It’s tough these days designing content delivery that will meet the needs of an audience that crosses multiple generations.

• Generations that remember watching TV when there were only 3 channels and having to stand up and walk to the TV if you wanted to change the channel…so you really must have wanted to change the channel, you did watch the commercials and no one knew the phrase “product placement”.
• Generations who not only use remotes, but fast-forward through the boring parts or commercials and also channel surf to one of 150+ other channels.

And no matter what their generation, we’ve now trained adults to have an attention span of 7 minutes before they need a change…basically the length of a television program between commercial breaks.  Of course, that study was done a couple of years ago, so it’s probably less than 7 minutes now that we have Twitter, IM-ing,  and texting at our fingertips, in addition to news feeds crawling across the bottom of our TVs.

So how do we keep our audiences engaged when so many distractions are begging for their attention?  Modify the method of content delivery every 7 minutes from pure powerpoint to Q&A to simulations or exercises to ???  The “traditional” panel discussion can incorporate audience response systems to engage the audience, provide mic runners in the audience for Q&A, place the Twitter feed on screen where people can pose their thoughts on the session or potentially pose a question for the panel if the moderator refers to it.

I’ll admit, I fell in love with “Eddie the Eagle” at our recent e4 conference, the animated character voiced by an actor backstage who interacted with the session speakers. (See right-hand sidebar.)  Any time you can bring humor into a session I know I’m more apt to stay awake.

I want to know what everyone else is doing to keep their audiences engaged? Whether it be in large general sessions or individual breakouts. And possibly even more important, what are you doing to re-train presenters on how to keep their audiences engaged?

Thanks to all who attended our session at e4.  I hope you all enjoyed the topic.  We loved the passion that you all showed in coming up with “What will the meetings of the future look like?”.  We looked at five burning areas/questions and focused our attention on them.  Below is a recap that you as a group developed through your sharing.  Stay tuned for a great study that will be released in October from Oxford Economics on this very topic.  It will be very educational and pivotal to our industry.  We will post it once we received.

1. Grow/Retain Membership and Attendance – What role do conventions and meetings play in increasing and maintaining membership for an association, driving attendance or motivating people to attend an association’s meeting?  Will larger meetings be a thing of the past associations shift to smaller regional meetings costing less to produce?   Do you believe associations will begin merging or partnering with other similar accredited associations to build attendance?

• Considering tying together annual meeting fees with a free 1-year membership.  However, are associations doing a good job of converting non- members to members? Consensus says “no”.  This is an easy way to recruit new members.  People interested enough to attend the annual meeting should be prime candidates for membership.
• On-line tool kit – See ASAE website as they have a great justification tool kit outlining reasons why you should attend the meeting, how to calculate the ROI, etc….Don’t recreate the wheel.  Use these resources that already exist.
• Voice broadcasting – Consider having the Executive Director/President of the association do broadcast voicemails to grow attendance and retain current membership.  PCMA has done this on many of occasions.
• During a tough economy consider extending membership dues, allowing grace periods or setting up a payment plan for those that are on a limited budget or have lost a job.  It is easier to maintain a member than acquire a new one.

2. Technology – How will meetings of the future differ from those of the past and present due to the advancement of technology?  Will social networking sites and teleconferencing and video conferencing eventually totally replace face to face meetings?

• Use technology to enhance F2F meetings, especially with social media.  But don’t assume  everyone is up to date on all social media.  Provide education on how to use social media from the very basic through the advanced technology.
• Incorporate audience response systems in meetings, not just for general session but also for break-out sessions.  Interactive services are important especially with the X and Y generations.
• Don’t just use technology during the meetings but also pre and post events.

3. Marketing to Many Generations – How will the fact that we have four “generations” in the work place affect the growth of association membership and convention attendance? How do we market to the various generations so we can grow membership and attendance?

• Make certain you have an effective marketing plan that is focused on hitting all generations.
• Spend time training to educate on the various generations.
• Are you asking your members / non-members how they heard about your association and / or meeting?
• Are you maximizing your “viral” marketing ?
• Does the three touch rule apply when marketing to various generations?
• Develop focus groups representing different generations to solicit their feedback on what works and what does not work when marketing to them.

4. Deliver Increased ROI to attendees – How will meetings of the future differ from those of the past and present in order to deliver increased ROI?  What will this increased ROI look like?

• Increase networking opportunities – These can fall into several areas; peer to peer, mentor protégé, vendor/buyer and having the access to network with executive leadership.
• Educational Content – Keep it fresh and relevant, can attendees receive CEU’s/CME’s while at the meeting?  If so, it will drive ROI, provide case studies and fan panels of hot topics.
• Offer flexibility while at the meetings so attendees can still get their job done while away from the office.

5. Leverage the importance of F2F – Will the need for F2F meetings ever change or disappear? If yes, what will it look like?   If no, what will it look like?

