the more you involve and release control, the better the satisfaction.

And now the answers:

- Peter O’Connell - President / Voice Talent - audio’connell Voice Over Talent says:

Two really good events I participated in took place in Toronto and both involved social media.

One was Podcamp Toronto which was a two day conference on podcasting, blogging and everything social media. The other was a hastily planned Geek dinner in Toronto.

The experiences I took away from these two events had less to do with social media (though I learned a ton and developed wonderful contacts) as it did with how important it is to set expectations and goals for attendees at an event before it starts.

At both events, the networking (more exchange of ideas and best practices than business development though there was some of that too) was at the core of the event. Everybody knew it. Everybody came prepared to share, to talk to listen. There was very little arm crossing (that internationally recognized non verbal cue of stand-offishness)

That openness led to tremendous communication opportunities which built great relationships which in my opinion are at the core of every great event.

- Colleen Norris - Owner Loving Connections LLC says:

Last night I attending an amazing event.

It was the first night of a workshop entitled “Empowerment Dialogue & Gestalt Dreamwork” I learned so much in 4 hours, but what I really enjoyed was feeling welcomed by a bunch of strangers.

What worked so well was even though everyone was on different levels of understanding it was perfect for everyone. The facilitator was friendly and a joy to be around.

- Julia Marrocco - Executive Performance Coach says:

The most outstanding event was during a corporate awards trip to Bangkok for a week or so. There was the most amazing feast, outdoors, in gorgeous tropical weather, we accessed the venue by boat, and authentic Thai folkloric dancing kept us amazed and steeped us in the history and culture of the land. I will never forget it. Everything from start to finish was smooth and it seemed like the event happened by magic. I can only imagine what a tremendous amount of work it must have been but I never witnesses one frown, one hurried person, and everyone facilitating or helping at the event looked as if they had taken a happy smiley pill!

Outside of corporate events, (I have attended zillions…good and bad both)
I would have to say anything with Cirque du Soleil will always be a smashing hit. No one performs like them. If you had a bad event in every other way, and you ended by taking everyone to any Cirque performance (excluding Zumanity) you will have good reviews of the event. That is because when they see Cirque, everything else will leave their mind and they will so amazed that’s all they will think about for weeks to come. So end on a positive note.

- Glenn Curry - Partner, Efficient Technologies LLC says:

SIGGRAPH convention, Orlando ‘94. Disney closed their water park one night to guests only. Free food, wine, beer and bands. The whole park all night lots of happy drunk graphics people sliding down water slides all night!

OK, then there was the national sales meeting for Superscope/ Marantz ‘75. In LA, including a private party with live entertainment at the Playboy Mansion. Hugh was good friends with Joe Tushinski.

Almost forgot the Kenwood Electronics sales meeting ‘77, Stayed at the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans, a grand hotel in the heart of the French Quarter on Bourbon Street.

In review, I have to apologize and wish to state without reservation that I attended a similar event 4 times in my life and each was tied for 1st place event.

I have four children and I was present at the event of each’s birth. No other event comes close.

- Joseph Bachana - President, DPCI says:

2 years ago i heard Jack Trout speak at the Microsoft annual Partner event. Nobody seemed to know this marketing legend, but his talk was so insightful. He pulled some concepts out of his book “Differentiate or Die”.

I remember a few things about the presentation. First, he used Powerpoint, which surprised me since I usually hate Powerpoint presentations but he aced his. Second, he was going over some of the real clunker brand strategies out there and he had the audience dying of laughter. To this day when I’m in a marketing brainstorming meeting and one of us comes up with a nutty position statement, I remember Jack’s presentation.

The third thing i remember, which I’ll never forget ever probably, is that Jack was talking about projects that he himself took on to help worldwide brands with their positioning statements. I was just so in awe that this man has helped great brands with their messaging, all with very clear positioning statements as opposed to all the frilly technology-gyrating marketing tricks we all use today.

- Kenneth von Hopf - Tech Paramedics, a full service IT provider

Call to Action Live with Michael Bernoff and the Human Communications Institute.

- Lisa Stephen - Receptionist/Admin Asst/CSR/Event Planner says:

Back in 1986, I attended the Guterman Bar mitzvah party on the Queen Elizabeth II. It was amazing and left a solid, positive impression on me, even though I was only 14 at the time and only got invited because my mother worked for them, but I considered them family and I felt like I truly belonged. Little did I know that the event would plant the seed in the subconscious of my brain to one day start an event-planning business.

- Chris Catoggio - Independent Event Services Professional says:

The Rotary International Convention at the McCormick Center in Chicago in 2005. It is an incredible experience to participate with Rotarians from all over the world. It enlightens you to the global impact one organization has by providing humanitarian service and helping build goodwill and peace throughout the world.

From an event standpoint, it is remarkable how thousands of people are transported, seemingly effortlessly, throughout the city to attend the many events. The quality and scope of events made this an unforgettable experience.

- Carol White Llewellyn - Tourism Activist & Association Publisher, TravelHost of Rochester & the Finger Lakes says:

I attend events often and also used to do event planning for a trade association. The most remarkable events I’ve attended/planned were those that were a collaborative effort between two or more organizations, focused on a particular topic, and held outside of either organization’s home base. They also had exceptional programming or break-out work sessions, were planned collaboratively among the organizing parties involved so all partners were equal stakeholders, representing their members’ likes, dislikes and interests. They also offered great food and fun entertainment.

These events attracted a calibre of attendee interested in both networking and benefitting from the program. They also came to have a good time. When you attract a large group of attendees with these common goals and put them in an educational, yet fun atmosphere, you have the recipe for an outstanding event.

- June Mattiza - E Imagineer at The Media Collective says:

The best event, how about my top 3 events,

1. I traveled with a client i(as press management) who was playing at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, backstage and got to meet some of the greats in blues and contemporary music with the same client got to attend the Grammy awards when he received one for his latest release.

2. The first Webmaster World Conference that I ever attended in Las Vegas, I learned a lot but the big benefit was the friendships that began at that conference.

3. Luxury Travel Expo - Traveled with a client to industry trade show to attend industry round tables, marketing tracks and networking. Not only did this help with in market intel but that year while I was there, I got to meet a great in the Resort Hotel Development world unbeknown to me, I had coffee in the morning with Steve Winn shared a conversation about family, kids general banter, then we both had a meeting to go to,,, it was the same one and he was the keynote speaker.. Wow.

4. I2 Planet Conventions - Awesome event in which I helped with the media presentation, It was the best mix of education, variety of industries and after long days conference style they really did it right with their networking/party events.

- Walter Giacovelli - Knowledge Strategist says:

Best event i followed, according to me is always the next i have to follow, because i project on it my dreams, my ideas, my wish of making best reality around me, and make me feel like a child waiting for a long time best toy for present.

- Ron Coble - Owner, ImportExportHelp says:

They were about 30 years ago when I was somewhat naive but thankfully impressionable - Amway motivational meetings (no I left them about 28 years ago).

They had some very good motivational speakers and I have said many times that although I do not believe there are many people who ever succeed in that business model, the spark(s) that these motivational weekends provided me was what helped me to move forward into various other business ventures in the ensuing almost 30 years.

I really believe that had I not gone to those weekends I would have never gotten into these various business ventures and probably would still be working in a job for someone else rather than in my own business.

- Richard Tabor Greene - Professor of Knowledge and Creativity Management at Kwansei Gakuin University says:

Siemens’ Invent Events, 15 years ago–a series of 200 person 4 day mass workshop events wherein 200 people from a dozen companies/functions invented 100 things and patented them. Included every 3 hour wandering comedy and minstrel groups that punctuated everyone’s sitting and meeting mindsets, and morning breakfasts of all 200 reporting prior day results and present day needs to everyone else (using comic formats), and mid-day “fill in questionnaires or answer questions from other workshop groups” lunch sessions deliberately helping other workshop groups. 100 patents were reliably written up and submitted by end of each 4 day session.

- Silvia Malesardi - Events management Assistant at Trentino Tourist Board says:

Within the last Years Vienna has become one of the most wanted travel locations in Europe to celebrate the New Year.

New Year Eve in Vienna 2006 (Silvesterpfad)was an amazing experience full of spirit of Vienna between history and innovation. The celebration for the international Mozart Year 2006 were the main theme.

The entire city was an extraordinary open-air party inclusive last minute waltz course all over Vienna’s first district, escape three-four time at various clubs (i.e. WUK, Passage, Flex,…) or celebrate in one of the many pubs at the ‘Gürtel’ (B72, rhiz, Chelsea,…) or at Bermuda triangle (i.e. krah krah, Bermudabräu, Brennerei,…).

Before midnight we can watch the official fireworks, illuminate the city!

There was also start the year’s ball season with a banger, famous ‘Kaiserball’. At the magnificent halls of the ‘Hofburg’ you first enjoy a splendid dinner and then mark the beginning of the new year in three-four time.

At midnight we hear the famous Pummerin (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) strike.
It mustn’t miss famous ‘Neujahrskonzert’ the day after which is performed by the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra.

The management of all the events was building by a perfect network of the City government, the Stadt Wien marketing und prater service (the events agency of the city) and the Vienna Tourist Board.

All of this celebration including the really spirit of Mozart genius!
Wonderful!

- Anuroopa Banerjee Gupta - Marketing Communications expert says:

The best event ever attended by me was this GRAND Wedding in Rajasthan, Jaipur. The venue was a palace decorated with jasmine and orchids. ornate silver furniture. Beautiful drapes and lights all around; glorifying the venue even more.

Then came the Groom with a Royal Procession seated in an elephant- with well decorated horses 15 in nos, 10 camels, 10 vintage carriages and many vinatge cars and of couse men with torches and over 500 guests following the procession. The groom and guests were all given the most Royal welcome possible.

The bride followed in an exotic palanquin amidst folk performers singing and beating drums. The Groom and Bride exchanged garlands on top of a crane and were then brought to the ground and drove around the palace on a vintage carriage.

All guests were served food on silverware and the fireworks and folk performances throughout the evening were enchanting. What an event!! Well, it cost a fortune- more than 7 millions; so I overheard!!! Truly A BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING.

- Dan Pepper - Sales & Marketing Executive for Tech Startups says:

Easily Fall Internet World in 1996 at the Javits. Alan Meckler had just moved the event from Boston to NYC to meet overflow demand. The companies and ideas that sprang forth from that show generated billions of dollars in wealth creation before the bubble burst in 2000. The excitement on the show floor and sessions was palpable.

*Sometimes an idea is all you need for a great event!* This was tech’s answer to the “Thrilla in Manila.”

- Shawn Carter - Senior Financial Analyst at Blackhawk Network says:

As far as business, an all-hands at a company I worked at. They had coreographed with many famous football players how they did that year and what our new brand would be about. It was over the top in cool, fun and on target. The CEO did a very slick presentation with the slides answering his questions. All in all very fun.

- Frank Feather - Webpreneur, Author says:

The most seminal event in my professional life was “The 1st Global Conference on the Future” (Toronto, 1980) under the theme “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.”

What was remarkable was the sheer size of the event: 6,400 delegates from 60 countries, with 1,000+ speakers over 5 days, in some 26 main topic themes or tracks. The vast smorgasbord of ideas spawned excited conversation well into each night, and resulted in numerous global/local initiatives, as well as thousands of personal network connections and friendships.

In turn, that event launched my career as a futurist, and also took me to China where I met my Chinese wife.

Needless to say, there has never been a second such conference. I also am somewhat biased, because I led the team which planned the event, and I was honored to serve as its Chairman. But it was truly remarkable, as any attendee will attest even today.

On a personal level, the two most remarkable events were when my wife and I went to China to adopt our two daughters. Every moment of those two meetings is forever etched in my mind and my heart

- Mary Lascelles - CONCIERGE RELOCATION SERVICES says:

Three years ago our company put on the “Paddywack” for our agents. It’s up there with the best of events in all of my years working anywhere.

This was an intimate black tie event held at the beautiful Cascade Theatre in Redding, CA…a recently renovated 1930’s theatre that was impressively done. Drinks to start out and then awards were given to the top agents in our office for the previous year. We had a magician who was incredible and John Bearden, President of our franchise, joined in. There was so much to feast the senses that night. The venue was perfect.

The next day we brought in motivational speakers…starting with John Bearden who is always so engaging and interesting.

The concept was to say thanks for a good year and celebrate the success while spurring everyone for another good year.

Our company has always been “out of the box” which makes it a somewhat unique place to work. The event is still remembered!!

- Amy Vercruysse - Owner, Combo Platter: Event Marketing & Management says:

The events I attend are more consumer vs. business-oriented such as trade shows, and then to narrow it further they are more entertainment related.

For sheer sensory overload and an overabundance of things to do, I have to say South by Southwest wins hands down. The Natural Products Trade Show West in Anaheim did a nice job the 2 times I attended for a trade show that also had some consumer element to it (a nice mix of b-to-b and b-to-c).

For pure musical pleasure, the Ponderosa Stomp in NOLA (next week) is my favorite music event simply because there’s nothing else like it anywhere for true music purists and connoisseurs.

- Muhammad Ali - Marketing Consultant says:

I live in Dubai…No Outstanding events take place here…I play music and I have never seen any concert organized properly in Dubai…Even the events I have played at are not managed properly by the events management team.

