Features - June / July 2008

By Diana Rowe

Eager attendees donning white chef hats and spotless uniforms gather in the gleaming stainless steel kitchen outfitted with the latest culinary equipment. Fresh ingredients are stacked in neat piles — zucchini, shallots, thick lamb chops and exotic spices. The group studies a propped-up menu. The buzzer sounds, and they scurry into action.

What’s going on? A fun, exciting and educational Iron Chef-style competition developed as part of a certification program for the Atlanta, GA-based Research Chefs Association (RCA).

RCA’s 2,000-plus member chefs, food scientists and industry professionals are pioneers of the discipline registered as “culinology,” the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. RCA certifies qualified professionals as “Certified Research Chefs” and “Certified Culinary Scientists.”

When it comes to certification and training meetings and programs, the professional meeting planner’s role runs the gamut from simply managing site selection to the responsibility of all logistical and strategical aspects, including the all-important content of the program. Whichever role a planner plays, the challenge is the same: to develop a compelling and effective learning environment that engages attendees and successfully meets the organization’s objectives.

Hands-On Works Best
Tim Kline, director of education and certification for the RCA, one of the 100 associations managed by Kellen Company, an association management company, described the challenges he faces when developing a culinary arts and food science workshop. Kline suggests that it is important to build on the natural hands-on aspects of creating, preparing and tasting new food.

“It’s one thing to cook for a few,” said Kline, “but another to prepare quality meals for a restaurant for mass consumption. In the beginning and middle, the program includes lots of food science and packaging technology, but in the end, the chefs return to cooking and producing a new quality food product. During our workshops, we create a competition between groups to see who’s turning out the best commercialized recipes, a mini-Iron-Chef-style competition, if you will.

“State-of-the-art kitchens and talented instructors may sound like a small order,” continued Kline. “Yet with a limited number of instructors and limited available kitchens, we had to think outside the box to expand our content and make it available to as many members as possible.”

Kline explained, “That’s why RCA now partners with several schools, universities and community colleges such as Toronto’s Guelph Food Technology Centre and New Jersey’s Rutgers University. Our core instructors then partner with the school’s instructors to teach, audit, then empower the new instructors to continue.”

Kline partners with carefully selected vendors and sites in order to create RCA’s successful and popular educational programs. He knows full well that RCA members could choose other avenues for their education, so he ensures that their hands-on programs are interesting and give the attendees “a sense of accomplishment.” Then, he added, “they share with their colleagues about the great workshop, and we get more attendees.”

Know Thy Audience
“Multigenerational membership adds its own interesting curve ball to creating appealing content,” said Glen C. Ramsborg, Ph.D., senior director of education for the Chicago, IL-based Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), which offers the meeting industry’s only online Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) study course. PCMA recently updated all of its CMP educational resources and tools to correspond with new material covered in the Convention Industry Council Manual, 8th Edition.

Ramsborg recites a staggering set of statistical sound bites: An attendee’s attention span is seven minutes. Engaged learning approaches 90 percent retainability — if the learner is involved. Passive learning (lectures) — only 20 percent retainability. Add media — retention goes up 30 percent. Combine PowerPoint with some lecture, up to 50 percent.

When content must conform to certification protocol, a planner’s stress can escalate. Ramsborg recommends reviewing the demographics: Who is attending your program or conferences and why. Research their age, gender and positions within their organization so that you can plan your program accordingly. Blend and execute different learning formats. Don’t underestimate the lecture format, but don’t exclude informal sessions either.

Ramsborg also advises planners to continue observing programs while they are in session. “Logistics of planning don’t end once the door closes. A temperature increase of just one degree can decrease learning and attention by six percent. Monitor the room and make sure all your hard work on the content doesn’t conclude with attendees looking out the window,” he warned.

“There’s an old cliché,” added Ramsborg. “‘The mind can only comprehend what the seat can endure.’ If your program is jam-packed with sessions, make sure you include a 30- or 45-minute refreshment break. This time-out enables them to decompress and recognize the importance of the content of the sessions they just attended, and they can network. Part of networking is solidifying in the attendee’s mind how to apply this newly acquired information.”

Attracting Attendees
“Decades ago, meeting attendance was often based on a sense of loyalty to an association,” said Pam McKenna, CAE, president of McKenna Management Inc., a Chelmsford, MA-based association management company. “Today, attendees may still be loyal, but their attendance is contingent upon the benefits of the program and its content versus time spent away from the home and office. Budgets are tighter, and so are schedules. If a planner doesn’t catch the potential attendee’s attention with engaging content or exciting destinations, then she risks losing attendees.”

McKenna reminds planners to do their research before publicizing any program, because many certifying governances require advance approval before granting accreditation or continuing education credits. She recommended obtaining approval before beginning marketing. Because delegates often base their attendance upon the number of credit hours earned, planners risk losing their credibility if they haven’t done their

The Atlanta, GA-based Research Chefs Association (RCA) is comprised of 2,000 member chefs, food scientists and industry professionals who are pioneers of “culinology,” the discipline of blending culinary arts and the science of food. RCA offers certification and training meetings and programs, such as this student culinology competition staged recently by the Kellen Company-managed association. Photo courtesy of Research Chefs Association

homework and accreditation doesn’t come through. Moreover, she suggested adding the certification endorsement to all meeting materials to highlight the quality of education gained by attending.

McKenna added, “Why not make it fun? Adult learners do learn more when the sessions are interactive. How you deliver information to a board of directors retreat may not be the same as a medical conference introducing a new drug. There’s not a right or wrong way to deliver information, but your job is to find the learning environment that matches the group.”

McKenna advises planners to consider different learning styles such as auditory, visual, hands-on, etc. Some learn best through lectures; others may need breakout groups and informal sessions. These formats are often dictated by the information delivered, the program’s objective and the group. For multiday programs, McKenna said it’s best to mix types of sessions and presentations to appeal to all learning styles.

Explore Fun, New Ways To Learn
“Listen to your members,” added McKenna. “Examine evaluations and member surveys. If they really want a particular destination, if it’s at all possible, give it to them. It will make your meeting even more successful. During down time, offer attendees an (optional) opportunity for excursions and/or exploring the destination. Combining pleasure with credits can help build attendance to the sessions, too.”

“Certification is pretty serious business,” said Casey Anderson, meetings manager for The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a Kellen-managed association based in Tucson, AZ. “However, we want to capture the attention of all our members, whether they are taking the exam, adding credits or networking.”

The exam refers to the Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) review course that NAELA offers during their major conferences. As a bonus, NAELA also offers the actual CELA exam and CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credits. From preparation to administration to grading of exams, this is all handled in-house.

Anderson said, “We try not to diminish the educational value by making the program cheesy. Instead, we add elements to keep the agenda fresh and interesting — and keep our attendees awake through it all. It’s like using the same textbook for 16 years. How boring is that? We try to incorporate updated materials, new instructors and new ways to learn during sessions.”

Anderson added that her “fun” arena is expanding. She includes more breaks and networking opportunities such as receptions and group meals. She offers optional events for attendees to explore the town. More entertainment, mixers and social events are also part of the NAELA itinerary. They’re designed to capture everyone’s attention and convert new attendees to members.

Speakers are enabled and encouraged to utilize state-of-the-art teaching tools — everything from multimedia presentations to online components. Furthermore, Anderson strives to book dynamic speakers. Instead of a

For serious content delivery, a state-of-the-art, well-lighted meeting room is a big plus. Attendee comfort is paramount at the stylish Virginia Beach Convention Center, which features more than 150,000 square feet of column-free exhibition space. Photo courtesy of Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

talking head delivering a boring lecture on ethics, she prefers motivational speakers who incorporate humor and comedy and interact with the audience. This way, she still offers the mandated ethics credit, but accomplishes her goal with pizzazz and a lasting impression.

In 2009, NAELA will be rolling out a new brand of programming with five major conferences. Depending on the economy and budgets, Anderson is hoping to include a program in popular Maui, a sure-fire way to build attendance. Anderson said, “Before, we only did two major programs, often in the same location, which limited our attendance. Our audience is always different and often based on the geographic location of events, so we want to keep our conference content new and fresh and never in the same place.”

Create an Exceptional Experience
“Serious content can be delivered within an enjoyable learning experience,” said Anne Blouin, chief learning officer for the Washington, DC-based American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center for Association Leadership. “We call this the ‘Exceptional Experience.’ It’s not just about talking heads and PowerPoint presentations; it’s about how to engage the learner and build in fun activities.”

ASAE’s 22,000 members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in 50 countries. The Center for Association Leadership is a premier provider of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association profession.