• F2F meetings will change but never disappear.
• Technology will enhance F2F meetings but not replace meetings.
• We need to tailor F2F to service all generations and cater events to target and accommodate all attendees.
• Supplement F2F using technology rather than replacing the meetings.  Look for companies who can assist with integrating F2F with technology.
• Understand the makeup of your audience when determining what media to use.

Do you get the question, “Why are you a Meeting Planner? For myself, it was an easy transition.  I was the youngest of five children in a large Irish Catholic family.  Honestly, daily meals were food and beverage functions and birthdays were special events.  I took the skills learned at an early age and expanded to a large family of corporate and association clients ranging from 1000 – 24,000 attendees.

The food and beverage policy at home was, “If it is served, you eat it!”  There was no discussion of whether you ate meat, pasta, carbs, fish and drank milk or water.  Growing up there was no concern with fat grams, fiber, sodium or choices due to convictions.  (My mom did go through a cost cutting period where she served Carnation Instant Milk.  A one-third cup serving of NESTLÉ CARNATION Instant Nonfat Dry Milk is rich in bone-building nutrients like calcium and Vitamin D, is a good source of protein, and is fat free.  Take it from me,  I drank a lot of water during that time.)

Gone are the days of meat and potatoes. Nothing could have prepared me for the international, religious or dietary requirement of today’s conferences.   In today’s multicultural world, food choices that were once considered obscure are now part of the mainstream. Now, conference producers need to be aware of all the reasons why people choose special diets ranging from religious practices and ideological beliefs, to allergies, special diets and food sensitivities. 

Many venues will need advance notice to outsource some requests – in particular for Kosher or Halal.   However, most venues are able to respond to dietary or food sensitivities.  Over the years, the drop-down box for dietary restrictions has grown.  What is the norm? This is really dependent on the client, the budget and the array of requests.

At a recent corporate conference, the client responded to over 200 special dietary requests which was less than .05 % of the total attendance.  However special requests, like Halal or Kosher which need to be outsourced, can be 2x – 3x the cost of a standard conference meal.  What are the common requests I receive?  See the following list:

Halal -  Muslims which adhere to various food restrictions according to their own dietary laws in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. Muslims celebrate the birth of Mohammed at the end of February or early in March. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat from dawn to sunset.  Muslims make up 22% of the world’s population.

Kosher – Jewish dietary laws are known as Kashrut, and are among the most complex of all religious food practices. Different sets of utensils, pots, pans, plates, knives and chopping boards (one for meat and poultry and the other for dairy foods). The meal can easily be re-heated in an oven or microwave, but must be keep covered so the guest can see the rabbinic certification’s seal is intact.

Vegetarian – There are varying degree of vegetarian. This specific group can range in restrictions dramatically.  If using buffets many attendees can pick and choose from buffets rather than have special order meals.  Variation of vegetarians include:

• Lacto-ovo Vegetarians eat dairy foods and eggs, as well as plant foods. They do not eat meat, poultry or fish.
• Ovo-Vegetarians eat only eggs and plant foods. They do not eat  dairy foods, meat, poultry or fish.
• Lacto-vegetarian eats dairy foods and plant foods. They do not eat eggs, meat, poultry, or fish.
• Vegans or strict vegetarians eat only plant foods and products. The term vegan generally refers to individuals who share a philosophy and lifestyle, as well as a restricted diet. They do not eat any animal foods, eggs, or dairy products.   This includes gelatin which is an animal product and used in many sauces or recipes.

Diabetics - With diabetes, your body’s insulin cannot perform this task properly. A diabetic diet helps you schedule your carbohydrate intake so that your cells can get the glucose that they need.

Gluten free (Celiacs) – Almost 3 million people have celiac disease, which is an inability to tolerate gluten.  Gluten is a protein found in all forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, and spelt), rye, oats, and barley.  It’s one of the most common genetic diseases, yet most people don’t know they have it.  And millions more people are allergic to wheat, which is one of the top eight allergens.

Indian – There are diverse dietary restrictions in India, and these may affect the foods that are served. Lamb, chicken, and fish are the most commonly served main courses for non-vegetarian meals as they avoid the meat restrictions of the religious groups.

• Hindus do not eat beef and many are vegetarians.
• Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol.
• Sikhs do not eat beef.

As with any large line item, you will need to confer with your client and their confort level in responding to special requests.  Many venues will match pricing for vegetarian or dietary restrictions.  As suggested, the catering will need to outsource Kosher and Halal to preferred vendors.

All my buffets now are clearly labeled and the hotel provides “caution” for foods that may contain allergens.  You will want to respond to requests, but more important you will want to insure the safety of your attendees with allergies.  What you don’t know – could kill them!

Although an individual could be allergic to any food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats, there are eight foods that account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions. Consult (http://foodallergies.about.com)  for details on these allergies; milk, egg, peanut, tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.), fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.

Now pull out those catering menus and get to work.  Remember  – it is not just meat and potatoes any more.