Matrix Group International

Author: Joanna Pineda

  • Combine Virtual and In-Person Networking Before Conferences to Increase Engagement

    Combine Virtual and In-Person Networking Before Conferences to Increase Engagement

    Non Dues-a-Palooza Pre-Event Networking on Zoom I’m attending Non Dues-a-Palooza (NDAP) next week in Nashville, in person. NDAP is a conference devoted to helping associations and nonprofits increase their non-dues revenue by bringing together execs and solution providers, through case studies and panels. This will be my third NDAP event and I’m pretty excited.

    Even though the event will be in person, Teri Carden, the founder of NDAP decided to do a digital drop-in event a week before the actual event. She held a two-hour Zoom meeting and sent out an email to all attendees, asking them to drop in at any time during the two hours to say hello, meet fellow attendees, and share what’s on our minds before we come to Nashville.

    I loved this idea because:

    • I got to network with some people before the event next week
    • I got to schedule coffee with someone I want to do business with
    • It was fun to see Teri
    • The drop-in got me excited about next week

    I think this drop-in event shows that even as we look to a post-pandemic meetings landscape, we can and should continue to mix in person and virtual to create more high-impact events. And as usual, many thanks to Teri for showing us the way!

  • Review of ASAE 2021 Annual Meeting Hybrid Pop-Up in D.C.

    Review of ASAE 2021 Annual Meeting Hybrid Pop-Up in D.C.

    I attended the Virtual ASAE Annual Meeting last week. Unlike other virtual meetings I’ve attended recently, this one had a hybrid pop-up strategy. 10 cities hosted half-day in person events. I got to attend the DC pop-up on Monday, August 16. How did it work and was it successful? Here’s my review.

    The Venue

    ASAE Annual DC Pop-Up BallroomThe DC pop-up was held at the DC Convention Center. Everyone was required to wear a mask and a guard at the entrance checked everyone’s temperature. I don’t know how many people ultimately attended the pop-up, but it looked like several hundred people.

    Registration check-in and a long coffee station were in a long hallway outside the main room. All of the sessions were in one really large room; there were no breakout rooms.

    The room was large, with big screens, a big stage, and well spaced tables. Each table had only three chairs so that attendees could distance themselves.

    The Program

    ASAE Annual DC Pop-Up Keynote

    The pop-up was a half day’s worth of sessions, with half of them virtual, and half in person. The morning started with a watch party. There were two large screens that displayed what was happening virtually, including the welcome, awards, and excellent keynote session by Baratunde Thurston.

    After the first couple of hours of viewing, there was a break, during which we could grab coffee and hang out in the hallway. This break clearly wasn’t long enough because the event staff had a tough time corralling everyone back into the big room to attend the in person keynote by Capricia Marshall, former Chief of Protocol for President Obama. I think people were so thrilled to be together that the break could have been 45 minutes and people would have been happier.

    After the break, there was a discussion about the future of the industry with ASAE’s Reggie Henry and a couple of execs from Fonteva. This session was in person as well.

    For lunch, there were numerous stations for picking up lunch, which was plated but served by staff. We then had to eat back in the big room, socially distanced.

    Did the Hybrid Program Work?

    I think the hybrid program worked well. The opening session and the keynote were very, very good, with high production value, so they kept our attention. It was a revelation to see a keynote in person and Ms. Marshall was a great storyteller. I did feel, however, that the big room felt a little empty because of the size of the room and the fact that there were only only three people at each table. It felt like some of the energy from the live session dissipated because the room was so cavernous (and cold!).

    Ultimately, it was great fun to see friends who I normally see at an ASAE Annual Meeting, like Loretta, Dave, Brian and Gretchen from DelCor, and Reggie from ASAE.

    Was It Worth the Time and Money?

    ASAE Annual DC Pop-Up with DelCor Friends

    It was definitely more of a deal to get dressed and commute into DC to be on time for a 9:15am general session. I’ve forgotten how to wear heels, so it was business casual for me.

    It was neat to know that the Capricia Marshall presentation was only available in DC.

    I didn’t connect with many association execs, despite my best efforts. I approached people at every opportunity, including the break and at lunch. I even attended the Happy Hour hosted by Association Analytics after the pop-up ended. Despite all that, I only met two association execs (I met a lot of vendors).

    So was the in person pop-up worth the time and money? I’m gonna say a qualified yes.

    The Future of Meetings

    I know that every meeting planner and leadership team is thinking hard about the future of meetings and events. Can we really go back to all in person? What hybrid strategy will work? Is hybrid affordable? Will virtual or hybrid extend the reach of associations and their education efforts?