- Illona Cowen - Information Technology and Services Professional, Technical Writer, Business Analyst says:

Two events come to mind. One hosted by Microsoft. They thought of everything!

The other event was hosted by Verisign. They had live music, live entertainment (Blues Bros.) and had pictures taken immediately with them, fireworks, great location. Excellent food.

- Melissa Deputy - Conference Planner, Public Speaker says:

The most outstanding event I attended was Tupperware’s 50th “Gold” Anniversary with approximately 7,000 in attendance in Orlando in August 1996. The awards and education and free product give aways were unrivaled by any other events prior. Of course, it was special to me because I was recognized as 29 in the nation of those in attendance.

- Allen Stevens - Event Manager at Legacy Marketing Partners says:

1999 Camel Bartenders Ball, NYC. Annual “thank-you” event for all the bar staff in the area whose venues participated in the Camel Club Program. We had 4000 people at the Hammerstein Ballroom, with Grandmaster Flash DJing and Lenny Kravitz as the headliner. Free admission (though our free tickets were getting scalped on eBay for hundreds of dollars) with open bar and hors d’ourves for all.

It was a grueling 22-hour day, but it was an epic party.

- Brenda Christensen - Sr. Account Supervisor at The David James Agency says:

The Nintendo party at CES 1989. It was spectacular in every sense of the word…not a dime was spared. Live Hollywood Squares style game show, luminaries, celebrity impersonators, live Kenny Loggins concert…it was over the top over the top.

- Ravi Kikan - Sales and Marketing professional says:

My Marriage !!!

- Michael Hamblett - Investment Management Professional says:

The 1999 Ryder Cup Event at The Country Club in Massachusetts, when the U.S. took back the cup from the Europeans with a victory late Sunday afternoon, when Justin Leonard sank a long putt.

- James Hayes - Independent Online Media Professional says:

generously help Bob the saint run the world for one day, and I still have the badge to prove it.

- Javier Irastorza - Strategy & Global Industrial Development at EADS-CASA says:

In March 2005 I attended the “International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security” organised by Clud de Madrid in commemoration of the terrorist attacks on the city of Madrid the year before.

The Club of Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 70 democratic former heads of state and government.

More than 1.200 people participated in that gathering, amongst them 200 experts, 17 Heads of State and Government, the Secretary General of the United Nations and many other leaders from international organizations and delegations from more than 70 countries.

I could attend this event thanks to a parallel event organised by the students association AEGEE.

The venue, tuition and logistics worked just perfectly. The conference itself was terrific. The power of this organisation (Club de Madrid) to bring top speakers and experts was impressive.

Several conferences and plenaries very interesting. Just a pity to have missed many since some were running in parallel.

Seeing dozens of world decision-makers was a shocking experience (e.g. noticing in the escalator that the lady before me was… Madeleine Albright).

- Suzanne Levison - Owner, SLS Creative and Staffing and Recruiting Consultant says:

One that I was involved with production. A major sports gathering including headline entertainment, high profile sponsors, political personalities such as Jesse Jackson..The fact that 24 hours prior to the event we were notified that, in addition, another political figure would arrive, we would be meeting with the secret service agents prior to redesign the room and general areas for security reasons. What I enjoyed was the challenge. What worked well was our team, who sprung into action with no sleep, and rose to the challenge so that the entire evening flowed perfectly.

- Joseph Templin - Head Geek, Unique Minds Consulting Group, LLC says:

The birth of my children.

- Machelle Lovin - Successful leader, partner and follower says:

I was young….I’m guessing about 8 years old. My parents worked for the first multi-level international cosmetic company. (look up Glenn Turner and read all about it) It was at a convention in Orlando. After a day of various events full of experts in cosmetics and the fashion industry, seminars, and incredible motivational moments, they packed a hotel suite full of select people that were attending the convention. Most of these people were from small towns and had big dreams.

The President of the company spoke and introduced a few other people who also spoke. Each with more vigor and excitement. Then the main guy (salesman) spoke to the attendees. In very powerful and elegant words he told them they had what it took to be successful. That their company was the one for them and the product they offered was all they needed. He pumped them up…spiritually, emotionally, physically, cheering….E.O.G.O…..E.O.G.O……some people were jumping up and down as others clapped and chanted…E.O.G.O….Every One Get One.

Now, I don’t know if it was the product that everyone was getting one of or if it was every one get one person under you (pyramid marketing). But what I do know is that at such a young age, I learned how people need to belong and be accepted. I learned how they need to feel empowered and just need some attention. I learned that one person can have such a presence that the whole world will follow them. (the world as it was as an 8 year old girl in that hotel room) But wow, how that lesson has proven true as I’ve gotten older and experienced life.

- Tamara Dunst - Senior Manager, Events at Nobel Biocare

I’d have to say that with all the events I have managed and attended throughout my career, by far the best are the Disney events I have attended as a consumer. Disney often holds “merchandising” events at their parks where attendees actually pay to come and buy stuff. Only Disney can do this. However, you hardly realize that you are dropping a couple of hundred dollars on artwork and memorabilia when you are surrounded by such amazing “theme-ing.” Most of these events are held in one of their hotel’s large ballrooms and usually center around a park ride or Disney movie.

It seems that they spare no expense in awing their customers with dramatic lighting, realistic props, and interactive activities. You get favors that seem like they cost a fortune and the food is quite excellent. Music, performances and speakers round out these memorable evenings, which, remember, are just there for you to buy merchandise. Disney really knows how to create a complete experience – tantalizing all the senses, tying in to them seamlessly and giving customers the craving for more.

- Dave Weinberg - Manager, Marketing & Client Relations says:

A few years ago, while working at Sony Pictures, I attended a Movie Premiere for “Big Fish”. After the red carpet and movie the whole lot moved to the after party at Hammerstein in Manhattan. The crew was able to recreate the town form the movie and the circus inside the theater. Food was served by old time dinner staff on red picknick tables while acrobats performed high above. It was incredible.

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When I think about productivity, GTD, being organized and blogging, I think about Zen Habits. It is the best written blog about all of the above (and more) topics. No surprises it won the award as Best Overall Blog in 2007.

I am one of the thousands fan of Leo Babauta, its editor, who has accomplished a lot in life and shares daily tips on how to tackle stress and life.

I decided to interview Leo and ask him how we could become ‘Zen Event Managers’. He demonstrated to be a great individual and with amazing kindness replied to my questions.

- Multitasking is said to be one of the most critical quality of an event manager. Do you agree?

While it is useful to be able to multitask when necessary, I don’t think it should be your main mode of working. For me, at least, learning to single-task — to focus on one task at a time and block out all distractions — has been the key to being more productive, to getting important things done (as opposed to a lot of unimportant things), to reducing stress, to simplifying my work life. It’s a more important skill in the long run.

- Managing events raises stress levels to rooftop. What would you suggest to deal with this daily nightmare.

Simplify things as much as possible. Take a look at everything you do (make a long list) and decide which ones are most crucial. Then streamline things so that you get rid of the unessential. You might not get everything done, but you’ll be less stressed and you’ll get the essential things done.

- Our desks are full of projects, programs and PC monitors, how should we cope with this clutter?

Declutter. Get rid of everything you don’t absolutely need. Then set up a system where you keep things in one place instead of all over the place, and stick to the system. See my Zen To Done (ZTD) system for more info.

- We are often convinced that working more actually delivers better results, do you agree?

No, not at all. What is important is doing the essential tasks that get you to the accomplishments you want, not doing a lot of busywork. If you can do 3 important things in 4 hours, rather than 20 non-important things in 10 hours, you’re more productive and more efficient. And less stressed. Learn to eliminate the non-essential.

- To become ‘Zen Event Managers’, the first thing we should change is…

Learn to focus on the important, and to eliminate distractions.

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As part of the Global Event Management section, a featured interview with Todd Thurston, president and CEO of CretiveWharehouse.

Convention Capture is a service offered by Creative Warehouse, Inc. creators of the MarketLearn(TM) design and development model, will create an ongoing return from your event by keeping your message in front of your target audience year-round, while simultaneously promoting next year’s event with their Convention Capture services.

They have serviced numerous Fortune-500 clients. Aspects of their services range from video and audio highlights of events to complete recorded workshops and keynotes. One of their most popular ad-on services is the Convention Highlight video, generally played to attendees during the gala event.

I invite you to check the above links for more information.

1. What cultural characteristics should one consider when planning an event in Atlanta?

Atlanta has a wide variety of cultural opportunities which brings a wide variety of people to Atlanta to live and work but the main thing one should be prepared for is the southern hospitality. Most people you will work with or run into are polite and kind and are willing to help you with what you need. (There of course arealways exceptions)

2. What are the major opportunities of hosting a corporate event in Atlanta?

Atlanta has some of the best, newest, and updated venues such as the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia International Convention Center, Gwinnett Center, and more than 120 more meeting places. Some of the locations such as the Georgia Aquarium and the High Museum are very fascinating and enjoyable locations for events.

The resources to help make your event the best it could possibly be are also found here from catering to AV and from technology to marketing.

3. What barriers could one face when planning a corporate event in Atlanta ?

Most recently the biggest barrier was a tornado that swept through the city but thankfully that is not usually anything anyone has to worry about and Atlanta quickly resolved the problems that arose with that one.

In the summer it does get HOT in Atlanta - that is partly one reason it is called Hotlanta. Depending on the climate you are coming from you will also want to consider the humidity.

4. What special logistics considerations would you suggest to take into account?

If your event or activities are going to be in multiple locations make sure you have a great transportation plan. Many of the activities and locations downtown are close by but if you have to board buses or take transit you will want to watch the time of day because rush hour in the morning and evening can get very heavy, especially if there are several events taking place at the same time.

5. Three attributes one should have to plan successfully in Atlanta.

Open Minded - being able to ask questions and listen to those who know the area can lead you to a better event experience!

Experienced - use it appropriately to make sure all of your details are in place before and after and give credit to those who help you make it happen.

Courteous - being demanding never pays off

6. The day of the event your survival kit should definitely include.

A contingency plan - A back up of your schedule, contacts, etc. (non-electronic) in case something should happen to your preferred gadget. The ability to build relationships prior to your event and comfort in calling on them if you need them the day of your event. The ability to laugh and enjoy your hard work - getting frustrated will only add to any problems that arise - it’ll work out!

If you are planning on coming to Atlanta here is a link to an online press kit

7. What’s the latest trend in corporate events in Atlanta?

One of the interesting trends happening is the idea of building attendance around the destination. The ACVB tells us that “More than ever, meeting planners are requesting destinations to provide value, a unique experience and assist with generating attendance.”

Other noteworthy trends sweeping the industry include green initiatives and the implementation of social media programs (blogging, podcasting, etc.)

The trend that Creative Warehouse, Inc. / Convention Capture is building is helping planners get the most out of their event by letting us help them custom build a marketing and retention tool that keeps their event message alive while at the same time promote their next event!

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Now as I can just speculate on the subject and I am sure you seek real experience and down to earth suggestions I decided to interview Sandra Sims.

Sandra first started fundraising when she was in college at the University of North Texas. She was active in a school spirit club and served as chair of the fundraising committee, planning a variety of fundraisers for her club.

After graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts she went to work in a variety of industries primarily working in marketing and database management.

The turning point was a volunteer experience with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

At that point she realized that not only did she enjoy fundraising, but had a knack for it too. She continued to volunteer for a variety of charitable organizations. In the fall of 2003 StepbyStepFundraising.com began as a way to share her experience with others.

She is author of a blog and several ebooks (some available for free if you subscribe) on the subject

Here are the tips that Sandra shared

- Three attributes of the successful fundraising organizer

Organization, Enthusiasm, Empowering (the ability to recruit volunteers and empower them to fulfill their duties)

- The day of the event your survival kit includes…

Event Binder:

- Contact information for key volunteers and service providers (catering, entertainment, etc.) including cell phones!

- Contracts with service providers

- Exact schedule of events

- Forms related to the event and blank forms. For example, if you are having a silent auction always have blank auction donation forms. Inevitability someone will bring a donation to the event itself rather than turn it in beforehand.

- scissors, tape, pens, paper, mini-first aid kit (something always comes up where you need these!)

- Bags for each person who will be taking money (tickets, raffles, etc.) with printed instructions

- Brochures about the organization that can be distributed

- A way to record attendance and capture contact information - such as a free drawing

- Nametags

- Business cards

And for personal survival: Bottled water & Tylenol!

- Tell us the most critical objective of a fundraising event and what practices do you adopt to achieve it.There are three absolute essentials:

1. First choose an event that your audience will truly enjoy. They must have a compelling reason to want to come other than “it’s for charity.” The social objective of most events is something that’s fun and entertaining. Consider the tastes of your audience, are they more likely to enjoy something formal or casual?

What events have worked with this group in the past? Talk to key supporters and see if they are involved with any interest groups that would be enthusiastic about a certain type of event. If they would enjoy doing a lot of the planning, even better!

2. If you have done well with matching the event to your audience, the second objective, getting attendees, will be much easier. You will still need to do advertising and publicity to get more attendees to the event. Remember that announcing the event once or twice is not enough.

