The pandemic hit “pause” on in-person gatherings. Once the initial disruption wore off, the time apart and the shift to virtual meetings provided a rare opportunity to explore the essence of why these meetings are even held. We found ourselves homing on why they mattered, whether it was conveying a message, providing a touchpoint, celebrating success, or preparing for a new phase.
As meetings and events have resumed, we cannot waste those valuable learnings and simply pick up where we left off. At Streamline, we’ve seized it as an opportunity to reset. We’re taking the lessons gained in the interim and putting them to work. We’re helping clients invest more in the things that make an impact and less in the things that don’t.
So, for the last few months, we’ve stripped down the five ways in which clients can be most strategic in making memorable meetings. We began with a consistent theme and moved on to the value of establishing a guide. We then explored focused hospitality during your meeting and delved into the importance of keeping the audience engaged. The common thread with all of these is that they aren’t simply about action, they’re also about emotion. There’s that famous Maya Angelou quote that says, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
When your meeting makes people feel excited or empowered by the theme, captivated by the guide, valued by the exceptional hospitality, and purposefully engaged, that meeting becomes embedded in their memory. They connect the emotional experience to the event – and hopefully any key points you wanted to convey.
And so, the final tip on making meetings more memorable is to utilize the ultimate emotional gateway—out-of-the-box entertainment.
A meeting without any entertainment at all feels like drudgery. Generic entertainment like a cover band is a step up but is not going to make an enduring impact. An exclusive entertainment experience, like a private concert with a big name or an unconventional performance, elevates the meeting and makes attendees feel special. How can you forget a jaw-dropping experience that has you saying “wow” out loud?
This was Streamline’s intent when undertaking a project for a broadcast television special. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy a performance from Grammy Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith, but even better, they did so from the perfect perspective. Smith performed on a stage situated in the center of the room. It was an “in-the-round” digital immersive experience on a massive, and unforgettable, scale.
In its work for heating, cooling and water-heating manufacturer Rheem, Streamline entertained Pro Partner Conference attendees not just through the well-known artist, Little Big Town, but also through dancers outfitted in LED lights. Their electric (literally and figuratively) performance was captivating and aligned with the “Pro Powered” theme. The attendees felt the energy from the moment they walked into the event space.
“Unique and unforgettable entertainment is certainly an investment worth making if you want your meeting to make an enduring impression,” explained Anne Marie Detherage, Senior Project Manager at Streamline.
It certainly is an investment worth making if you want your meeting to make an enduring impression.
Using any one of Streamline’s five tips when planning your meeting will help improve its memorability. Use them together, and you have the makings of something unforgettable. Just remember to appeal to the emotions of your attendees, and you will have every guest counting down the days until next year. And Streamline will be ready to help you plan for it.
When it comes to memorable EVENTS, remember what Winnie the Pooh once said, “We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”
