Creative Pioneering
Global View
By Ashely Muntan
TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT CONTINUALLY CHALLENGES US TO BE CREATIVE PIONEERS, and our overloaded schedules don’t yield time for exploring new, catchy ideas. Nonetheless, in my quest to become more imaginative, I have discovered that people often overlook fundamental creativity and abstract thinking when meeting new people. Consider these tips for opening up your mind to new ideas.
Conduct informational interviews with people outside the meeting planning industry who produce large gatherings such as sporting events, concerts, speaking engagements or large church functions. It’s ideal opportunity to gather insight into how they create experiences for their audiences, generate attendance and plan logistically. Many best practices exist, and we must find which are most suitable for our individual working styles and company cultures.
Strive to keep your eyes and ears open for new, intriguing ideas wherever you are. If you’re attending a concert, check out the stage set. If you’re at a sporting event, watch for clever audience engagement techniques or unique signage and branding opportunities. While flying to your next destination, pop open the airline magazine, as it may have an article on a possible guest speaker or spark an idea for a conference theme. Brilliant ideas are often in plain sight, but you won’t notice unless you practice keeping one creative eye open at all times.
Use the Internet as an infinite resource for visionary direction—such as user groups, blogs,
YouTube.com and
Facebook.com. Visit groups and blogs such as
Spinplanners.com and
interactivemtgtech.wordpress.com to solicit ideas or feedback and obtain valuable industry insight.
Collaborate and brainstorm as a team. When kicking off a brainstorming session, set ground rules and avoid the use of the word “but”—replace it with the word “and.” This will allow ideas to build off one another rather than be crushed before it even has a chance of survival. Collaboration in a trusting environment is the magic key to creative and innovative ideas.
Being a creative pioneer is about viewing an idea from different perspectives, looking at every possible angle, turning it on its head and using it as a fundamental building block. When you find some basic idea, customize it into your next big, innovative initiative.
One+ ASHELY MUNTAN is a senior event planner for Symantec Corp. and resides in Atlanta. With more than 10 years in the industry, she manages large events and takes pride in creating memorable experiences for attendees. She can be reached at ashely_muntan@symantec.com.