Don't You Dare Disappoint 'Em

If you attend as many conferences as Mack Collier, you'll develop a keen sense of factors that make the difference between a successful event and an also-ran. In a post at the Viral Garden blog, he runs offers decidedly practical advice that will make any professional confab better. Here are a few highlights:

Provide reliable Internet access, and plenty of power outlets. Operate on the assumption that each attendee has a laptop and that everyone will join the wifi network simultaneously. "Make sure the conference center or other venue you contact has the capability to handle this," he says.

Schedule generous breaks between sessions. Collier—who recommends at least 15 minutes—considers a half-hour ideal. "Audience members almost always go to ask the speaker(s) questions," he reasons. "If they know they only have a few minutes till the next session starts, they might not ask those questions, and move on to the next session."

Give everyone the space to schmooze. Wide passageways and open public spaces encourage attendees to interact with each other. "This is where SXSW excels," he says. "The best part of SXSW happens in the hallways, and there are plenty of them."

Put on a good show. Collier points to SMBU (Small Business Marketing Unleashed), which attracted a smallish crowd of around 60 attendees to its first event in April; it generated enough positive buzz to double attendance at a second event in September.

Collier ends his jolt of Marketing Inspiration with the bottom-line reminder that participants are there to learn something new. "Don't disappoint them," he says.

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