Many of us have been to a boring and humdrum conference. If you’re hosting a large meeting, you won’t want people walking away saying the same for yours.
In our experience as facilitation professionals, we have learned some general tricks for getting and keeping an audience’s attention. With these easy tricks, you can take your conference to the next level by being both interactive and exciting.
Tips to Engage and Captivate Your Audience
- Show up early and show up prepared. While it may seem like a simple concept, showing up the night before can significantly hack away at your to-do list and your stress level.
- Bring extras of everything. Consider extra cables, chargers and cords for electronics as well as everything that you need for yourself, such as a jacket.
- Sleep. With all the running around making sure everything is perfect and all of the other organizing you’ll have to do, it’s important to put in a good night’s rest.
- Pack a survival kit. You will need some painkillers on hand just in case. It’s also a good idea to have some granola bars or crackers with you, too.
- If you are unsure as to how to dress, overdress. You will never regret investing in your appearance, but you may be embarrassed if you aren’t looking the part.
- Bring extra clothes. Who knows what the day will bring?
- Stay off of your phone and social media. Engage in others around you.
- Be yourself. This may be advice you have heard time and time again, but being authentic will draw others in.
- Bring business cards. If you think you have enough, bring some more! Hand them out to everyone you speak with.
- Take as many notes as possible. There is a lot of great information going around, and you won’t want to miss out on any part of it.
- Ask questions, especially if you are the one presenting. Speaking with your audience is interactive and holds the attention of others.
- Insist on hearing other’s opinions. Stirring up the minds of your peers and getting different points of view can be great for your audience and for yourself.
- Move! Your movements during a presentation can engage others. You can also get your audience moving by having them sit or stand in agreement or disagreement rather than raising hands.
- Get everyone participating. Have tables discuss things as a group and introduce activities where others can build relationships and ideas.
To learn more about captivating a corporate audience, contact Leadership Strategies today.
Image Source: Wikipedia Commons
