Bring in dynamic speakers to keep attendees engaged. Pictured: Carla Harris speaks at GBTA 2024 in Atlanta. Courtesy of GBTA

Nearly every meeting planner has been at an event when there’s a palpable energy shift. Perhaps the carb-heavy lunch options are to blame, or the speaker who ran well over their time, but when the “vibe check” is off, a meeting planner knows it’s time to pivot. The goal, of course, is to create an engagement blueprint from the start to not just navigate the energy throughout the meeting, but elevate it, because when it comes to meeting planning, the devil — and the delight — lies in the details.

Crafting an unforgettable experience requires more than just expertly coordinated logistics; it demands a strategic approach that inspires attendee engagement. By creating inviting environments, building thoughtful agendas, being good listeners and understanding the goals of the meeting and its audience, planners can craft experiences that resonate deeply and leave a lasting impression that will earn the event, and its organizer, an enviable reputation.

Starting Off on the Right Foot

Lisa Block, EVP, Conference Strategy and Design at Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, who is based in Washington, D.C., says planners should let go of the idea of “control” and instead, think of themselves as “facilitators” when it comes to orchestrating a meeting.

“It’s really difficult to control anything,” she points out. “Creating a mood and a vibe that can make attendees feel engaged over a period of time is definitely a skill set,” says Block. It starts with strategy, she explains, and thoughtfully considering what you are trying to accomplish, then setting the expectations for attendees.

Ice breakers are one of the tried and true meeting engagement tools leveraged to foster engagement, help build connection and turn up the energy in the room through attendee interaction. Block says even the simplest ice breakers can break down communication barriers and build bonds.

“I always like an exercise that gets everybody talking about something that has some common interest,” Block says. “Sometimes, we’ll do ‘what was your first concert?’ or other things that people find easy to share.” Starting with easy conversation starters creates connectivity early, paving a path for more serious or complicated discussions later in the day.

“Communicating WiFi information and providing the agenda with the scheduled break times also lays the groundwork for the day,” says Jen McMahan, a corporate event planner for Embrace Home Loans in Middletown, Rhode Island. “It lets attendees know what’s next and sets expectations.” Having the room temperature set comfortably and the audiovisual teed up and ready to roll, she adds, ensures the meeting will be off to a smooth start.

For Paul Broughton, president and CEO of Broughton Special Events Company, Incorporated (BSPEC, Inc.) in Durham, NC, upbeat walk-in music throughout the space can set the tone for meeting motivation.

“Especially in the mornings in rooms that don’t have windows, and especially when you’ve got Europeans coming in, who have a five to six-hour time difference. You don’t want them falling asleep,” he says. Ideally, banquet space and break rooms should have natural light to boost energy, but if they don’t, bright light that’s not too harsh is the next best thing.

Depending on the needs of the meeting, the room set-up can play a critical role in how attendees engage, whether it’s in small groups that inspire discussion and collaboration or board-room style to encourage face-to-face dialogue.

“I personally like setting up long rectangular tables in a ‘U’ shape so that attendees can all see each other as opposed to classroom or theater-style seating, where you are just looking at the back of someone’s head all day,” says McMahan.

In her experience, when attendees have a clear view of the presenter or are comfortably able to interact with colleagues, they are better prepared to participate fully. Block agrees, explaining that a re-configured space keeps attendees on their toes, whether it’s changing a room set halfway through the day, during breaks, or from one day to another, to prevent the monotony of sitting in the same place for hours on end. New seating arrangements also encourage attendees to network with new faces.

Timing is Everything

If the agenda serves as the roadmap for the meeting, then pacing is the driver. Planners typically capitalize on when energy levels are highest in the room — in the morning — to give key messaging the attention and focus it deserves.

It’s the middle of the meeting that can be the most challenging to sustain focus. “Designing events that keep up energy, momentum and positivity is always a challenge,” concedes McMahan. “Sometimes the content that presenters are delivering can be down-right daunting and you can easily lose the attention of your teams.”