Promote the event to the most people possible so each person is reminded of it 5 to 10 times. You do with by using multiple media: email, mailed invitations, telephone calls, newsletters, newspaper articles, and free Radio/TV spots.

3. The final and most important aspect of a charity benefit is that it raises money! Plan the budget (projected costs and revenues) well in advance. This will help you to know how much gross revenue needs to be in order to make a good profit. Having sponsorships, donations by individuals and businesses, helps to underwrite costs and can be a big revenue generator.

Thank your sponsors by including their names in your programs and publicity. Most events that I have been involved with raise the most funds through multiple fundraisers held at the event, not the entry tickets. Silent auctions, live auctions, raffles, sales of mementos are great ways to raise funds.

- Volunteers are a critical part of the no-profit event. How do you motivate them?

People are often more willing to help than we give them credit for. The trick is discovering what they would enjoy doing, given the amount of time they have to commit. Divide the tasks of the event into a number different areas. For example, a dinner and auction would have several main areas of responsibility: food, decorations, auctions, publicity, etc.

You can recruit lead volunteers, or what I like to call “Captains” for each area. They will then be in charge of recruiting additional volunteers and planning that area.

These are the volunteers that do have more time to commit for several weeks or months leading up to the event. Each of the areas would then be divided into tasks and blocks of time that other volunteers can help with that don’t take as much time. For instance, if there’s someone who’s very social and knows a lot of people that will be there, they might be willing to be a greeter or ticket taker for 30 minutes or an hour.

When the event planner or lead staff person has confidence in the volunteers and empowers them to take charge of their area, that can be very motivating to them. Show your thanks to anyone who helps, attends or makes donations. On the flip side, if the event planner tries to control everything and be the “gatekeeper” for every minor decision, that is very de-motivating for volunteers.

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- I am a member of the Italian Linux Society
- I’ve erased from my PC every form of proprietary software, choosing Kubuntu
- I’ve participated to a “Linux Day” in Italy and I think they are great events
- I love Australia since I studied there for two years and got life changing experiences
- Linus Torvalds participated to the event and this is a small event itself.

Therefore, for all of the above I decided to contact the guys DownUnder for a chat on the conf. I asked them if they could share with us a bit about the event and inspire us for the future.

I am happy to say that once again I wasn’t disappointed by the community. In the person of Donna I was able to find the usual great spirit of sharing great content and empowering the listener. No matter how busy they were with managing the event.

My thanks to the great kindness of my mates in Australia and for you a great interview with heaps of great info.

- Tell us how a Linux Conference differs from a regular conference

linux.conf.au is a mix of tradition and innovation. Each year, a different team of volunteers works tirelessly to put on the conference, and each team does it differently. One of the features of LCA is the social events, they are almost as important as the talks themselves. Developers who usually work together online over the year seem to enjoy socialising and letting off steam. For some of them, this is a once-a-year opportunity to meet face to face.

The AV and Networking aspects of the conference are huge projects within project. linux.conf.au provides wireless network coverage to speakers and attendees, and the AV team attempts to record all the sessions so hat others who can’t attend the conference can still share in the knowledge exchange that makes linux.conf.au so special.

- What should be the primary scope of every conference about Linux?

I can’t speak for every conference about Linux. Linux itself is so many things to so many people, and the conferences that choose to focus on linux should reflect that diversity.
- How do you integrate the open approach to such an open event?

There are lots of ways to get involved in creating linux.conf.au. For instance, any group of people in Australia or New Zealand (perhaps further afield!) could band together and prepare a bid to host the conference in their town or city. The conf is large enough now that it has pretty demanding requirements, but it also generates a fair amount of economic activity, so local councils and convention boards can be called on to assist.

The papers review committee is usually made up of a core group of people who have done it before, along with some new faces invited by the organising team. Whilst the process is not public, it’s very collaborative.

Video of almost all the conference sessions is available here

- How do you promote a Linux conf?

Mostly online, mostly word of mouth. A few press releases. We ask the speakers to blog about their talks, we have a couple of media partnerships, but we do very little advertising. The conference practically promotes itself based on its reputation amongst Free software developers. This year the conference sold out 5 weeks before it opened.
- What’s the role of sponsors and how do you ensure that the community will control the event?

The community does control the event. Most of the sponsors know this, appreciate this, and wouldn’t want it any other way. Our Emperor sponsors in particular view supporting linux.conf.au as a way to support the community rather than a marketing exercise. This is very much a community driven event for developers. That said, linux.conf.au would not exist in its current form without the support we receive from sponsors. They help make so much more possible - and that greatly adds to the fun.

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I was so satisfied that I decided to interview the guys who organized it.

This is definitely a trend in event planning and management. I can see a lot of us in the near future setting up servers instead of buffets.Our profession is changing fast, maybe more rapidly than you think…

You guys know that I do not host any advertisement on this blog, on this instance I allowed ON24 to link back as much as they wanted to their website because they served me a great opportunity to hear Seth live and for free. Moreover, I am convinced you’ll find great information in the following answers.

Sourabh Kothari is Principal Strategist, Webcasting and Rich Media, for ON24. Sourabh is responsible for overseeing ON24’s client services support group and providing counsel to clients regarding their webcasting programs.

- Tell us the difference between a webcast and a web conference.

That’s a good question. Many people confuse webcasting with web conferencing. The main difference is the technology.

Web conferencing is a presentation that requires the use of a phone line or conference bridge for the audio. This is great for a small meeting when you want more collaboration. The challenge is when you start having larger audiences because you can experience a disconnect with the audio you hear and what you see on the computer screen.

With webcasting, the audio and video are encoded and streamed over the Internet. A phone line or conference bridge can be used to augment the audio stream. The advantage of webcasting is when you’re planning an online event. The technology can scale from a few people to thousands without impacting audio and/or video quality. You are also able to sync the audio with what you see on the computer.

We have more information on our website about differences between a webcast and web conference .

- What is the role of event managers in both?

In both web conferencing and webcasting an event manager is tasked with coordinating, communicating, and facilitating the execution of a successful event. However, due to the added capabilities available in webcasting the role of an event manager can be much more involved than that in web conferencing.

Over the years, ON24 has developed many best practices and exceptional capabilities that clients can use to maximize their value from webcasting. Our event managers work closely with our clients to incorporate these tools into the client’s overall marketing strategy.

Examples include assisting clients set up lead generation in their registration and showing clients how our platform can score each registrant’s responses so the client can effectively follow up on these leads after the webcast. We also assist clients in the logistics of complex webcast set ups where we may be delivering live audio to certain audience members but live video to others. Alternatively, our event managers may need to arrange for a webcast to be delivered real-time in multiple languages, with the ability to translate live questions and answers. Or our event managers may need to work with our clients to incorporate their media from other platforms that can be used during a live webcast (i.e. a television advertisement).