    The ASAE Annual Meeting was a terrific experiment and I’m glad I attended.

  • What Have We Learned About Creating Engaging Meetings from Virtual Conferences?

    What Have We Learned About Creating Engaging Meetings from Virtual Conferences?

    Virtual Meeting vs. In-Person MeetingHeinan Landa (CEO of Optimal Networks) asked me last week: As we’re slowly returning to the office and in-person meetings, what lessons from 15 months of virtual meetings should endure?

    It’s a great question. Over the past year, I’ve had many clients bemoan virtual, but I’ve also had many clients express joy over the benefits of virtual. Here are lessons that I hope will endure:

    Higher Quality Sessions

    It sounds really weird to say this because organizations that put on conferences are devoted to offering high quality education. And yet, a few clients were surprised at how lackluster some of their sessions were. I heard things like, “Gosh, we used to select speakers, tell them when and where to show up, make sure their tech was working, and leave the room.” But with virtual, more thought has gone into the quality of the sessions to make sure people stay engaged and don’t log off. BeSpeake clients have:

    • Paid closer attention to the content and slides.
    • Worked with their speakers to add interactive elements, from polls to contests.
    • Coached speakers to become better presenters.

    ALL of these lessons should endure past this pandemic!

    Better Wayfinding

    I’ve been to countless conferences at the Gaylord Resort in Maryland and every time, I get lost. Maybe I’m just navigationally challenged but better signage and more thoughtful grouping of the sessions and events would help me, and, I suspect, many others. With virtual, we worked closely with clients to make sure attendees always knew where to go next, using tools like:

    • Welcome and tutorial videos that explain the virtual platform and highlight the “not to be missed” parts of the meeting.
    • Putting everything on the program and having sessions disappear (temporarily) from the schedule once they are done. This way, the program always shows you what’s next.
    • Brief but clear descriptions and help text.
    • Guidance from speakers at the start and close of sessions about what’s next.
    • User testing to make sure all of this wayfinding guidance is actually effective.

    The next time you’re in person, walk your convention, make sure signage is clear, and coach speakers to tell attendees what’s next!

    Intentional Connections and Networking

    Conferences are all about connecting with our friends, colleagues and peers. In person, most conference planners organize receptions, some breakouts, and food and drink in the exhibit hall. Virtually, meeting planners have had to work harder to make sure attendees connect with others. We’ve worked with our BeSpeake clients to create opportunities like:

    • Morning Coffee, where attendees get matched up with others randomly for a virtual coffee break.
    • Extended attendee profiles and better searching.
    • Easy to use attendee search and messaging.
    • Giving attendees the chance to meet with others in video rooms.
    • Breakouts by topic or job function to encourage people to be on video and connect with others.

    These virtual connection opportunities don’t work for all attendees. Some attendees are content to focus on the sessions. But for others, these connection opportunities have made it easier than ever to expand their networks and horizons.

    In person, perhaps you can make in person conferences less terrifying for first time attendees by doing things like:

    • Asking Board and committee members to reach out, walk them through the program, attend a social event with them, and introduce them to a couple of members.
    • Creating a welcome or tutorial video to help attendees get the most out of the conference.

    Delightful Touches

    We’ve worked hard with our clients to make their meetings interesting and delightful. Some things that have worked are:

    • Interesting, even fun, pre-roll before sessions. At first, we added pre-roll so attendees would have something interesting to watch when they came in early to sessions. Then we realized pre-roll was a great way to entertain and educate!
    • Interesting imagery to evoke a place or theme.
    • Polls and contests to add sparkle to a session or break. One client is now known for a great Jeopardy game where the questions are all about their accreditation program!
    • One client had a virtual bulletin board where they challenged attendees to share what attendees and their organizations are doing to address racism and health inequities.

    In person, ask your speakers to show pre-roll, play music, and start the conversation early. Have places where people can post, share and connect, not just virtually, but also in person!

    As my friend Lee Gimpel says, in person meetings aren’t necessarily great: it’s hard to meet people if you’re new, the program can be confusing, and we spend way too much in dark rooms looking at screens and passively watching a speaker. 

    What have YOU and YOUR ORGANIZATION learned about creating engaging and fun meetings during this pandemic? What lessons will carry over and endure when you go back to in person meetings?

     

  • How BeSpeake Clients are Adding Fun to their Virtual Meetings

    How BeSpeake Clients are Adding Fun to their Virtual Meetings

    FACT Jeopardy Game“How do we add fun to our virtual meeting? How do I get people chatting during our sessions? How do we get attendees interacting with each other?

