--- title: "Friday Buzz: Experiential Learning vs. Traditional Meetings" id: "30208" type: "post" slug: "friday-buzz-experiential-learning-vs-traditional-meetings" published_at: "2015-09-18T21:22:22+00:00" modified_at: "2015-09-18T21:22:22+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/09/18/friday-buzz-experiential-learning-vs-traditional-meetings/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/09/18/friday-buzz-experiential-learning-vs-traditional-meetings.md" excerpt: "How a new way to run meetings and conferences could raise participation. Plus: One group looks to take piracy out of Talk Like a Pirate Day." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "conferences" - "event planning" - "Meetings" - "member participation" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Friday Buzz: Experiential Learning vs. Traditional Meetings Many event pros agree that educating and [engaging attendees](http://associationsnow.com/2015/04/what-engagement-means-now-for-associations/) at a conference is crucial. Nevertheless, it’s with the “how” that self-described “meeting redesigner” Adrian Segar takes issue. In his new event planning guide, [The Power of Participation (opens in a new tab)](http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/buy-books/) , Segar argues the best conferences are those that are participation-driven as opposed to a more traditional lecture style. [In an interview with Collaborate magazine’s Kelsey Ogletree (opens in a new tab)](http://www.collaboratemeetings.com/feature/5-questions-for-adrian-segar-an-advocate-for-experiential-meetings/) , Segar previews some of the most important lessons from his book. Segar suggests organizations have attendees engage in activities that push them to figure out what they hope to gain from the conference. “You have participants sitting in a circle and give them three questions on a card,” Segar explained. “They share their experience with the whole group and . . . at the end of that session, they have a ton of valuable information.” In addition, he said that a big problem is when planners try to find “good speakers,” as opposed to good presenters. “The term ‘speaker’ indicates someone who is speaking during a session while everyone else is listening,” he noted. “A presenter presents content and then gives the audience opportunities to work on that content.” If you want to hear some more of Segar’s ideas, you can read the entire interview [here (opens in a new tab)](http://www.collaboratemeetings.com/feature/5-questions-for-adrian-segar-an-advocate-for-experiential-meetings/) . ### Tweet of the Day > Talking like a pirate (on Int’l Talk Like a Pirate Day) is cool, but acting like one is not – see [#TechTerm (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/TechTerm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > for more [pic.twitter.com/lU374CTHq4 (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/lU374CTHq4) > > — The App Association (@actonline) [September 15, 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/actonline/status/643898822914113536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **In honor of national Talk Like a Pirate Day,** which is September 19, [The App Association (ACT) (opens in a new tab)](http://actonline.org/) would like to alert all ye potential sea dogs about the dangers of app piracy. While swashbuckling and hoarding treasure is a fine pirate practice, ACT is sending a warning to all would-be thieves that commandeering an application illegally will get you a one-way ticket to Davy Jones’ Locker. ### Other Good Reads **Is your organization advertising online?** If so, you may be using your efforts unwisely, due to the rise of ad blockers. A recent piece from *The Awl* discusses [how the online ad environment is shifting (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theawl.com/2015/09/welcome-to-the-block-party) . **If online ads are suddenly a bad idea,** an alternative strategy might be to focus on digital marketing. [Entrepreneur has 15 tips (opens in a new tab)](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250681) to get you started. **Are social media outlets replacing NGOs?** As the power of the hashtag continues to grow, some, like *GeekSnack*‘s Charlotte Banks, [think nongovernmental organizations are on their way out (opens in a new tab)](http://www.geeksnack.com/2015/09/18/social-media-is-replacing-ngos/) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Eli Zimmerman](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Eli is studying Journalism at the University of Maryland. When not studying, he likes to relax with a nice book or a couple rounds at the local boxing gym. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/eli-zimmerman/) Tags: [#conferences](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conferences/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#member participation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-participation/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAshley Cobb Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/ashley-cobb-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoJenny Teeson, CHSE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/jenny-teeson-chse-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoLakisha Woods, CAE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/lakisha-woods-cae-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoKevin Hesser Shares His Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/kevin-hesser-shares-his-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F09%2F18%2Ffriday-buzz-experiential-learning-vs-traditional-meetings%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !