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Are You Designing Connectivity, or Just Planning Meetings?

By David Basler February 17, 2012

If you’ve ever played the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon you know all about human connectivity. In case you haven’t, here’s the basic gist: I name an actor. Any actor. And you try to link that person back to the actor Kevin Bacon via a common movie connection. Simple right?

Well, more accurately the game could be played as 6.6 Degrees of _____________. Fill in the blank with literally anyone and according to a Microsoft study of more than 30 billion instant messages sent by more than 250 million people globally in one month, you would be able to connect yourself to that person in 6.6 links or less. 

Puts a little perspective on this idea of human connectivity, doesn’t it?

Back in 2009, at the start of the mobile app boom, Microsoft researcher Eric Horvitz made this prediction: “Over the next few decades, new kinds of computing applications, from smart networks to automated translation systems, will help make the world even smaller, with closer social connections and deeper understanding among people.”

He was right, in my opinion. Think of the countless mobile apps alone that have brought humans together in three short years.

Similar studies have shown that people from cultures around the world report having between four and seven close friends, yet the average user of today’s most popular technology-driven social networks, such as Facebook, has more than 110 “friends.” The difference being clear: We hold close those in which we regularly confide and we connect with mere acquaintances in large-scale, technology-driven environments. This all comes back to one, fundamental theory: We all have a very basic need to connect with other humans.

For businesses around the globe, the most important quest is how to create and manage human connections. Both internally and externally, this quest is the reason for meetings and events.

With more than 500 different social networks in today’s market and literally thousands of mobile apps allowing people to talk, play, share and even do business with each other, creating meaningful connections for other people in a “chaotic world” is an art form. Do you feel prepared? Do you know the mixture necessary to create a lasting human connection?

Let’s face it, we are no longer just planning meetings. We are designing human connectivity. It will take a combination of art, science and magic to be leaders in our field, but with that recipe we will be creating the best kind of meeting interaction—the kind in which humans truly experience and learn from each other and take away relationships that keep the connection going long after the meeting’s close.

It begins with all of us teaching each other through discussion, critique and mentorship to find the solution. Meeting industry innovator Ruud Janssen and many collaborators brought this to life at past MPI conferences with The Solution Room, and unconference designer Misha Glouberman (featured in an upcoming issue of One+) brings it to life at his events as well. In fact, MPI is bringing connectivity to the forefront at this year’s WEC in St. Louis. It’s about humanizing relationships and connecting people in ways never attempted before, learning from listening to each other, and experiencing new cultures, curriculum and technologies. What comes of it is something special—it creates lasting business and personal relationships—and that is the real value of meetings.

So how do you create human connections? Are you a designer of human connections or just a meeting planner? There is a big difference.

Tell us your thoughts on connectivity, and go here to discuss how connectivity will be explored at this year’s WEC in St. Louis.


Conversation (24)

  • thom singer February 18, 2012

    Conference networking is about more than just trading business cards or creating a social media link.  Too often the schedule has "networking opportunities" built in, but there is nothing in the culture of the conference that really gets people to meet and explore in conversations.

    Everyone says they want to come to a conference for the connections, but once they arrive they do not do the things necessary to start to build relationships.  They hang with their co-workers or hide behind their technology.   After the conference they do less to follow up.

    Creating a networking culture at the event does not happen by accident and the addition of cool tech tools often is not the answer (they help, and are good... but alone they do not reach the human-to-human level of a meaningful connection).

    It takes risks and creativity from the organizers, attendees, speakers, etc... if you really the attention to be on people and their experience at the event.  

    thom singer

  • Kyle Hillman February 20, 2012

    Excited to see how WEC12 captures "art, science and magic" to design human connectivity.

    (Ok I lied, I truthfully have no idea what that possibly means.)

    However, attempting to reinvent the networking experience is something I can get behind. Our attempts to force meaningful connections in the event industry revolve around either the "if you build it, they will network" model or the "throw more technology out there" model. Neither is effective, and frankly runs counter to why I think people goto events in the first place: to get what they need easier.

    I have no desires to meet 200 new people at the next event, I just want to meet the one or two right people. I am also one of the most tech friendly people you will meet, and yet I still want to scream when someone throws another "networking" device in my hand. (Yeah I am looking at you Poken.)

    I constantly just want to ask what problem are you solving? (And if the problem is your event is not cool enough...well than that isn't your biggest problem.)

