Trends in the meeting industry are changing more than ever seen before, making planning a corporate meeting harder than ever. In many ways this is a response to the ever shortening attention span of each new generation entering the workforce. The meetings and event planning community has responded with many exciting way of reaching attendees, and knowing what’s effective can help ensure that your meetings are as successful as possible.

Here Are 10 Meeting Trends Organizations Need to Watch When Planning a Corporate Meeting

1. It is often wise to have a qualified videographer on hand to record important sessions. This way people unable to attend live will have access to the information. Many conferences are even streamed live on the internet to expand the reach of the event to international audiences.

2. Your meeting plans should reflect the corporation’s mission statement. For example:

If your corporate mission statement includes a commitment to conservation or “being green” try to incorporate this into your event.  Holding your event at a botanical garden might be a good idea or simply using renewable resources could be the stamp of commitment that the company appreciates.

3. For that matter, participants have come to expect hi-tech features in corporate meetings, which can range from “navigation assistance” to live audience polling. I’ve attended conferences that have a dedicated App for attendees’ phones. While hi-tech for the sake of hi-tech is pointless, clever implementation can make for significant improvements to almost all aspects of a corporate meeting.

4. Connectivity has become paramount. As a result, people in charge of planning a corporate meeting are going out of their way to make sure that their attendees can stay connected even while they are participating, whether by providing free WiFi or by using those customized apps to keep participants informed about all of the latest happenings and locations. Attendees can set up alerts to help customize their own experience.

5. A good meeting planner knows that attention spans wane if attendees are subjected to session after session without something fun and uplifting to reset their focus. Bringing in an entertainer (Like Becker Magic!) that encourages audience participation during the afternoon or evening program (see our article titled “Keynotes are Boring”) will boost morale and increase engagement.

6. In a similar way, many corporations are now reaching out to their employees in the planning stages of their events to find out if anyone has a special skill or talent they might like to contribute to the event. By including staff at all levels of an employment hierarchy a company can show appreciation for team members at the entry as well as the higher ups. Using this approach can also engage interest amongst their coworkers and foster team building.

7. Traditionally, corporate meetings have been all about the top-down approach, with the CEO making proclamations from on high. However, that has started to change in recent times, with more and more corporate meetings being set up to support peer-to-peer interaction, which provides their participants with a chance to network and build new relationships with their peers.

8. Choosing a venue that allows you to express your creativity can be essential; making a bold statement with a theme or corporate branding can leave a lasting impression. Sometimes the more outrageous the better. For example, if your company logo has a purple cow on it, have an actual purple cow on hand for attendees to have their photos taken with. The pictures would surely be posted to social media, which goes a long way to making your meeting memorable.

9. Corporate meetings are being held in more and more interesting venues, with common examples including but not limited to casinos, private villas, museums and even theme parks. In part, the uniqueness of such venues tend to offer a more memorable experience than the four blank walls of most conference centers. Offbeat venues can encourage increased attendance which is essential to a corporate meeting’s success.

10. The goal of the modern corporate meeting is to foster a sense of community. To do this an event might last several days creating a lasting common memory for the participants. Studies show that people immersed in a mutual experience bond more effectively and that bond often boosts an overall sense of belonging and productivity.

A great choice is a to hire a Dallas magician, Fred Becker to provide some much-needed audience participation entertainment for your corporate meeting. Give Fred a few minutes and he’ll have your group laughing and clapping, guaranteed. Companies like Reese’s, FedEx, Philips, Exxon, and Chrysler rely on Dallas Magician Fred Becker to do just that when it comes to their most important events of the year. Contact Fred today to get a customized program for your event.