Event Formats That Encourage Participation

See One. Do One. Teach One. I was watching Grey’s Anatomy (don't judge) when a line jumped out at me: “See one. Do one. Teach one.” It was Dr. Webber's mantra for medical training: observe a skill, try it yourself, then pass it on. It's also the perfect blueprint for event engagement. Most events get stuck at “see one.” Attendees listen to keynotes, sit through panels, watch demos. They see a lot, but if that’s where it ends, the knowledge fades almost instantly. The next level is “do one.” Give attendees space to try what they’ve learned, through hands-on workshops, scenario labs, role plays, or even a 10-minute exercise in the room. This helps the ideas move from theory into muscle memory. But then there's “teach one.” Create moments for attendees to share their perspective. Whether it’s a micro-discussion at their table, a peer-to-peer breakout, or a post-session “lightning share” where they explain what they learned to someone else. When people teach, they anchor the learning in their own words, and engagement skyrockets. What if designing events around this mantra could transform attendees into contributors? They stop being passive listeners and start being co-creators of the experience. Maybe that's what engagement is meant to be, after all. 

2024: Content isn’t King But for events, this 1 thing is. Nowadays, amazing content is a dime a dozen and FREE We are in the era of: - PhDs on Youtube - Top VCs on podcasts - Cheap masterclasses of celebs The world cares less about content-  More about learning with cohorts  Engaging with communities Communities allow: - Active hands-on learning - Less lectures more dialogue - Networking that moves the needle - Interactions to drive entire industries forward To maximize community, emulate the “Flipped Classroom” with your event. Flipped Classroom = Learn at home, Collaborate in class Flipped Event = Learn at home, Collaborate at event Here’s how: Pre-Event: - Give content - Matchmaking to connect attendees Event: - Workshops to stimulate conversations - Roundtables/happy hours to further collaboration Post-Event: - Online forums/resources to reinforce learning - Socials/event tech to reinforce connections made The events centric to community building, not just content, will win 2024. ………………………. This is Post # 12 of the “2024: Ride the Wave” series. 12 more to go! ……………………………………………………… We at Social27 are building HiveGPT.AI The Custom GPT for all things B2B Marketing #ai #events #b2bmarketing

Designing a conference? Please rethink the traditional format where attendees passively sit through hours of expert panels and fireside chats. There is a better way and it doesn't take much effort or thought. A few things you might consider: + Every 30-60 minutes, pause to encourage attendees to introduce themselves to someone new and discuss a key takeaway from the latest session. + Place Q&A cards on tables for participants to submit questions throughout the session. Invite those who submit questions to share their context, creating a richer dialogue. + Don't just celebrate the sponsors — celebrate the people in the room. Study the list of attendees and find interesting facts about who's joining. Highlight the range of backgrounds, demographics, etc. + During breaks, set up zones for different affinity groups, helping people connect with others who share their interests and expertise. You'll probably think of even better things. But you get the picture. It's nice to hear how a few experts are thinking about current issues — but it's transformative if you can foster connections that go far beyond your event. #learning #development #workplace #growth