Improving knowledge is consistently one of the top reasons attendees give for choosing industry conferences. Educational sessions are a powerful way to engage attendees and score high on post-event surveys. In this guide, you will learn step-by-step planning tips to take your event to the next level. We’ll even include some ideas to provide some fuel. Step 1: Define Goals and Objectives Your educational sessions are an integral part of your event, and how they are received will go a long way in determining the overall success of your event. With this in mind, it is important that educational sessions are in sync with the theme and flow of your event. Determine the desired outcome of your educational sessions and how that outcome will be measured. Each educational session should be carefully planned to deliver your desired outcome. Step 2: Know Your Audience The more clearly you define your target audience by demographics, interests, educational level, and career goals, the better you will be equipped to provide educational sessions that shine. What are the interests and expectations of your audience, and what subjects are likely to entice attendance? What are the most entertaining, engaging, and effective ways to deliver your educational messages? How can your conference or event address their more frequently asked questions and keep attendees ahead of the curve? Be sure to point out the benefits of attending specific sessions. Use your current membership knowledge base and/or a pre-event survey to tune into the educational needs and desires of potential attendees. Step 3: Select Relevant Topics Choose relevant and pertinent topics that strike a careful balance between those that appeal to a broad audience and select niche topics. Make sure broad, appealing topics are presented in a conducive environment with niche subject matter using more intimate, or one-on-one venues. Balancing broad appeal sessions and niche topics also can demonstrate how well your organization is connected to its members and its place in your industry. Select topic sessions that enhance your brand and position your organization as a leader that is in touch. This is an opportunity to show members and attendees the diverse range of topics your organization is prepared to address. Step 4: Choose the Right Format Along with choosing appealing subject matter for your educational sessions, selecting the right format to present them in is critical. Welcoming and keynote speakers will generally require a larger venue with good sightlines, lighting, and sound. You will, of course, want the speaker elevated for optimum visibility. Workshops can often benefit from tables, desks, or work surfaces, where attendees can gather in more intimate work groups. Depending on your subject matter and how content is anticipated to be delivered and digested, you may want to consider a panel discussion, roundtables, or other formats. This can often benefit from the input of the speaker, presenter, or session leader. Take steps to ensure your event uses a variety of presentation modes to maintain attendee interests. Step 5: Find and Secure Speakers Another key component in the recipe for successful educational sessions for an event is the style and quality of presenters and speakers. They can be selected from a wide range of sources, including sponsors, educational facilities, industry experts, and perhaps even members of your own board of directors. There are also multiple sources where professional speakers can be chosen. Decide whether you prefer a speaker that is motivating and inspirational, one who has a great story to tell, or one that utilizes humor at the core of their presentation. Fortunately, today, videos are frequently available to help in your selection. You may also want to use reviews and referrals to help guide your choice. Be sure to verify the credentials of any speakers. A personal contact can help validate whether they will have the personality and energy you desire for your event. Understand that most professional speakers have a “style.” Make sure you are a fit. Discuss how they will customize their presentation to best appeal to your attendees. Step 6: Plan the Logistics Logistics are the details that can make or break an event and determine how well educational sessions are attended. Avoid scheduling conflicts that can force attendees to choose between “must-see” sessions. You need to balance networking and educational sessions, and make sure spaces for your educational sessions are appropriate and include access to needed technology. Don’t overlook the importance of the atmosphere of the room. Your seating should be comfortable and uncrowded. If possible, keep the aisles wide and the rows of seats shorter. Angling seating towards the speaker can make for a more intimate and personal experience for attendees. Heighten your senses to determine the comfort level of the room, including lighting, temperature, and sound levels. Encourage attendees to be seated in a timely manner and strive to maintain a schedule that is on time. All of these smaller elements can contribute to educational sessions that score well. Step 7: Promote the Sessions Of course, scheduling compelling and engaging educational sessions is one thing. Making sure potential attendees know about them is another. This is where marketing and promotion are critical. Coming up with clever session titles can help. So will one to three sentence compelling summaries of what attendees will learn. More detailed descriptions should include a more in-depth look at the subject and speaker’s bio. When promoting educational sessions, include those who may benefit from attendance and what will be learned. Use every asset available in promoting your educational sessions. These can include emails with links to specific session descriptions, social media, and landing pages. Including links to personal or professional webpages of speakers and presenters, as well as YouTube and other social media pages, is also helpful. Quote reviews and testimonials, and include short video clips when promoting sessions. Reach out to vendors, sponsors, and speakers to help in promoting educational sessions. Consider creating a Q&A page on your event website to answer questions ahead of time. Include a brief “Meet the Speaker” video interview to introduce speakers to potential attendees. Use these blocks to build value in your sessions prior to your event, creating anticipation and enthusiasm. Step 8: Engage Attendees During the Sessions Once you have crafted a terrific slate of educational sessions with compelling speakers and have a venue full of attendees, they will need to be energized and engaged. While the speaker/session leader will be responsible for much of this, there are techniques you can use to improve audience engagement. Use Upbeat Music Prior to the Sessions Utilize Handouts Encourage Q&A Sessions Utilize Audience Participation Make Use of Technology Use Gameification Strategies Like Trivia Conduct a Brief Post Session Survey or Ask for Immediate Feedback Using an Event App or Social Media Your goal is to have attendees leaving educational sessions feeling that their time was well spent and that their expectations were met. This can often depend on the energetic and enthusiastic last few minutes of the session. Step 9: Evaluate and Follow Up Once your event is concluded, you will want to conduct an immediate and honest evaluation of the event and its sessions. Not only can you benefit from attendee surveys and feedback, but also from those of your speakers, vendors, and sponsors. Try to get to the “why’s” of how a person felt about a session. Be sure to leave room for some open-ended feedback. Analyze why some things went well and why others may have fallen short. Consider reaching out to attendees with survey responses that were both extremely positive and negative. This may not only provide some useful feedback but will also demonstrate your genuine interest in their opinions. Ideas for Educational Sessions The success of educational sessions for events depends not only on the topics being explored, but on how these materials are being presented. The subject matter and its complexity can help determine your best approach. The key is making sure you choose the best vehicle for the materials being presented. Here are a few ideas to use in delivering your educational materials: Skill-Building Workshops Skill-building workshops are usually smaller, interactive groups using hands-on sessions to improve skills through learning and practice. These workshops are valuable for learning beginning materials or those that may be complex. Expert Panels Attendees can benefit from getting multiple expert opinions on a subject at once through a panel discussion. This not only provides several insights but often allows for lively discussion and question and answer sessions. Case Study Presentations These sessions take real-life situations and break them down into informative and sometimes inspiring stories that serve to enlighten. Lessons learned from these success stories can serve attendees throughout their careers. Roundtable Discussions Roundtable discussions often take on emerging technologies and trends where expert opinions may differ. These small group discussions delve into a particular topic and are often led by a group mediator. Networking Sessions Networking sessions are a terrific opportunity for attendees to share their own experiences and build relationships that can last far into the future. Successful sessions include inviting ice-breakers and a welcoming atmosphere. Interactive Demonstrations Interactive demonstrations are an excellent vehicle for learning about new technology, products, tools, and techniques. Sessions are often hands-on and highly interactive. These are superb formats for audience engagement. Problem-Solving Workshops These are not only a collaborative way to solve specific problems but often offer valuable insights into problem-solving in general. Sessions often include brainstorming and thinking outside the box. Sessions often inspire attendees to take larger perspectives when addressing problems they face. Inspirational Talks Most events can benefit from an or two where attendees can get reenergized, focused, and motivated. Sessions often include inspirational stories and examples of when individuals overcame major challenges. Future Trends and Innovations Conferences often offer attendees a way to peek into the future. Educational sessions that focus on future trends and technology are frequently very popular. They often include lively discussions on predictions of where an industry is headed. Best Practices and Tips Creating compelling, engaging, and valuable educational sessions takes using all the tools available to you. You should avoid falling into the “Intro/Speaker/Q&A Session” format that can have attendees feeling as if they were back in school. Instead, raise your standards in the diversity of topics and how they are presented. Upgrade technology and the use of apps that enhance your event and your sessions. Raise attendee expectations and your ability to meet and exceed them. Interactive Q&A Sessions Technology has improved the ability to engage and interact with attendees as well as to get real-time feedback. There now can be live and expanded Q&A sessions through apps, social media, and event management software. Open forums improve transparency and enhance communication. Experts can even provide real-time answers and attendee feedback. Key Takeaways/Conclusion With educational sessions playing such a critical role in the success of conferences and events, they deserve your full focus and attention. They deserve full use of every tool available. Remember to: Use your experience and provide exceptional content with compelling speakers Choose the right format for sessions and engage the audience Use the latest membership management and event management software to better connect with attendees When you are ready to meet the growing expectations of your members and event attendees, we encourage you to learn more about MemberClicks.com. We provide innovative software solutions designed to help me every step of the way. Reach out for your free trial and demo today!