The best gift you can give meeting attendees - No More Boring Meetings

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ROCK your event: Random Acts of Conference Kindness: low- cost gifts given in ... that tap attendees cell phones as audi
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The best gift you can give meeting attendees By Andrea Driessen, Chief Boredom Buster, No More Boring Meetings

You don’t need to give meeting participants iPods, Rolexes or cash to reward and recognize them in style. In light of this annual season of gifting, we offer you 5 affordable, effective ways to recognize and motivate your people during events—and beyond. First, consider that the #1 motivator for almost every employee or meeting attendee isn’t, in fact, money (whew!). According to Mel Kleiman, internationally recognized expert on recruiting, selecting and retaining the best hourly employees, it’s actually recognition. Yet over 60% of American workers say they have received no recognition for their work in the last year. (huh?!) Take advantage of recognition as a most powerful motivator in and beyond your meetings--with any or all of the following recognition tools: 1. ROCK your event: Random Acts of Conference Kindness: lowcost gifts given in memorable ways: From PCMA Magazine: How do you make each attendee feel noticed at a meeting with 22,000 other participants? “We’re always looking to innovate and do things that make attendees feel appreciated,” said Lisa Block, SHRM’s director of meetings and conferences….With that in mind, Block lit on how random gifts could provide the kind of personal  2009 No More Boring Meetings

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interaction she wanted amidst a sea of attendees--without a hefty price tag. "Random Offers of Conference Kindness" or ROCK was born—as a “hightouch, not high-ticket” solution. “From out of nowhere, with no rhyme or reason, staff appeared bearing gifts. They came, they delivered, they disappeared. Mugs, T-shirts, $5 Starbucks cards, free cab rides from the airport, some hotel room upgrades, front row seats during big-namekeynoter general sessions. And all the winners got a “ROCK'd” ribbon to commemorate the occasion. "With 22,000 people, we wanted to create a buzz," Block said. "I think most of the attendees were aware of what was going on even if they'd just heard about it." The campaign cost under $5,000 in total, including the ribbons for all the recipients. [for over 20k attendees, that’s less than 25 cents a person!]. "The good will was worth every penny," Block said. Read more about ROCK here: http://www.pcma.org/Convene/Issue_Archives/December_2007/Random _Offers_of_Conference_Kindness.htm 2. No More “Unsung Heroes.” We all know how it feels to be an Unsung Hero. Imagine, then, the power of being a SUNG hero. Along with the synergy and memory you create when award winners are lauded with a song written—and sung live at the meeting—just for them. Ask us ([email protected]) about how to effectively and affordably integrate recognition-based songs for individuals or groups at your next event. 3. Can you hear me now? For most of us, especially Gen X, Y and Millennials, recognition may simply be the chance to be HEARD. Via social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc.), it’s quite easy to encourage conversations and input--before, during and after meetings. Engage everyone with: • • •

Pre-event surveys to take the pulse of what folks want to see at the meeting The chance to give feedback on content in real time (Ask us ([email protected]) about cool, affordable tools that tap attendees cell phones as audience response devices) Open Space http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-space_meeting as a breakout session. This is a free, attendee-run, scalable format via which you’ll generate an enormous amount of useful input, ideas

 2009 No More Boring Meetings

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and content from any sized group. Whose Award is it Anyway?! Invite an improvisation comedy troupe http://www.nomoreboringmeetings.com/index.php?page=speaker_page&sp eaker_id=66 to your meeting (or tap internal folks). Using a skit called “a day in the life,” have them re-enact top performer(s’) days for your audience--with embellishments. Videotape the skit and post it on your intranet to showcase effective high performance of your best people.

4. Thanks for the memories. “My team created a scrapbook chronicling the impact I'd had on their company and gave it to me on my last day in the office,” said Professor Linda M. Lopeke, principal of SmartStartCoach.com. “People who’d worked on my teams wrote testimonials and creative graphics highlighting some our team successes. It's the best gift I ever received in my 40-year career.” The biggest benefit of recognition? You may feel as uplifted as your recipients—giving just feels GOOD. Send us your favorite, low-cost recognition tool—and we’ll recognize you in style!

www.NoMoreBoringMeetings.com 206-783-MEET [6338]

 2009 No More Boring Meetings

www.NoMoreBoringMeetings.com

206-783-6338