In effect, ON24’s event managers are involved in every aspect of our client’s marketing strategy surrounding their webcast. In webcasting, an event manager’s commitment to a webcast begins well before the live event date and continues as long as the archived presentation is made available.

- What are the benefits of choosing the webcast format for our next event?

There are a number of benefits for choosing a webcast format for your next event.

First of all, a well-planned registration process will help you drive qualified, interested audience members to your webcast. This will not only generate greater ROI from your webcast, but it will also enrich the live webcast itself as questions from the audience will be more specific about your company and/or the topic being presented.

Secondly, the ability to scale to thousands of simultaneous audience members on a webcast does not translate to a loss of personal interaction. You can respond to each individual audience member’s questions, and even engage him or her in a dialogue by responding to follow-up questions individually or using their questions to engage the entire audience.

Thirdly, registrants that were unable to attend the live webcast can experience the presentation with all its interactive components for themselves at a later date through your archived presentation. ON24 offers multiple formats for archived presentations, including audio and video podcasts. You can effectively communicate your message (and generate new leads) long after your live presentation has ended.

This is why we launched our Insight24 last year. Insight24 is a B2B directory of webcasts, videos and podcasts in over 32 business and technology categories. Companies can post their archived content for free, which increases impression marketing. If they want to generate leads, then the companies would partner with Insight24 for a lead generation program.

And finally, one unique benefit available through webcasting is the ability to do “live” presentations when your key speakers are unavailable. Much like network television, a webcast can be recorded, edited, and prepared to be presented to an audience on a specific “live” date. This allows our clients to present to audiences across the world without having to make themselves available. Many clients have local representatives answer questions real-time to complete the live experience for the audience.

- How do you ensure interactivity?

There are two key factors that can really help increase interactivity with audience members.

The first is to incorporate interactive tools right into your presentation. An easy way to do this is by using real-time polls. With ON24 webcasts, you can tally real-time results for your polls and share them with your audience to present specifically about their responses. We find that the number of respondents that answer poll questions increases significantly after results from the first poll are shared with the audience.

The second is to incorporate a reward for the audience’s interactivity. Most audiences respond extremely well to rewards. This can be something as simple as a free iPod given away by lottery to those who respond to your survey. We have found that even a simple reward increases the amount of interactivity from audience members dramatically.

Ultimately, most webcast participants want to interact with your presentation. It’s important to take an active lead in incorporating them into the presentation, instead of just pushing elements out to them hoping they will respond. Much like a teacher in a college classroom, lecturing for 45 minutes will not invite as many questions as an interactive discussion with opportunities for the audience to get involved.

- How would you use webcasts to generate leads?

Webcasting is a natural fit for lead generation. Most of our clients use our tools for precisely this purpose. Lead generation with webcasting begins well before the live event and continues well after the last live participant has logged off from your presentation. Let’s look at the individual tools available to help our customers generate better leads.

It all begins with registration. ON24 allows its customers the ability to use any registration elements as a mechanism to sort the quality of their leads. For example, if a certain registration question exposes greater interest in our client’s products or services, our clients can rank responses to that question in order of importance.

The second part of lead generation is the tracking of actions taken by a participant during the live webcast. Scores can be assigned to each action that demonstrates greater interest in our client’s message. ON24 provides tools that can score every individual question on a survey or poll, or assign an overall score for simply responding. This allows our customers to plant loaded questions in their surveys that clearly demonstrate demand for their services/products. Favorable responses to such questions can boost a participant’s “lead score” significantly, putting them in the top-tier of leads to be contacted.

One of ON24’s most powerful lead generation tools is the ability to amalgamate leads from multiple webcasts into one report so our clients can determine if their lead generation efforts are producing better leads over time, or if they need to adjust their marketing strategy. Over time, this can build a very comprehensive list of leads whose scores are standardized across all their webcasts.

And as I mentioned earlier, Insight24 completes the circle by extending the shelf-life of existing webcasts, videos and podcast for impression marketing and lead generation.

- What is your webcast toolkit made of? Any particular technology or infrastructure?

ON24 has a full suite of webcasting and rich media marketing solutions for planning, scheduling and holding online video and audio events.

First, all of our solutions are based on our robust webcasting platform, which enable us to deliver webcasting as a service. This means no software downloads or plug-ins are needed to use our webcasting platform. This is easier for audience members and easier for event managers.

Second, our vision is to provide 99.999% uptime for all online events. To achieve this, we deployed a second data center in September 2007. This enables us to scale events from hundreds to thousands of attendees quickly while providing reliable quality.

Third, our platform has a robust reporting backend, which is key for event managers. You can see how many people registered, attended, how long they stayed, and the questions they ask. Another component is our media tracker capability. You can assign a code to specific marketing programs and evaluate how well they did in driving people to your event. If one campaign is doing better, you can make real-time decisions to change your marketing spend.

And finally, we have a great professional services team. Our team assists companies with their events from training, managing and troubleshooting.

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Now, a bit of background first. Aditya says that the goal BlogOnExpo is to make an industry conference accessible. No long flights (and no high pollution), no big monies for accommodation, no extra transportation and so on. You also know that I am a big fan of Open Source and that if it was for me, everyone should be given access to anything.

The first BlogOnExpo was in 2007. If you are a blogger do not miss the great sessions. If you are an event planner participate to familiarize on how it works. Both of you should be reading the interview below.

1. Tell us the big differences between running a traditional conference and hosting a digital conference?

I have never run a traditional conference, but I presume that a traditional conference would require more work at the place itself from coordinating hotels and expo halls. That is why we held a digital conference instead of a traditional conference. Less stress and more emphasis on the content.

2. How do you involve sponsors?

We set up an exhibit hall with our sponsors ads. We also integrated our sponsors products/tools. For example, one of our sponsors is a logo designer so we had him create all the graphics for the site.

3. Some people say that coffee breaks are the most important part of a conference. How do you allow participants to network before and during the event?

Face to face networking is the big thing you lose with a traditional conference, so we set up a forum to help alleviate that. We have some big tech changes to improve interaction at the next event though more information on that will be coming soon.

4. Digital conferences heavily rely on technology and to some that might be a risk. How do you prevent any technological issue?

Have a solid technical team behind you to resolve issues as they may appear. Also, be sure to pick a good host. We go with MediaTemple.

5. Should we want to host a digital conference, tell us our top 5 priorities?

Content, content, content, content, and content. J Content is the most important aspect of a conference so with other stresses out of the way with a digital conference, focus on content.

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Allison is the co-founder of Beatenetworks. Beatenetworks is the leader in content delivery solutions for the emerging immersive web ecosystem. They are building the pieces that will effeciently align virtual worlds with the current means of interfacing to the Internet, in order to provide content providers and users the information they need.

The vision of Beatenetworks is to provide the technology and service for dynamic narrowcasting within virtual worlds. As the web begins to transform from the paradigm of web pages to one of 3-d avatar based interaction, the implications for narrowcasting in terms of marketing, advertising, on-demand services, etc. are profound. Avatars move about in a 3d landscape, and as such, are exposed to multiple entities within their field of view (including sound).

Unlike the current web, which presents the end user with a single location and flat 2d-experience, virtual worlds expand the user experience such that one may view the equivalent of several web pages in any given field of view. Because of this, the “signal to noise” ratio is vastly increased, and generalized marketing and advertising will prove ineffective in this space.

Beatenetworks offers a solution to marketing in this new world wide web. Their latest project is the Networker 3.0 listings.

But let’s get down to business and see what Allison told us.

1. What kind of event would you say is more suitable for Second Life?

It is important to remember that Second Life is a specialized web environment and is greatly suited for events in real time, but the events should be of a kind that can tolerate a certain level of manageable “chaos.” By that I mean that you will have numerous conversations occurring simultaneously (like real world events), but also people can and do converse in IM. If you throw voice chat into the mix, things can get quite chaotic.

So overall I would say that the best types of events for SL are ones where “substance” over style matters most, where the attendees can have interaction with in worlds objects or events where the subject matter is substantial enough to hold the attention of the audience.

2. Tell us about an event that you’ve hosted. What was the atmosphere like?

We have hosted many different types of events ranging from education to entertainment, and events ranging from short events all the way to extended situations that might span days or weeks in duration. An example of one such event was the in world launch of the TUV Saarland, a real world European product certification organization. The event was to introduce the business community to the TUV and its principals.

The event had both a formal and informal aspect, and was a half day event. The activities included a networking session where people had informal conversations, and included live music and fireworks (virtual of course), and a set of formal presentations from TUV management interspersed. Overall it proved to be effective and fun which was made possible by pacing things properly, realizing the opportunities unique to SL and the limitations unique to this venue.

3. How do you communicate the event?

We communicate in several ways. We make use of our website to list events. We use several in world tools such as advertising. Finally, we use our own internally developed tools and network to get the information out about an upcoming event.

4. The day of the event your virtual survival kit is made of…

We always have a plan B. There are so many things that can disrupt an event in Second Life, ranging from griefers (people who crash the event just to cause disruption) to simulator resets to lag to unscheduled grid shutdowns (these are not common, but they do happen). We always have a contingency plan in place for each of these scenarios (and more). They have served us very well. Always, always have a plan B.

5. Three attributes the SL event manager should have.

First, patience and composure. Things can get incredibly hectic in SL, and events make things exponentially more hectic. So maintaining composure is essential.

Second, organization. You will have several things going on simultaneously, so being organized and prepared will enable you to facilitate effectively.

Third, diplomacy. Know when to talk to people who are causing disruptions, and when to eject them.

6. What about corporate events? Could it be an opportunity for companies in SL?

Yes, we have hosted several corporate events in SL. The main thing to remember is that events will be limited in size due to constraints inherent in SL, so don’t plan to use SL for meetings of greater than 50 to 60 people at any given location. Other than that, it works great for corporate type events.

7. How do you manage things such as coffee breaks, catering, logistics?

In virtual meetings, we find that breaks are necessary if it is a long event, perhaps a half day event for example. For ambiance, it is a good idea to have things such as a virtual bar and networking area so that people can talk before or after the event. In terms of logistics, SL uses something called the “SLurl” which is a web link that can be used as the meeting location

Make sure this link doesn’t bring people into the room at the stage area. I prefer to make the SLurl drop people into the back of the room so that they can orient themselves and not disrupt proceedings should they pop in during a presentation.

8. How do you manage sponsors?

We manage sponsors similar to how they would be managed in RL event situations. The support can range from being featured on event brochures and announcements, having logo placement at the event, having representatives at the event, presenting, providing product demos, listing on our website, etc.

One important thing to understand is that residents of SL are very interested in information, but many are cautious about traditional marketing and spin. It’s important that sponsors understand that in this context, substance matters, a lot.

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We’ll start out with one of my favorite, Paris.

Olivier Magny is the founder and owner of O Chateau in Paris. O Chateau is the pioneer Wine Tasting Company in Paris. The staff at O Chateau is fully dedicated to delivering entertaining ad educational wine tasting events to both individuals and corporations. Wine Tasting Presentations, Wine Games, Wine Casinos, Wine Classes, in a Parisian loft, at a Parisian restaurant, in a medieval castle, on a boat on the Seine, in a secret cellar, on a vineyard in Provence or at a Chateau in Bordeaux … O Chateau does it all, making wine more exciting than ever.

More details on O Chateau’s website: www.o-chateau.com

1. What cultural characteristics should one consider when planning an event in Paris?

The main thing to take into account is that you are dealing with French people!!

With their own views and ways of thinking and reacting to such or such situation.

For that, I believe it’s best to have a French person on the front raw. Someone able to deal with the French!

2. What are the major opportunities of hosting a corporate event in Paris?

Paris is the leading city in the world for corporate events for many reasons. It has so much to offer for and after work: wonderful restaurants, incredible scenery, stunning culture, amazing venues…

But it is also a very well equipped city, well connected with efficient public transportation system and a great variety of hotels and activities.

On top of this, Paris is very central a destination for people from all around the world. It is also always a tempting one: who refuses to go to Paris?

3. What barriers could one face when planning a corporate event in Paris?

For really large events, you have to deal with French authorities. And trust me… you don’t want to have to do this.

For most events though, the main constraint is budget. Anything is possible in Paris but prices rise quite rapidly!

4. What special logistics considerations would you suggest to take into account?

Traffic in Paris is terrible. It is a necessity taking this into account. That means finding the best venues, close to one another and the best times of day for transfers…

5. Three attributes one should have to plan successfully in Paris.

Ability to listen and to understand: Both your clients and your suppliers.

Attention to details: Before the event and during the event.

Experience: Knowing the most adapted format to offer your clients is the best way to guarantee a successful event.

6. The day of the event your survival kit should definitely include.

A cell phone with a battery fully charged, all contact info for all guests, clients and suppliers, back up numbers for changes in plans (transfer companies, clubs…).

Also, an extra shirt & tie.

And for our specific business: extra corkscrews, wine maps, aprons (and a couple of good bottles to offer our clients)!

7. What’s the latest trend in corporate events in Paris?

Catering companies love these little

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Paul also writes a blog about influencing audience behavior at Incentive Intelligence. We cross posted on team building, unconferene and motivation, I invite you to have a look at the post on his blog.