    These are just some of the questions we get when we meet with BeSpeake clients each week to plan their virtual meetings. While there’s no magic formula, here are some ideas that have worked well recently:

    Jeopardy! FACT does Jeopardy during the morning break of their Workshop and Bootcamp conferences. They created their own questions about their standards and accreditation process, invited three attendees to go live in the virtual studio, and then played the game. The attendees loved it and many of them played along by posting answers in the comments.

    Photo roll. AFPM asks attendees to send in photos of themselves attending the conference from their office or home office. The photos are reviewed and the photos edited to add the attendee name and location. Before the general session each morning, the photo roll is played to show members around the world attending the conference.

    Jackbox.tv. I love Jackbox and have purchased several of the party packs. Here’s how it works. The person who owns the game (let’s call him the host) chooses one of the many games available, like fibbage or truth or lie. The host shares his screen, which shows the URL that attendees need to navigate to, and the code they need to enter to play the game. Attendees use their phones as their controllers. Some games allow 10 players, while some games allow up to 100 to play. Jackbox is fun and cheap. The party packs start at $12 (period, not per month). Teri Carden of 100 Reviews loves Jackbox, and Matrix Group opened a recent webinar early with some Jackbox.

    Musical entertainment. Several clients have booked musical entertainers to perform live or via a pre-recorded session. NAES had a musician/comedian perform at the end of the day, while FMI had a DJ (who happened to be one of their members) use music to interview industry executives.

    There’s no limit to the creativity our clients are showing when it comes to creating fun and interactive virtual conferences. We’re sharing these ideas to get you inspired. What fun things have YOU done at your conferences?

    Want to create a custom built virtual conference or tradeshow experience that is just as transformative as your in-person events? Contact us today to schedule a private demonstration of the BeSpeake virtual meeting platform.

     

     

  • Why Journey Mapping is so Important to Creating Amazing Member Journeys

    Why Journey Mapping is so Important to Creating Amazing Member Journeys

    Member Journeys

    Matrix Group is working on an email signup project for a longtime client. This client wants to create an easier way for members and non-members to see all the newsletters the association has to offer, and easily subscribe to receive them. Some newsletters are open to the public, while others are members-only. The client has many goals with this project:

    • Showcase all of their newsletters
    • Get more people signed up
    • Make it easier to sign up

    Seems simple, right? Not so fast. In fact, it’s taken us a few weeks and multiple rounds of wireframes to get what I think will be a winning sign up form. The form itself will look simple BUT it will ultimately be the result of intentional journey mapping to ensure that the sign-up process is simple and amazing.

    How do we do it? First, we identify the audiences and the tasks they wish to accomplish. Then we map out the journeys they need to take to get what they want. We ask questions like: Will the person need to log in? What if they don’t already have a username? What if they forgot their password? How will they know that they are not eligible to subscribe to specific newsletters?

    Here’s a simple sign-up journey: Member is already logged in, goes to the sign-up form, presses the Subscribe button next to the newsletters of her choice, and gets a thank you pop-up.

    Here’s a not so simple sign-up journey. This journey took some time to articulate and make easy: Individual is with a member company but doesn’t already have a password. Individual navigates to the sign-up page, presses Subscribe. User is taken to a login page. She doesn’t have a login, so she has to create a profile and attach herself to the proper company. The profile form is two pages. At the end, she can navigate back to the sign-up form; this is important because some systems dump users back to the home page after creating a profile, which is disorienting to users. The form remembers which newsletter she wanted to sign-up for and she gets a success message.

    You see, it’s not enough to create a form and say it works. You need to map all of your user journeys. If your users have to log in, create a profile, or traverse websites, their journey is going to be more complicated, so you have to be intentional about it, know how many steps the journey is going to take, and involve your vendors in making the journey great, even if that journey requires multiple steps.

    If you’re not already doing this kind of journey mapping with all of your projects, start now. You don’t need special software to do it, but you do need time to explore the journeys. Need help? Give us a call. We love this process and we’re great at asking the questions that will lead to amazing member journeys.

     

  • We Need to Bring Back the “Meet” in Meetings

    We Need to Bring Back the “Meet” in Meetings

    During a kickoff meeting with a new BeSpeake client, I asked this question: What did not work during your annual meeting last year? Answer: While the education offerings were excellent, there were few opportunities for attendees to connect and network, and the few that did exist, were simple text chats.

