There is power in group games and interactive media to bring meeting attendees together in fun and meaningful ways. Some call it attendee engagement, others leverage the concept through marketing activations, but whatever the format, immersing your attendees in your story in a tangible way creates a more memorable experience. It is said that we forget 90% of what we “learn” in a week, but when we experience something, that learning becomes more than just a fact, it becomes a memory. The key to this event design tactic is to involve attendees as active participants, not just passive observers. In today’s meetings and conferences attendees need (and WANT!) to be engaged in the meeting, both in curating the content and in immersive learning and networking opportunities. As our speaker once shared, “today’s conferences are less about talking, more talking, a cocktail party and then departing. Effective events are about memorable, rare experiences, those that can’t be had in normal life.

To achieve this level of engagement, there’s a new breed of experiences combining technology and innovative thinking. Meeting professionals need to stretch their creativity and innovation skills to stay one step ahead in the fast-changing world of immersive experiences. In his role with Two Bit Circus, Brent is part of a band of mad scientists, artists, inventors, storytellers, educators and performers who together blur the line between physical and digital to create a new world of social amusement. They bring together technology and spectacle, through a liberal use of lasers, fire, story, VR and robots to create memorable experiences. What if you’re not a mad scientist or storyteller? You may be surprised! Cultivating creativity is a practice to leverage both during the tactical stages of event planning and also in your overall career journey. Curiosity and passion for lifelong learning help to lay the foundation for pushing the boundaries of event production. How does one do this? Brent will provide practical tips (one of which, as event professionals we may not always agree with…it has to do with crashing conferences) and the “why” behind the importance of cultivating creativity.
In this session you will learn:

1.     Best practices in leveraging innovation and creativity in your event design
2.     Best practices in what makes immersive and interactive events successful
3.     How to cultivate creativity in life and event planning