    I think our industry failure is that we don't know enough about our attendees and why they really are attending.  It is not for a diverse education, it is for education that addresses their very specific needs. It is not for mass networking, it is for finding that one person who can help them reach their current goal. We need a new way to identify attendee needs that get to a micro level that generic surveys can not deliver. If you can figure out exactly what I need and deliver it to me in an easier method than I can do myself - then you have an experience that will change events.

    No magic necessary.

  • thom singer February 20, 2012

    Kyle said:

    "event industry revolve around either the "if you build it, they will network" model or the "throw more technology out there" model."

    He hits this issue right on the head.  Longer networking breaks or an app are not the solutions to helping people connect.  

    There has to be an active cultivation of a culture that promotes better conversations and make it easy for people no matter how comfortable they are with the social / networking situations.

    We also need to do more to crush cliques - as just like high school... nobody wants to see the cool kids constantly congratulate themselves.

  • Adrian Segar February 20, 2012

    To answer your question, David, yes, I'm a designer of conferences that place human connections front and center—(by the way, Ruud and I ran The Solution Room at WEC 2011.) And the way I do this is to:

     - Create an environment where it's safe to make connections, using explicit ground rules.
     - Use an event design that, at the start of the conference, allows attendees to learn about each other, shares attendees' questions and needs, and uncovers relevant group expertise and experience.
     - Build the possibilities for the meaningful connections that Kyle wants into the fabric of the conference sessions (rather than expecting they'll just happen somehow in the hallways).
     - Provide closing sessions that allow participants to work out what they've learned, what they want to change in their professional lives, what their first steps will be, and then share their findings with others.

    Although I see potential in it, you don't need fancy technology to do any of these things (pens, cards, and flip charts suffice.) What you do need is good process, facilitation skills, and a fresh outlook that's different from the ways we've been running professional conferences for the last few hundred years.

    With the rise of online, it's becoming easier and easier for content to be made available and consumed there. [Simon Sinek's keynote at WEC 2011 was great, but I could get the gist of it by watching his twenty minute TED Talk on my office PC. I didn't need to be in Orlando to get a message that ten years ago would have required me to be in the same room as him.] That's why using event designs that encourage and support connection are becoming crucial to maintain the future viability of face-to-face meetings. I'm glad to hear that WEC 2012 is promoting human connection in this way and look forward to experiencing the results.

  • KiKi L'Italien February 20, 2012

    I appreciate your post adding to the business of connecting people, David. This is so important for meeting planners (and associations) to figure out when there is so much competition for time and opportunity today.

    What Thom said about there being a problem with the "culture of the conference" not embracing networking married up to some reading I've done with David Nour's book, Relationship Economics, and why he believes most people have trouble making valuable connections at meetings. I think there is an opportunity at every meeting to provide education to attendees on how to use our meeting designs to greater effect and not some geared for 101-level type of "Making the Most of Your Meeting" session that no one would attend. 

    The problem is not just solved with meeting design, but with a mindfulness of purpose for attendees. People have so many chances to connect now that they don't always fully digest what they should do at a meeting in regards to the art of connecting with other people. Kyle is right! Who needs 200 new connections when going home with five meaningful contacts can be immensely more valuable? What good is technology (like conference apps that connect people and SCVNGR games) when people won't use them to truly network?

    With that said, Adrian's listed solutions for meeting design all ring true for me. I've attended meetings he's designed and can confirm the value of the connections made there was widely embraced and understood. Making that scalable for huge meetings is a challenge, but possible, I think. It would be nice to see more meetings with these components.

    How do we impart that knowledge of how to use intelligent meeting design and technology to our attendees so that they take away greater value from the meeting? I should say, how do we make it easier and more important to attendees to learn about the meeting design goals and technology available to them at a meeting? This is of great interest to me.

     

  • John Nawn February 21, 2012

    to this esteemed thread, i'll simply add...

    according to decades of industry research, the top 2 reasons people attend meetings and events, and all other reasons pale in comparison, are for the educational programs and the networking. and in most surveys, those two are interchangable.

    in the language of learning professionals, we call these formal and informal learning, respectively. and what we know about informal learning is that it trumps formal learning in terms of knowledge retention and transfer. if you're not retaining what you learn at meetings and transferring it to your job, you are wasting your time. and there's a lot of time being wasted at meetings and events because neither the formal or informal learning is designed for retention and transfer. 

    because of it's critical role in determining successful outcomes for attendees, i'd like to see better designed formal and (especially) informal learning opportunities. we know how to do this. but, as others have noted to, until the underlying cultural barriers are addressed, the debate will continue. 

    and for what it's worth, david, my sister lives next door to kevin bacon in nyc. i've never lost when playing six degrees of...

