The Meetings Show: technology, thrills and pass the parcel!

graphic of the meetings show logo

Well this was the place to be this week with lots of learning, networking, tweeting and even bright orange travel pillows – I love that the Dutch are so proud of orange, I’ve been sporting a lot myself this year but I’m far too short to be considered Dutch.  Often it’s not possible to visit everything so here’s a snapshot of elements I encountered to give you a flavour of all things meetings.

Tips from the panel

As part of a speaker panel we discussed how healthcare meeting professionals measure the impact of their technology at events. Organisers should take into account how best to use devices e.g. sending evaluation questions periodically throughout an event rather than one massive paper one at the end – not for the faint hearted! Another useful tip is when considering measuring the change in attitudes towards e.g. patient treatments. Using technology, you can see whether attitudes have changed during a session by asking questions at either end; a simple but effective way of understanding if medical education is working.

What’s in a picture?

Another session discussed the importance of using more visuals in meetings – fascinating! Did you know that an image has a 170% greater impact and that the process of learning, using images is 60,000 times faster than text? In a world where PowerPoint is integral to our meetings it really made me think how I would change the format of my presentations. Whilst we appreciate that content is king when it comes to meetings thinking of different ways to incorporate visuals we can create a bigger impact. I dare you to exchange five bullet points for one image – I double dare you!

Niche is neat

I did manage to squeeze in a quick slalom around the exhibition hall too. The number of technology companies is certainly on the increase but as an event organiser how do you know which ‘really’ is the best. They’re all quick to tell you how good their system is but it’s not until you put it into practice or ideally receive a recommendation do you get a true idea. I think I’m more of a fan of a specialised HCP tool rather than a super system that does everything, including making your bed! Using something that compliments the sector I work in to me is the way forward.

Pass the parcel

One final bit I loved was Catchbox, the throwable microphone for audience engagement. Getting feedback in a session by throwing a cube around a room seemed great fun (I always loved pass the parcel as a kid!) although I did wonder the impact of risk assessment for our lovely HCPs. Mind mapping was also another interactive tool I was able to put into practice –all these things you sell into proposals but you never always get the chance to do yourself.

I certainly look forward to going next year. One top tip though is planning my time better – it was quite overwhelming with so much going on but thankfully a handy programme was my bible throughout. There’s so much to do but spend your time wisely. I didn’t get a chance to attend Meet The Expert session but will definitely put on my to-do list next year.

The Meetings Show takes place in London from 7-9 July 2015.

Article written by Liz Franklin
Liz is Owner and Chief Event Expert at 
Liz Franklin Event Management

admin

This entry has 0 replies

Comments are closed.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close