Group Plans

The last six attendance analysis projects that our team has worked on have resulted in the top 30 companies representing 20 to 30% of the total conference attendance. Your mileage may vary, but for many, group or team conference participation is one of the most valuable assets that should be nurtured and protected.

Everything in business is evolving to be collaborative and team based. Businesses buy in teams. They sell in teams. Professionals are part of service-delivery teams and most importantly, change management is most successful when it is driven through collaborative efforts and forward thinking.

If you’re not doing it already, study the team dynamics of your attendance and begin developing plans to help teams navigate and get the most out of their combined attendance. Here’s a few ideas that have resonated with some of our clients:

1.    Provide concierge-like services/contacts for those who are registering five or more participants.
2.    Develop a team-participation landing page with tips and resources for team leaders.
3.    Make it easy for them to register and book housing.
4.    Offer meet-up spaces.
5.    Develop case studies and share stories of teams who have implemented change after attending.
6.    Provide a room upgrade to a suite for any organization bringing 10 participants or more.

In a time where many organizations are focused on engaging smaller and new members, don’t forget what makes the cash register ring and can be the fastest route to growth…teams!
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May 2019
Video: Peter Senge Introduction to Organizational Learning


Traditionally teams from organizations attend a conference with a divide-and-conquer game plan, as they split up and attend as many different sessions as they can. The challenge with that strategy is that it’s very unlikely any real change will occur when the one team member who experienced the learning returns to work. What if you flipped that model and designed conferences that offered learning aimed at improving team collaboration and changes back in the workplace?
Since our work culture is mostly team-based, it’s about time we reflected it in our conference design. Teams that learn together actually implement together! The fact that it’s also a smart attendee acquisition strategy is the cherry on top.
Here are ways to design your conferences for team learning.

Most of the time, we don’t have a good handle on who is truly attending our conference. There is a way to glean insight by using emails provided at registration. A growing number of conference organizers are on to this and are developing improved strategies for group registration and conference experiences. We’re seeing a trend that includes both more aggressive discount packages and customized experiences. Here are four approaches to consider.

Technology is disrupting every industry and area of life, and work is no exception. One of the main career implications of the digital revolution is a shift in demand for human expertise. As a result, there is now a premium on intellectual curiosity and  learnability , the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one’s skill set to remain employable. What you know is less relevant than what you may learn, and knowing the answer to questions is less critical than having the ability to ask the right questions in the first place. Unsurprisingly, major employers make learning an integral part of their talent management systems.