“Ask yourself what is going to make your program stand apart from others,” advised Blouin. “Attendees already know — and often dread — that they must take credit hours to maintain their certification. Make it fun and interesting for them to pick you. It’s more than content — it’s the expectation created when attending the event.”

Besides creating content and presentations that are more exciting, why not add the element of surprise? Blouin once added a blurb in the handout that read, “If you’ve read this far, yell out to earn a free registration for the next program.” Here’s another innovative idea from Blouin: Take an instant photograph of attendees and ask them to write their greatest “aha” moment or new idea on the photo. Then post the photo collage for all to see and learn from. “Don’t limit your exceptional experiences to inside the programming,” said Blouin. “Absolutely work on your certification and/or credit content and make it the best available. However, planners should learn to create an entire experience from the moment the attendees register to the time they leave the program. That will keep your conference on their can’t-miss list.”

The Future
“New generations and new tools are demanding that planners step back instead of doing meetings the same way,” said Brooke Bode, manager of strategic learning experiences at Dallas, TX-based Meeting Professionals International (MPI). “Everyone has different learning styles from traditional lectures to a more fun combination. MPI is interested in appealing to all styles, generations and genders.”

One avenue is to use serious gaming, which is a popular and appealing activity gaining widespread acceptance in the business world for training, learning and marketing. According to MPI Knowledge Manager Rachel Robichaud, the association is researching how these games can have an effect on the meetings industry. Recently, MPI partnered with Burlington, VT-based Champlain College students, faculty and staff to develop two serious gamelets (small games) focused on key meetings and events industry concepts.

One gamelet, “Meet Different: Go Green,” prods players to plan a conference by answering questions that offer the least impact on the environment. Another is “Meet Different: A Social Sim,” a simulation game in which the player designs conference space that is conducive for developing connections and encouraging ideas among a diverse group of attendees.

It’s known that gaming appeals to the younger generation, said Bode. “However, initial research also indicated that using gaming technology and training for surgeons (age 50 and up) cut training time from days to hours. We can’t just dismiss new techniques as only valid for the younger generation because the appeal transcends all generations.”

Bode also suggested that planners experiment with different techniques and formats. For example, at a recent MPI general session of 500 attendees in London, the facilitator instructed the attendees to call out a topic of interest. A handful of those topics were then posted in different corners of the room, and the attendees were free to flow from topic discussion to topic discussion. When a group dissolved or became stagnant, more topics were introduced.

Bode reported that the overall response was positive. “We took a break in the middle and regrouped after an hour of discussion, adding new topics. It was a great opportunity to share ideas and network with the entire group. There were lots of activity and buzz in the room, and surprisingly, a large amount of our audience was retained.”

Robichaud added, “The future of meetings from the content to the logistics is in the hands of the meeting planner. The basic premise is that the knowledge is in the crowd, and the attendees drive the content. It’s up to the planner to create controlled chaos with that mix.

“From a content design perspective,” Robichaud continued, “planners should keep in mind the ROI, meeting objectives, attendee demographics and marketing. Communicate with your team, and focus on what your attendees are going to get out of the meeting and its content. From there, planners should be encouraged to incorporate new concepts and new technologies to create an informative and fun learning environment.”    ACF

A Framework For Learning ASAE & The Center’s Seven Principles Of Learning At ASAE & The Center, our approach to learning is different. As much as possible, we try to put the attention on the learner and the impact of the learning, not on a “speaker.” To help us achieve this goal, we adhere to the following principles in the design, delivery and evaluation of our programs. Learning involves both support and challenge. You’ll be encouraged to take risks, question assumptions and fully engage in the learning process. Learning involves changing both thinking and action. You’ll examine your own beliefs and consider new perspectives, while being provided with the tools to put ideas into action. Learning is an ongoing process of self-discovery. The Center’s learning experiences will help you become more self-aware, gaining understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs. Participants need to feel that the learning experience is both relevant to their situation and authentic to them as a person. The Center’s learning experiences will strive to relate the material directly to your own experiences. Learners and faculty should be involved as equal contributors in the learning process. The Center’s learning experiences are designed to encourage you to become full partners in co-creating the learning experience. Learning is a social activity and happens best in the context of a trusting community. The Center’s learning experiences provide a friendly, welcoming environment and strive to build personal connections and a sense of community among participants. Learning experiences should surprise and delight participants. The Center’s learning experiences are fun, interesting and meaningful.  For additional information, visit www.asaecenter.org.     Source: ASAE & The Center