Comments on: Navigating Currents of Changing Event Demands — Why Bother? http://www.michaelmccurry.net/2009/10/31/navigating-currents-of-changing-event-demands-why-bother/ Inspired Words in the Service of Fellow Human Beings Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:32:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Michael M McCurry CMP http://www.michaelmccurry.net/2009/10/31/navigating-currents-of-changing-event-demands-why-bother/comment-page-1/#comment-255 Michael M McCurry CMP Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:31:34 +0000 http://www.michaelmccurry.net/?p=2082#comment-255 <a href="#comment-253" rel="nofollow">@Paul Salinger</a>, Thanks much for contributing to the conversation! I think your fear is probably true. The thing is those trying to navigate their way out of the rapids will most likely end up in them anyways... they will just be behind everyone else. In the new normal attendees have so many choices of events and content delivery systems so their voice will be heard through their actions. If event designers don't respond attendees will go elsewhere and their programs will fail and organizations will fold their tents and disappear. Its only a matter of time before the current of change breaks through, and yes it will be the audience leading the way. Thanks again Paul for your comments! @michaelmccurry @Paul Salinger,

Thanks much for contributing to the conversation!

I think your fear is probably true. The thing is those trying to navigate their way out of the rapids will most likely end up in them anyways… they will just be behind everyone else.

In the new normal attendees have so many choices of events and content delivery systems so their voice will be heard through their actions. If event designers don’t respond attendees will go elsewhere and their programs will fail and organizations will fold their tents and disappear.

Its only a matter of time before the current of change breaks through, and yes it will be the audience leading the way.

Thanks again Paul for your comments!

@michaelmccurry

]]> By: Paul Salinger http://www.michaelmccurry.net/2009/10/31/navigating-currents-of-changing-event-demands-why-bother/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Paul Salinger Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:45:33 +0000 http://www.michaelmccurry.net/?p=2082#comment-253 Like your analogy about the river and trying to navigate close to shore without success, I fear many event marketing people and event designers are still stuck in trying to navigate their way out of the rapids approach and continuing to deliver very traditional models of event experiences and event content b y making their way to safer (or known) shores. I think it is now dependent on the audience to exert some control if there is true change to take place. Event, conference, trade show, meeting attendees need to voice their displeasure when an event does not deliver value, provide the kinds of experiences that allow them to interact and network with people of real value for their careers or lives, don't provide the kinds of technologies that allow for broader interactions with presenters, attendees and remote audiences at affordable prices and move away from marketing messages aimed at the lowest common denominator to dynamic content that engages the whole attendee community, whether live or virtual. Innovative event marketers and event designers have some real opportunities here to guide the conversation, but it will take the mass voice of the audience to make change on a wholesale basis and change the way events are delivered. Like your analogy about the river and trying to navigate close to shore without success, I fear many event marketing people and event designers are still stuck in trying to navigate their way out of the rapids approach and continuing to deliver very traditional models of event experiences and event content b y making their way to safer (or known) shores.

I think it is now dependent on the audience to exert some control if there is true change to take place. Event, conference, trade show, meeting attendees need to voice their displeasure when an event does not deliver value, provide the kinds of experiences that allow them to interact and network with people of real value for their careers or lives, don’t provide the kinds of technologies that allow for broader interactions with presenters, attendees and remote audiences at affordable prices and move away from marketing messages aimed at the lowest common denominator to dynamic content that engages the whole attendee community, whether live or virtual.

Innovative event marketers and event designers have some real opportunities here to guide the conversation, but it will take the mass voice of the audience to make change on a wholesale basis and change the way events are delivered.

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