    This client isn’t alone in wanting to add meaningful opportunities for their meeting attendees to connect, talk to each other, catch up, be on video, laugh, say hello. As my friend Lee Gimpel of Better Meetings says, “we need to bring back the ‘meet’ in meetings.” In other words, if your virtual meetings are mostly live or pre-recorded sessions where all attendees can do is comment, you’re not holding a meeting, you’re offering private YouTube videos. Worse, if all or most of your education is pre-recorded, you’re not giving your attendees to attend in real-time because hey, they can watch these videos anytime. Just like YouTube or Netflix.

    So what are your options for adding the “meet” to your meetings? In BeSpeake, we have our own web-based video rooms that can be used for breakout rooms, 1-2-1 video meetings, exhibitor sessions, speed networking, cohort groups, and so much more. Clients are finding creative ways to allow attendees to connect with old friends, make new connections, develop business relationships, even strike deals.

    One BeSpeake client had a whopping 54% of their attendees participate in break out discussions or 1-2-1 appointment scheduling. In other words, more than half of their attendees participated in an activity where they were on video with other attendees. Wow.

    But wait. While 54% is an amazing number, I’m not satisfied. I’m working with my team to get that number even higher and I’ll blog about what we are trying and learning over the next few months.

    How about you? What is your organization doing to bring the “meet” back to meetings?

    P.S. Lee from Better Meetings will be joining me for a conversation on April 7th at 2pm ET as we dive into “How to Deliver Collaboration and Connection at Conferences.” He has invaluable ideas and insight; I hope you can join us!

     

     

  • The ASAE Annual Meeting Goes Virtual; Why This is a Good Decision

    The ASAE Annual Meeting Goes Virtual; Why This is a Good Decision

    ASAE 2021 virtual I read the email from ASAE (the American Society of Association Executives) yesterday afternoon about the ASAE Annual Meeting. Citing concerns for the health and safety of all members, ASAE Annual, which was supposed to be in person in Dallas, will once again be virtual, coupled with smaller, regional hub gatherings. Ugh. After a year of no in person meetings, I was so looking forward to this conference. I love ASAE Annual. I love the sessions, catching up with friends, the social events, the exhibits, all of it. I’m even scheduled to do two sessions: one with Elise Kuurstra from EAIE and Gretchen Steenstra from DelCor; and one on leadership lessons from the martial arts. Sigh. Who knows if I’ll even have the chance to do these sessions this year.

    ASAE is not alone in this decision. Many Matrix Group clients, including clients using our virtual meeting platform (BeSpeake), have decided to go virtual with their meetings, at least through September 2021.

    But there’s another dimension to the ASAE decision. Texas announced on March 2 that the state no longer has a mask mandate and all businesses can operate at full capacity. Perhaps some are cheering, but I’m not. I have not been vaccinated and since I have no known health risks, I figure I’ll get my vaccine sometime this summer or fall. Which means I was maybe looking at attending the ASAE Annual meeting unvaccinated, in a state that doesn’t have a mask mandate and is operating without social distancing guidelines. Yikes. I was going to think hard about whether or not my speaking opportunities were worth it. Since the meeting is virtual, I don’t have to make any tough decisions.

    While I’m bummed, I know this is the right decision. I have grounded my staff at least through the end of July. Many of our clients report that their members, especially the larger companies, have done the same.

    How about you? What do you think of ASAE’s decision to take their Annual Meeting virtual? What is your organization doing this year?

  • Virtual Events Made the Conventions and the Inauguration Celebrations More Accessible

    Virtual Events Made the Conventions and the Inauguration Celebrations More Accessible

    US Capitol BuildingOn January 20, I watched the Presidential Inauguration celebration from my couch. Normally, I would have been jonesing over the inaugural balls I’ve never been invited to, but this year, I had a front row seat as Tom Hanks hosted a star-studded musical extravaganza. How amazing to see John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Yo-Yo Ma and Katie Perry (among so many amazing artists), and I loved that ordinary Americans got to introduce these stars.

    I felt the same during the Democratic National Convention last August. Yeah, sure, every Democratic and Republican convention is televised, sort of. You can watch on C-SPAN, or catch highlights on network or cable television, but this coverage always seemed so cold and distant, like an afterthought. Last year, the Convention went virtual. Remote viewers were the main audience and boy were we treated well. It felt like we joined Michelle Obama in her office. And the state roll call, normally a dry and pompous affair, became a celebration of America as delegates, parents, teachers, small business owners, essential workers, activists and elected leaders cast their states’ votes to nominate Joe Biden. Three delegates from California were on a beautiful bluff, the delegate from Alabama was on the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge, tribal members from states with large Native American populations announced their states’ votes, and on, and on. It was glorious! And I got to be part of it! We all did!

