In this episode I look at ways to transform attendees from passive spectators to active contributors.
Discover how letting attendees shape the agenda through session submissions, voting, and 'unconference' sessions can create a more dynamic and engaging event experience.
I suggest various ways to empower attendees, such as gathering feedback, co-creating content, offering flexible schedules, using technology for real-time engagement, and encouraging attendee-driven discussions.
Takeaways:-
Giving attendees control and autonomy at events leads to higher engagement and satisfaction.
Empowering attendees through feedback, co-creation, and flexible schedules enhances their experience.
Using technology for real-time engagement and encouraging attendee-driven discussions fosters active participation.
Ongoing conversation and feedback after the event are essential for continuous improvement.
Prioritising the needs and desires of attendees creates a valuable and engaging event experience.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction: Prioritizing the Attendee Experience
04:18
Empowering Attendees Through Feedback and Surveys
08:04
Fostering Attendee-Driven Conversations
Ready to dive deeper? Download your free guide, five ways to elevate your attendee experience without breaking the bank HERE
Connect with Clare:
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tired of the same old same old at
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business
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events well this is not the same as last
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year the podcast where we blow up the
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boring and lead the charge into the
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attendee first era of business events
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I'm CLA Forester a business event MC
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obsessed with transforming audiences
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from passive observers into Dynamic
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participants at events each week we'll
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challenge the conventions share
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actionable tips and hear from fellow
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event Rebels who are mastering the
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engagement game imagine your attendees
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begging for more after your next event
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that's the magic of prioritizing their
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experience ready to ditch the dull and
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create corporate events your audiences
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will Rave about then you found your
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tribe join the movement welcome to not
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the same as last year
1:01
hello and welcome to not the same as
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last year I'm your podcast host care
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foresty and I'm also an event host and
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MC for business events this podcast is
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all about the attendee first experience
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at events where we prioritize the needs
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and desires of the attendees above all
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else it is a philosophy that shifts the
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focus from Simply putting on an event to
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creating a valuable and engaging
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experience for the the people who attend
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ultimately leading to higher attendees
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satisfaction loyalty and event success
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in my last session we talked to Liz lean
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from the community Factory about how
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building a community around your event
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can create an amazing experience to your
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attendees she shared how important it is
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to increase attendee interaction through
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rtable discussions UNC sessions and
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attende Le sessions among many other
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things so if you missed it do check it
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out and actually it leads me nicely on
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today in what we're going to be talking
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about I want to ask you how much of a
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say do you give your attendees at events
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I mean you know most event organizers
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let's face it you guys like to be in
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control and as your MC I am in awe of
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how efficiently you have programmed
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every second nothing is left to Chance
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in your events but it can mean that the
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only choice that exists for your
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attendees is a number of sessions
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running currently that they can select
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to attend so here's an idea why not
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relinquish more control why not let your
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attendees generate their own experience
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think of it like modern working we no
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longer need to be workes under the
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watchful eyes of a line manager at all
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times we can actually work from home now
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and get done done because we are
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grown-ups as are your
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attendees so let's talk today about
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letting your attendee breathe and choose
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and feel in control at your event this
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philosophy which I'm calling let your
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attendee take the wheel is now
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acknowledging that people attending our
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events crave autonomy and a sense of
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control over our experience feeling like
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they're being talked out instead of
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being part of a conversation can leave
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them feeling disengaged and frustrated
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so let's explore some ways to really let
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you relinquish some control Empower your
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attendees and ultimately lead to
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actually a better more memorable
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fulfilling time for
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everyone so why should you give your
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audience control well think about it
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we've all been there right stuck in a
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conference room bombarded with
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information in a one-way lectured format
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maybe you end up struggling to stay
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awake perhaps you are teing to ask a
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question but you feel a bit awkward if
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you interrupted because you know that is
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the way it feels being passive like that
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can actually be really disengaging and
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frustrating and there's actually a lot
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of research around now that suggests
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that when the need for autonomy is
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satisfied people in general will feel
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more engaged and happy so in events that
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is going to translate as people want to
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feel their presence and participation
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matters if you give up some of the
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control and you allow the attendees to
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design their own experience you're going
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to create just a better time for
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everyone so how do we do this how do we
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go about empowering our attendees so it
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could mean you know making sure you
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really just get feedback and advice from
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attendees and you actually act it to
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approve your next event but it could
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mean really engaging the attendee before
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the event to get involved and pick the
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kind of things that they will want to do
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so pre event generic surveys go beyond
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the how satisfied were you with your
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coffee kind of
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questions really get to crafting some
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interactive service and going to sort of
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go a little bit deeper into what your
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attendees like ask them about things
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like even the networking style are you
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an introvert you small group discussions
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or are you an extrovert you feel
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comfortable jumping into large
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Gatherings do you find it easy to make
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friends could we help you with a buddy
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system all those kind of questions and
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of course obviously also ask them about
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the kind of things they want to be
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talking about the kind of formats they
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like now you can really consider this