Let’s see what he told us

1. Three qualities of a good team builder

1. First of all a good team builder must be able to suspend judgement about team members based on initial impressions. A good team builder waits and watches to assess strengths and weaknesses. Too often we start to assign roles and responsibilities based on initial impressions without taking the time to understand what one’s real abilities are. This is especially true if the the team leader already has some experience with the members of the team. In most team building exercises the team members are from the same organization or department and we assume contribution based on current position, job function or level. This could be a mistake. Take the time to talk through the team building exercise, listen for contributions and how people are interacting. It may surprise you who the contributors may really be. It may even make the most sense to eliminate reference to titles and work areas and make sure subordinates/supervisors are not on same teams.

2. Second, a good team builder must be attentive to the dynamics of the entire team, not just where the “action” is. In other words, while someone is talking or working, a team leader/builder assesses what the others are doing. It is similar to a coach that only watches what happens around the ball in a basketball or football game - much of what makes a team success happens away from the ball. Are the other members of the team engaged, or are they staring off into space? Are only one or two folks on the team actually participating and the others just going through the motions.

3. Third, a good team builder keeps the objective in mind during the entire exercise. Many team activities can shoot off onto tangents without someone there to continually provide course corrections. Every team exercise has a goal (and it is not to win - even if it is positioned that way.) A team exercise is about learning and growing - regardless of if you win. A team builder understands that winning is only one element of success. Ensuring the team is working toward the appropriate goals of the exercise takes some work.

2. The characteristics of a successful team building exercise are?

1. Simple to understand rules and instructions. Too complicated and the teams spends all their time just figuring out the exercise and never get around to working as a team toward the ultimate goal.

2. Hand in hand in with simplicity of instructions, is simplicity of outcome. Clear and concise success metrics. If the outcome has many interpretations then it won’t be clear who earned the award.

3. Multiple levels of contribution - in other words the exercise can’t rely too heavily on physical strength, or too heavily on high-end mathematics. The exercise should include challenges that cover a wide range of possible contributions - knowledge of a specific area, logic, problem solving, organization, creativity, etc. The more things that are required the better chance you will engage a larger number of team members.

3. Tell us the best result you got with a team building exercise

I was working with a large global tire manufacturer that had two sales organizations - one focused on the “passenger” segment and one focused on the “large truck” segment. Neither sales organization worked together yet they had many distributors and/or dealers in common. The dealer would therefore get a sales call from the guy selling passenger tires and a call from a person selling large truck tires. Neither sales person knew the other sales person and didn’t know what the business relationship was like. There were approximately 450 sales people from each organization - total of 900 sales people.

The goal of the meeting was simple - introduce the two teams, and encourage team problem solving.

Obviously, we needed a large area for the event. We used the parking lot at the Dallas Cowboys football stadium. The team exercise was to build a “car” out of plastic pipe. Each team was given a set amount of materials and they had the ability to trade in for different materials based on a “budget.” The teams had to design the car, build it and then race it for top awards. The process required team problem solving, team construction and then decisions on how/who to race. One of the fun parts was the tires used for the “cars” had the company brand on them.

The event was rated extremely high by the participants and many of the sales people were able to leverage their relationships made during the exercise to drive additional sales in the following year.

4. Tell us the most difficult situation you were involved and how you got out of it.

At the same meeting outlined above we did have a fairly substantial injury. The cars, built out of piping, were powered by the team members pushing the vehicles down a track while one team member was in the car steering. In one case a car simply came apart and the “driver” severely injured his leg. We had planned accordingly and there were emergency vehicles on site for quick removal and treatment.

5. The day of the team building event your survival kit includes…

1. A Plan B - for every team event planned there is a second team event planned. Every event has unanticipated problems, from weather, to poor venue design, etc. A good event always has a back up that requires different logistics. This ensures that an event will happen - even if it is not as glamorous or well-prepared.

2. Luck - sometimes you just need luck. However, luck favors the prepared mind (see number 1)

3. Communications - keeping all constituents in the loop on what’s going on - from the participants to the executives. Keeping everyone up to date on what’s happening eliminates second guessing and overreaction to small problems that inevitably crop up. No event is flawless.

6. Why team building activities should be preferred to other forms of motivation techniques?

I don’t think that team building is “preferred” to other techniques. It based on the objective. I would say that more and more in today’s business, team work is critical to success so I would say that team building activities are more prevalent and more often considered than in the past. I’d ask myself the following questions to determine if team building is the right technique:

Is my objective something that, at the core, is based on two or more individuals working together?
Is my future business strategy one that will require team building? In other words, is now a good time to get the teams built in advance of a change in the organization?
Am I willing to invest after the event to ensure the tools (software, additional meetings, etc.) are available to continue the team building experience. Team building requires a lot of ongoing support after the initial event if it is going to be taken seriously by the participants. Nothing damages an organization more than a huge team building exercise with no follow up to reinforce the message.

7. Share a winning team building idea for our readers to try

This may sound like a cop-out but there isn’t a “winning idea”. Each company has unique needs for team building. Rarely is the overall need for the meeting “team building” but more likely team building to achieve a specific business objective. Is it a need for greater trust because you’re combining two separate organization entities that typically compete? Is the need one of simple social networking - knowing who has knowledge and in what areas to enhance speed and quality of solution development? Each of these objectives will create a different exercise or process.

They all will have some things in common - as indicated in number 2 - simplicity of design, simplicity of measurement and multiple levels of contribution. The process may change based on the overall objective, time allocated, space, numbers, location, etc.

8. What do you see as the top three motivation issues surrounding unconferences?

I think the key here is to create an environment that can allow people to be motivated. In other words, we need to remove barriers to motivation as opposed to create reasons to be motivated. The top three things I would do from a motivation/influence point of view are:

1. First and foremost I see education as the first issue regarding motivation at an unconference. Unconferences are very different from traditional meetings and events and regardless of how motivated a participant is, without knowledge of the process it won’t work. We have a saying in the motivation world - motivation with out education is energized incompetence. The first thing I would do is provide the information about unconferences - what it is, how it works, what the outcomes are, etc. I would then do a “quiz” with reinforcement - some sort of award - to get the participants into the material.

2. Second - since it is so different than what a typical attendee has experienced I would make sure that the communication surrounding the unconference included some testimonials from people who have come from similar backgrounds and found the unconference successful. A very powerful influencer is testimonials from people that are similar in nature to the target audience. People need to see that it has worked with people like them.

3. Third - I would continually document small successes along the way - before the meeting as things are getting organized, during the meeting as things are accomplished and after the meeting. Seeing successes - no matter how small - creates the feeling that this is actually working. Communicating the progress will influence folks to continue to make progress. Nothing motivates like achieving a goal. Continually show the participant that the unconference is getting them where they need to go.

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