  • Dianne Budion Devitt February 21, 2012

    To quote the above, "Are you a designer of human experiences, or just  a meeting planner?"

    Nearly 15 years ago, I debuted the Event Management Cycle at an MPI Regional meeting in California to a room of my colleagues and friends.   It shows the correlation of Meetings and Events to Marketing, Advertising and PR and is in my book, What Color Is  Your Event?    Every industry designates specialties based on the experience, expertise and natural abilities of its employees.   There is the triangle with Strategy on the top, cascading to Design  to Planning and then following through with Logistics and Execution in what I call Kinetic Engineering and Visual Dynamics as the foundation.

    Yes, meeting planners design human experiences, but they cannot progress until we as an industry continue our support with descriptions of roles and talents and realize that no one person can be all things to all people.  The true Meeting Planner may be a logistics and execution expert.  The Meeting Stylist may be the creative director.  The Strategic Event Communicator may be the lead and require a planner and stylist. Let's get these terms defined to help the next generation understand the theatre of meetings and events from inception to evaluations.
     

  • Karen Emanuelson February 21, 2012

    This is timely, as I was just charged with putting together a networking activity at our next forum and found myself scratching my head with where to start.  6 degrees did come up, but how do you correlate that to a diverse audience?  What questions can we suggest they ask each other during this exercise to get beyond, "who are you, and what do you do"?  Further - how do we design the interaction so that the attendees meet the people they really want to meet?

    We have tried speed networking - sort of like speed dating where one person stays and the other moves.  I'm not sure how effective this is, and you only formally meet those in your row.  So we decided to open it up a bit with an icebreaker activity.

    I could use some help here - anyone with ideas, feel free to comment or contact me directly!

  • PJ Hummel CMM February 21, 2012

    Hi all,



    I am so glad to hear people talking about the need for real human connections.  I know I am a bit old school, but here in Seattle (home to several technology companies), I believe we have a young generation who are very tech-savy but socially inept. 



    At our last MPI Regional Educational Conference all of the attendees were given a handheld device.  These devices were deigned to allow us to bump our devices together and instantly exchange business cards, bid on auction items, and find other attendees in crowded rooms.  Unfortunately, many people felt that their privacy was invaded; people felt as though they were being stalked because you could track them in their hotel rooms.  Some planners purposely do not bring business cards so as to avoid unwanted sales calls...bumping devices to exchange information makes this a problem for privacy on this level as well.  The auction sales were low because the device only worked on the floor where the auction was and many people didn't know this.  



    On the last day, I walked into breakfast.  The room was full of people from all over the region, and no one was talking.  They all had their heads down with their hands in their laps furiously typing away on handheld devices.  I thought to myself, "Talk about designing ourselves out of a job! We are supposed to be at a 'meeting' and yet no one is meeting. Here we are with a chance to network and no one is even looking at each other.  What a wasted opportunity!" 

  • Meredith Martini February 21, 2012

    What a fantastic stream of responses to a great question!  I was caught by the "just planning meetings" part of the question and compelled to read more.  Clearly we are all passionate about meeting design and have a deep desire not "just" to plan great meetings but to push our industry forward and into a more strategic position.  Dianne, I like what you said about clearly defining the roles, and Adrian, you know I am a big fan of what you do!  I see our job as to inspire change in the participants.  When we connect with other humans at an authentic and credible level, we are bound to change.  When we encounter content and education that tells a meaningful story or meets our need for vision or gives a path for progress, we will choose to change.  When we are recognized and affirmed for our strengths and talents, we will move toward more change.  If we design our meetings with environments and opportunities and sessions and workshops that offer people the chance to participate in connecting, learning and motivating with others, we've inspired them!