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idea of content
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co-creation which is you stop dictating
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the agenda from your event planning
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Ivory Tower you really let the attendee
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get involved in shaping what's going to
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happen at the event it could mean
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allowing them to submit session ideas or
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votes on um a variety of pre-selected
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topics so you pick the best one you know
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really imagine how excited they could be
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if they arrived at your event going I
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picked this session I helped shap this
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things I've said are going to make this
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event the way it is you could also make
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some unconference sessions which I think
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we talked about in the last um episode
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with Liz which is smaller focused
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discussions created on site by the
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partipants themselves and they then
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pitch and host the sessions and you then
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really get an idea for the kind of
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subjects they're going to pitch and run
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during the event when that actually
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happens Embrace things being flexible I
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know that's hard to do ditch that kind
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of rigid single track agenda this was
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happen at this time this this this and
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this instead offer Choose Your Own
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Adventure blocks with multiple short
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concurrent sessions on different themes
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giving attendees freedom to tailor their
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experience based on their interests and
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their needs and as well why not trying
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to be brave enough to schedule a session
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where you are going to Workshop popular
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issues which attendees will voted on yes
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you're going to need a good moderator to
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facilitate it because it might all be
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happening on the day but it is a
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brilliant way to allow your attendees to
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pick their big
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issue and now for real time engagement
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yes technology can absolutely be your
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friend here I I know sometimes I sound
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negative about it it's only when it's
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used as the only opportunity for
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engagement life polling Q&A tools allow
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you to keep interacting and
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participating all the way through the
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event and if you do it in a way that is
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encouraging people they will feel that
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they can mark up something after yeah I
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like that I didn't like that I'd like a
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bit more of this on day two and if you
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then are actually actively responding to
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that so day two is reflecting what they
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told you on day one they will get a
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message to start doing it in because
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they know that they're being
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heard open space discussions are really
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vital too so again it's dedicating time
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for attendee driven conversation so as
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I'm saying they can propose discussion
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topics they feel interested in even in
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small groups and it just this whole
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thing is letting the attendees feel they
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have ownership of the event they are
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active contributor not it's just a
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spectator now when you move into after
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the event post event don't let the
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conversation end after the closing
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remarks you'll know about using surveys
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and polls to understand attendee feed
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about ask them what resonated with them
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what could be improved but it's also
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think about how and when you ask for it
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because I know not everybody returns
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those three platforms um the wonderful
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Victoria matey who's an event
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psychologist that I'm going to be
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talking to later on in my podcast
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episodes she always suggests that you
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ask for advice rather than feedback on
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your attendees which is a brilliant idea
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because advice sort of focuses more on
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Solutions and you know people love
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giving advice don't they it feels like a
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compliment sometimes to be asked to give
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it I don't think feedback forms elicit
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the same excitement I get when someone
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says we love your advice car where you
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want to hear from you it just makes you
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feel more valuable and your opinions
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matter if somebody else are your
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advice so of course I appreciate you're
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going to have concerns about the idea of
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relinquishing control you have spent
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months meticulously planning every
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detail of your event and the idea of
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handing things over to a random attendee
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can probably be very known rocking but
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here's the thing I'm not telling you to
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throw everything out of the window it is
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about striking and balance it's about
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thinking of it as a collaboration so you
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are curating the overall experience but
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you are giving your attendees a real say
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in how they participate because if you
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think about it the attendees are the
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real stars of your
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event if you can give them a space where
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you are allowing them to feel heard and
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valued and you give them enough power to
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choose their own experience a it it's
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just going to be win-win for everyone so
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I really suggest that you experiment
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with these ideas and of course share
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your views about it put it on LinkedIn
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tag me or use the hashtag not the same
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as last year and let's get this
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conversation going remember your
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audience are not just there to sit down
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and be bums on seats they are the stars
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of the show and of course join me next
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time for my next episode I think we're
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on to episode seven now from vomo to
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Freedom is hybrid the attending bu
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[Music]
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solution and there you have it I hope
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you're inspired to revolutionize the
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attendee experience at your next event
10:47
ready to dive deeper download your free
10:50
guide five ways to elevate your attendee
10:53
experience without breaking the bank the
10:55
link is in the show notes subscribe to
10:58
not the same as last year podcast
11:00
connect with me CLA Forest here on
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LinkedIn or visit my YouTube channel for
11:05
even more tips and insights to make your
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events a hit with your attendees don't
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forget to leave a review wherever you
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get your podcasts your feedback is going
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to fuel my mission stay tuned next week
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for another episode packed with
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inspiring ideas and practical strategies
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to put your attendee first
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[Music]