Going to events in other sectors is a helpful way to calibrate the weirdness, the jargon, both the overt and the hidden hierarchies, the tools and approaches, (the quality of catering!), schedule and program management, and methods for genuine engagement. What tricks are used to keep things smooth? How little/much unnecessary junk is created for PR purposes? Are any free pens actually good enough to be used for long enough to imprint on a decision maker and actually influence a procurement decision (thinking not).
Are spaces actually contrived to stimulate conversation, or is it perpetually a battle to either give or receive effective communication? Are there sensible distributions of exhibitors that are easy to navigate, or is it a slightly underlit and overcarpetted maze/trap?
Has anyone done anything novel with games or play to help participants derive value from their time there? Or, is it all about scanning badges as they move around, building meaningless metrics to sell back to sponsors?
So, see you at the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation fest where I’ll be putting healthcare into the ringer against hashtag#space tech.
(disclaimer: there is no ringer. it’s just me, but I cofounded a company in the event tech domain so have looked at this kind of thing A LOT, and am actively involved in promoting playfulness as a vehicle for meaning and communication).
hashtag#ebmt hashtag#seriousplay