    Four years from now, presumably most Americans, indeed citizens of the world, will have been vaccinated and in-person events will once again become the norm. Will we go back to the exclusive conventions and balls of the past? Will I once again sit on my couch and wonder how I could have gotten myself invited to an inaugural ball? I sure hope not. The pandemic has broadened the reach of these events, and allowed ordinary citizens to be part of the proceedings, the events and the fun.

    While I am dying to see my family and friends, meet with clients, and travel on vacation, I hope we don’t go back to the way things were. I hope we figure out how to continue to make our events more accessible to everyone.

     

  • Lessons from Three Seasons of Virtual Meetings

    Lessons from Three Seasons of Virtual Meetings

    virtual meeting Well, the pandemic that was supposed to last a couple of weeks has dragged on through the Spring, Summer and Fall. Nearly 10 months since stay at home orders were issued, what have we learned about virtual meetings and engagement?

     

    Pre-Recorded Is Giving Way to Live

    Early in the pandemic, meeting planners pivoted to Zoom meetings that focused on education, a lot of it pre-recorded. Exhibits halls were limited to directory listings.
    9 months later, we know that attendees are sick of starting at their screens, passively watching a presentation. By late October, most of our clients had switched over to live presentations. One client said they switched because:
    • Pre-recorded is more work for the staff
    • Speakers want their presentations to be perfect when they are pre-recorded, so they do take after take, which requires a lot of editing
    • A lot of speakers gets their energy from the audience, so recorded presentations don’t have the same vitality
    Our clients have packed their programs with a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions. And most pre-recorded sessions also have the speakers available to chat with attendees, or a live Q&A immediately following the content presentation.
    Attendees can tell when a presentation is live. Live presentations have big and little flaws that let you know this session is happening right now. Somehow, attendees are drawn to these imperfect sessions.

     

    Attendee Engagement is Key

    Clients have asked us how to add attendee engagement during their virtual events. Attendees say they don’t want a conference that feels like a series of webinars. They want to see other attendees, they want to celebrate, they want to meet new people, and they want to be entertained. Some things clients did this Fall:
    • NAES offered Morning Coffee each day of their Biennial Conference. Attendees were slotted into video rooms with 7 random attendees for a half hour of networking.
    • EAIE followed content presentations with breakout sessions where attendees were placed in video rooms with up to five other people to discuss the topic.
    • FACT held a Lunch with Leaders session where attendees could drop in and chat with the organization’s top leaders.

    Facilitate Informal Meetings

    Whenever I attend an ASAE meeting, I try to see as many clients and friends as possible. These informal meetings and chance conversations are part of the magic of conferences.

    Which is why BeSpeake has a user-friendly and easy to find attendee search, a message center and 1-2-1 video meeting scheduling.

    In one of our meetings, nearly 30% of the attendees participated in at least one private video meeting! And a whopping 54% participated in a breakout or appointment; in other words, more than half of the attendees participated in an activity where they were on video and meeting with other attendees!

    Add Some Lightness and Entertainment

    When we hosted the Biennial Conference for the National Association of Episcopal Schools, two of the most captivating involved music: one session featured a pre-recorded video of a children’s choir, and one social event featured an entertainment/musician.

    It was obvious from the comments and reactions that these sessions were a welcome break from the talking heads (that were amazing, by the way), and highlighted the need for a variety of session formats.

    During the ASAE TEC Conference in December, one of the most memorable events was the party hosted by the Association of Women Technology Champions (AWTC). The event was conducted in Zoom and featured games and networking. While the TEC sessions were good, the AWTC event was the most interactive and fun.

     

    It’s 2021. While we don’t really know what the meeting landscape will look like, here’s what we do know: Attendees are looking for new, different, and engaging. Your meeting cannot be a broadcast version of your in person conference. So what are YOU going to do in 2021 to take your virtual meetings to the next level?

     

    Want to create a custom built virtual conference or tradeshow experience that is just as transformative as your in-person events? Contact us today to schedule a private demonstration of the BeSpeake virtual meeting platform.

     

  • Developing Markets for the U.S. Grains Council

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin iaculis dolor eget lacus interdum maximus. Mauris dignissim dictum pulvinar. Nullam in luctus magna. Nam eu metus aliquet tellus rutrum gravida. Mauris posuere qua   m non ante pellentesque, at viverra ligula scelerisque.