  • Midori Connolly February 21, 2012

    I've had to pare this down from about three pages of thoughts...
    First, we must stop blaming technology for many of the issues some of you mention. @Kyle, the problem being solved by putting that Poken in my hand is the issue many of us have with actually inputting new business contacts into any type of database. It's a lifesaver for me...and it's not just for the sake of being cool - but to fix a problem. And that will ultimately keep me connected to the great people I met.
    @PJ - all of the problems you mention are once again not the fault of the technology, but poor planning in understanding how and why people would use it. For your auction sales, do you usually allow bidding beyond the auction floor? Perhaps that would have been a good fact to share with the technology provider. These are the most common complaint I hear from planners, that "we tried it and it didn't work." But 99% of the time, that is because of a lack of strategy and communication about goals for implementing new technology.

    Which leads me to my next point.

    We MUST stop treating this connectivity design as the individual effort of a meeting planner.
    In order to effectively design this type of experience, you need a DESIGN POSSE!! No more buyer-seller tussle, but an organic team of thinkers who each bring something unique to the table. Who have open dialogue and meaningful conversations about pain points of attendees and what types of solutions are available. Your suppliers should be just as much of planners as you in crafting a magical, artful, scientific meeting for attendees. Shoot, to that point, your attendees should be in that posse too!! Just because there is money being exchanged for services does not mean we should be on opposite sides of the table. When this type of conversaition ensues, we go beyond just solving pain points and actually create new experiences and opportunities. For instance, in PJ's example, if there were communication about the auction strategies moving bidding beyond the auction floor, maybe some really new, innovative ideas would arise about how to really pump up the auction using the technology.

    Finally, I'm so excited to see what is being cooked up for WEC. This should be another great one!!!

  • Amy Hightower February 22, 2012

    Meredith, you inspire me!      

    A topic close to my heart.  I agree with several points made earlier.  

    One example, technology can get in the way.  (No offense Midori)   While we are learning to use the technology, the opportunity for real dialogue with real people gets away.  I'm also into quality, not quantity.   Trying to impress rather than connect doesn't work.  And shuffling through tons of entries in a database containing unrelated, and unwanted, contacts is time consuming.   I also agree that I personally do not want my contact information scattered to the wind.   I want to choose with whom I connect.   Those one or two real contacts are the most important to moving my agenda forward, not someone else's!     And yes, as meeting designers we need to find the methods to create those face to face opportunities.   Sometimes the old fashioned method of just getting people talking works just fine! 

  • @MPITheresa February 22, 2012

    All I can say is "We Are Connected"

  • Mike Maturo February 22, 2012

    I was once New York's youngest elected official and won on the slogan "It's About People, Not Politics."

    Everything's about people first and foremost, and that's what makes our jobs hard.

    The same magic that gives us unique talents & perspectives can also make us individually fickle.

    Why are there so many companies that try to sell devices instead of companies that sell expertise in human interaction?

    Why aren't we allowed to influence content toward collaboration and interactivity, in addition to creating the walk-in ambiance, the culinary experience, and the daily environment?

    As a new MPI member, I'm curious to connect with someone who can reveal some truth as to why our meetings get relegated to discussions over hotels instead of "How does this entire experience, from hotel to content, enhance the attendee's work-life?"

  • @MPITheresa February 22, 2012

    Mike:

    First off, welcome to the MPI family.  Secondly, those are exactly the types of questions we as a community of thinkers, designers, explorers and innovators can delve into together and find answers. To some degree that's what a lot of our Future of Meetings research and work is doing. You should check out the new community platform My MPI if you haven't already.  I started a member WEC group that's specifically discussing this topic right now.

  • Jordi Robert-Ribes February 23, 2012

    What a great article. And event better, the fantastic and useful users' comments!
    Technology has its place but it's not the tool that solves it all, and can even get in the way as Amy Hightower writes.

    In my seminars I compare networking to road building. It has 3 steps: survey, construct, maintain. Technology can be very useful in the survey and maintain steps.

    When surveying, the meeting organiser can provide great pieces of technology for people when preparing for the conference (to discover each other and arrange meetings). This is wonderfully done, for instance, by the organisers of MAPIC (Cannes, France).

    When maintaining, technology can be a great way to follow-up, distribute information and articles.

    However, building roads needs tarmac.
    Building networks need trust.
    Trust is best "constructed" face-to-face. The building step is best done via face-to-face interaction (the "real human connections" of PJ Hummel CMM).

    The organiser could (and should) do more than just schedule coffee breaks (where attendees can even be trapped by other attendees).

