“Experiential” is the buzzword du jour for event professionals, but what does it mean for your next meeting in a practical sense?

A recent post from MeetingsNet looks back to ASAE’s Xperience Design Project earlier this year, where management advisor and author of The Experience Economy, James Gilmore, told attendees how to make meetings more interesting and engaging.

Gilmore instructed event professionals to think about their meetings using the “Four E Model”—entertainment, educational, esthetic, and escapist experiences.

You could apply this model at the beginning of the event in the registration line. “Why organize the lines based on attendees’ last name?” asks Sue Pelletier. “Why not organize them by state, or region, or job title, or main challenges they face?” And for a little color, hire a comedian to entertain people in line.

Gilmore also suggested experimenting with lighting techniques to make sessions more colorful and aesthetically pleasing.

Have you considered adding an educational component to your meeting invitations? Provide a factual nugget or ask a provocative question that can get people talking.

Tough Talks

How to Help an Employee Who Rubs People the Wrong Way https://t.co/BQqMHxGgUQ

— Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) September 21, 2017

One of the hardest things about being a boss is having an uncomfortable talk with a direct report who is behaving badly and turning people off. But, as the leader, it’s your job to help employees be their best in the workplace.

Harvard Business Review provides a few tips for internal meetings to help get an employee on the right track.

The first step is to prepare thoroughly. Know what you want to say and what you want your employee to take away from the meeting.

Also consider your personal tone and style. “Emotions are contagious,” Sevenshift CEO Caroline Webb told HBR. “If you go in full of awkwardness, that will radiate itself. If you go in with a desire to criticize, you are more likely to have a combative conversation.”

Other Links of Note

A little creative marketing inspiration. A ski resort took a bad review and turned it into a piece of advertising genius, reports copywriter Luke Trayser.

Looking to write a popular blog post? Meeting designer and facilitator Adrian Segar reveals the secret formula behind his most-trafficked posts.

Don’t waste your volunteers’ valuable time. Engaging Volunteers shares tips for running a more effective meeting.

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