She says she’s found great success with keeping attendees engaged by planning interactive lunch breaks. “Caterers provide a ‘make-your-own’ meal. For example, making your own taco, a fajita buffet bar, or a make-your-own salad bar have all been well received,” McMahan says. “Attendees like that they can customize what they have for lunch and it gets them up and moving.”

Broughton agrees that planners should work closely with menu planning to offer food choices during breaks that won’t lead to an afternoon sugar crash that will decimate energy levels. “I like to provide fresh, wholesome fruit, maybe some granola bars, and some things that just don’t create sluggishness,” Broughton says.

Planners may also consider kicking off the second half of the day, or starting day two, with a dynamic audience-focused speaker. An interactive presentation with polls, “shout-out” questions and answers, direct and meaningful interactions, and quippy exchanges will transform passive listeners into active contributors.

Staying on Track

The quickest way to lose your audience is to lose their trust, and one way to do that is by abandoning the agenda. Fatigue from travel, mixers that run late into the night, indulgent food and drink, and lack of exercise are all common disruptors for attendees.

Planners are often tasked with being mindful of starting and finishing times, ensuring sessions begin promptly and end punctually. When there’s scheduled break time, stick to it. Attendees likely have a full inbox of emails waiting to be answered and personal demands that need tending to as well.

Block recommends having an experienced facilitator spearhead the event who can monitor the vibe or the energy level in the room. “Not necessarily a content expert, but sort of that ‘people expert,’ so they can pay attention to see if, for example, everybody’s looking at their phones,” she says. “We really like having a facilitator who can handle introductions and transitions, keep track of time, and make sure that people are getting breaks when they were promised.”

Create Off-Sites that Lean Into the Destination

A meeting’s destination can have an exponential impact in registrations. Research by the Experience Institute has shown that as many as 78 percent of attendees indicate destination is a top driver in the decision to attend.

Planning off-site events throughout a destination, whether for workshops, team-building or social engagement, is a proven method to maintain momentum and refresh the energy of a multi-day event.

Broughton recently planned a meeting for a group of more than 100 attendees in Newport, RI, considered the sailing capital of the world, and brought in a world-renowned sailor and TV commentator as a keynote speaker. Later, attendees participated in a regatta where they raced on Narragansett Bay, fostering a sense of camaraderie.

“Sometimes, attendees don’t even have time to explore the destination their meeting takes place in. By creating team-building or social events that highlight the best of the city, attendees are making both valuable business connections and exciting memories at the same time,” Broughton says.

McMahan has found merging team-building with local philanthropy resonates with attendees. “A recent success that energized our sales team during a break was a Build-a-Bike team building activity,” she says. Meeting attendees entered a large room with hype music playing to find 10 build-a-bike stations set up, and groups worked together to build a bicycle.

“The first team to ride their bike through the finish line won a coveted prize for their team. It was madness, and we had 10 bikes built in under 15-minutes all while teams were high fiving each other in excitement. We then took the bikes and donated them to a local social services provider that works with children and families.”

The Grand Finale

Attendee retention can be a challenge as the meeting winds down and nears its end. While some delegates have no other choice due to travel parameters, others might just be losing steam. There are a few tactics to lightening the room — keeping the energy flowing and productivity high.

First, ensure speakers and facilitators remind attendees that the meeting’s “grand finale” is worth waiting for throughout the meeting, and hype the final component on meeting materials —the app, printed agenda, table tents, signage at the meeting venue, etc.

Consider what is most valued by the industry that’s meeting — it might be sales leads, a recap of key insights delivered by a highly sought-after speaker, a giveaway of an unforgettable experience, or even a live show. “We try to create the agenda to end on a high note, be it a presentation from a department the attendees really want to learn or hear from, or a panel of their peers,” says McMahan. “Peer panels have brought great engagement as our sales team likes to rally around their own, share best practices.”

High quality content like this will anchor the meeting and send attendees off feeling inspired, motivated and eager to return. C&IT