Hot Tips to Create Synergy with an Experiential Meeting
It’s not enough any longer to put 300 people in a room for hours, with a speaker at the podium pointing to an oversized screen.
Outside the Meeting Room
If you do, you’ve lost your audience just as fast as it took you to read that sentence. With so many distractions in the world today, people expect interaction and entertainment . . . more than a typical speaker on a stage generally provides.
The rise of the experiential meeting has meeting planners rethinking their game plans. The latest trends show attendees are looking for experiences, adventures and team-building. Associations are working to leverage these desires and improve performance and ROI for attendees and their organizations.
With the help of destination marketing organizations like Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, planners are able to create synergy between the destination, venue and association, providing compelling and authentic experiences for their guests.
Activities like early-morning turtle walks to learn about nesting sea turtles – or team-building activities where attendees man the helm and raise the sails of a 53-foot catamaran – enhance an experiential meeting. Genuine experiences are reinforced by the destination’s signature culinary profiles, as well as the region’s music and arts scenes.
Some planners are also shortening sessions to allow time for hands-on learning and activities, recognizing that not all attendees learn the same way. These hands-on experiences reinforce learning opportunities.
How will you make the transition to experiential meeting planning in 2018 and beyond?
The sales team at Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism can help you lead the way.
