Engaging Meetings with Bobbie Carlton, John Chen, and Phil Mershon

This week, we had a fun and engaging conversation with Bobbie Carlton of Innovation Women; John Chen, Engaging Virtual Meetings, and Phil Mershon, author of Unforgettable on GoalChatLive. The topic: Engaging Meetings. My guests shared why they love events, how they got started in the event space, and much more. We also had a fun digression into event food.
Why People Love/Hate Events

• John: People hate useless, boring, non-effective meetings.
• John: They love getting back in touch with people, the value they receive at the meeting, and the magical moments that happen.
• Phil: People hate when they think that a meeting/event/workshop could have been an email. They do not like feeling forced into a situation.
• Phil: They love when goose-bump moments happen (more commonly in person than online). Create a space where people can get outside their comfort zone and be open to new ideas.
• John: People hate driving, traffic, parking.
• Bobbie: They love seeing people in real life, as well as the flexibility of online. Events help to nurture relationships.

What Makes a Meeting Successful

• Bobbie: The attendees believe there’s something in it for them.
• Phil: A great event is designed for attendees to feel at home.
• John: In meetings, things should happen that can’t happen on their own.
• Phil: Facilitating conversations and connections.
• John: You do not want distractions from your event. Fix things when you can, as soon as you can.
• Bobbie: Serve appropriate food and beverages.

Engaging Meetings #GoalChatLive

Goals

• John: Give control to your attendees. Let people decide what they want to do: go to a session, network. They will make a choice that will make them happy and view your event as a success.
• Bobbie: If you are a speaker, make it easy for the audience to understand what your session is about. Be clear in your title and description; be creative, but don’t get too creative
• Phil: Put time on your calendar immediately following the event when you can debrief and decide what you are going to do with that info.

Final Thoughts

• John: Want engagement? Engage your audience.
• Phil: Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Be unforgettable.
• Bobbie: Be human. If you err on stage, keep going. No one will know.

Links

• Get your ticket for The Engaging Conference
• Learn more about Bobbie Carlton and Innovation Women, and sign up for the Innovation Women Newsletter
• Check out John Chen and Engaging Virtual Meetings
• Learn more about Phil Mershon meetups and read Unforgettable
• Connect with Bobbie Carlton, John Chen, and Phil Mershon on LinkedIn
• Watch our #GoalChatLive on Virtual Meetings and Speaking & Accessibility
• Check out the trailer for my new podcast: Taste Buds with Deb
• Learn more about Goals with DEB and Deb’s Goal Strategy for Event Attendees
• Get your copy of my latest book, Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. Then join the Your Goal Guide Facebook group.

How do you make meetings engaging? Please share in the comments.

Next Week

Next week, we are talking about Neuro Diversity with Elaine Hall, Amber Hawley, and John Hinton. Join us on Monday, October 9, at 4pm PT, for #GoalChatLive.

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For more inspiration, motivation, and tips, follow @TheDEBMethod on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. And connect on LinkedIn.