    I am now involved with a convention in New York (November 2012) where we'll encourage networking among participants from the very beginning, when they fill the registration form. We will facilitate the "survey" step before the convention and also encourage "serendipitous encounters" during the event and "crush cliques" (as Thom Singer mentions).

    Jordi (author of Connecting Forward)

  • thom singer February 23, 2012

    Midori makes a great point about creating a "Posse".  The trick is couple the technology with the human-to-human emotions needed to go beyond a superficial connection.  People taking action make things happen.

    A conference is a "mini-society" and will develop a set of norms.  But two or three days is not enough time to allow this to happen organically if you want to ensure that a connection culture is created.  

    Everyone is part of the team (posse) to foster the environment .  Vendors / sponsors bring a lot to the table, and I agree with Midori that they should be included in the early planning and design as well as the execution at the event.

    Speakers are another key to fostering the feeling.  The right speakers set the tone for the event.  They should be included in the discussions about the desired outcome.  They also should be asked to stay and participate longer than just their time on stage. 

    If your meeting has a problems with cliques, address the elephant in the room. Cliques can be undermine all your work.

    I love that this topic has gotten so much attention (per what I do).  There are lots of things that people can do in this area, but it must be intentional or nothing will change.

  • Kristi Sanders February 23, 2012

    Why isn't there a "like" button? There's so many great thoughts here. I want to hug you all. But, I guess, that's best done in person — face to face at WEC.

  • David Basler February 24, 2012

    Thom, I love your quote, "People taking action make things happen." I'm going to use that from now on . . . of course, like any good journalist would, I'll attribute you to it. ;-) I am curious on one thing. You mention that two or three days is not enough time to create an culture of connectivity organically. That's the average length of a conference, so how do we as meeting professionals make it happen? There obviously has to be connectivity leading up to the event then, yes?

  • David Basler February 24, 2012

    To Kristi and Midori and all others who will be attending WEC this year, I am really looking forward to connecting with you at conference. We should get a group together on site and keep this specific discussion going. It would make a great co-creation group!

  • David Basler February 24, 2012

    Alright Mr. Nawn! Challenge accepted . . .

    The game: Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

    The actor: Lassie (the original).

    Go.

  • Cameron Toth February 24, 2012

    @Kristi - Great point!  We should be utilizing the API's available to link this blog to every social media outlet available (at the very least LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter).  I would love to see some great visuals that ONE+ does a great job with so that it could be shared easily on Pininterest.

    TECHNOLOGY - The challenge with technology is that it must be used well and carefully (to Midori's point).  

    TOOLS - Lets save time - share materials via the web.  Lets transfer info via Poken, Bump, QR Code, etc.  BUT - don't forget the user experience.  I like to see someone's business card.  It helps to let me know what they and there company is about.  On that same note - having a hand out can be very helpful during a live meeting but I should not have to take that handout home to retain the information because your slide deck should be downloadable via PDF format or Slideshare.

    TIME TO TALK - Technology is great but if we are not given time to talk with our fellow attendees no amount of added tech will help increase our actual connections to attendees.

    BETTER MEETING: A meeting that solves attendees problems (Solution Room inspired).  We come together to work, collaborate and continually improve.  Improving those meetings and their efficiency is an important mission of mine.  I believe through shared documents, tracking progress/goals, and understanding the importance of agenda we can all significantly change the way we meet.

  • thom singer February 24, 2012

    David- Thanks!  As to the "not enough time for culture to happen organically", think Cruise Director (yes, Love Boat, Julie McCoy).  Someone must have ownership.  But done wrong it can go over a cliff.  

    Cameron - all good points.. but one carve out.  The PPT should NOT be the handout (regardless of if it is printed or electronic).  A handout should be detailed, a PPT more visual.  When speakers design slide decks to be handouts they get cummy PPT.  When they use PPT as a handout they get crummy handouts.  (just my opinion).

    I have enjoyed every comment on this post.  Thanks everyone.

  • Jessie States April 02, 2012

    Evaline, how interesting that you address free content. The researchers for our Future of Meetings initiative recently wrote an article on the subject:

    "What happens when all the best speakers, programs and workshops are free and easy to access? I posed this question to one of the experts we interviewed as part of MPI’s Future of Meetings research, and the answer surprised me. 'People have never paid for content at meetings.' But what about the speakers? The TED phenomenon? The big opening general sessions? People pay hundred and thousands of dollars to attend…? Don’t they? 'They pay to be in the presence of other people.'”

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