I have a dream today… (with apologies to Dr. King).

As I think back to the conferences and seminars I’ve been to, the workshops I’ve attended and held, I still have yet to find that perfect workshop that I dream about.

When I was still teaching we had conferences and workshops, and some of them had just the right elements that I’ve yet to find in one place at an IM event.

Here’s what my dream workshop would look like.

1) Multiple pathways for attendees

All the IM conferences I’ve been to are 1-size fits all. That’s just not the best way to go for an event, although it is the cheapest for the host.

But with all the different niches, experience levels, etc., you have to have “tracks” to really give people who attend what they need. Otherwise, any workshop over 20 is going to miss the mark.

2) Conference speakers and experts must be available throughout the weekend

I pride myself at attending all 3 or 4 days of events and doing my best to network and meet people. A lot of speakers do their time on stage and are either on the next flight out, or they hide out in restaurants with their cliques. Of course, not all do that, but for the new person trying to get to meet and have more than a minute with a “guru” is nearly impossible at most events.

3) Attendees Need To Walk Away With Something Clearly Accomplished

Conferences should be for learning AND implementing at least 1 thing before they’re over. Too often they are buffet style teaching events and our heads are swimming with too many ideas, and not enough follow up afterwards to make sense of the overwhelm.

With the tracks in place, attendees would have something tangible they could point to on the way out the door on the final day.

This serves 2 purposes:

  • it gives confidence to the attendee and momentum they can take home with them; and, perhaps more importantly…
  • it gives them something they can show their doubting spouse who wonders why so much time and money was just spent over the weekend. That kind of support is critical long term.

4) Training & networking starts before the event

These days it’s ridiculous not to have pre-event training and networking going on. My dream workshop would have teleseminar presentations before the event JUST for attendees, not just promo teleseminars to sell tickets. The speakers can give pre-event homework and skip to the meaty stuff when they are actually doing their teaching and presenting.

Also, a NING community or Facebook group would give people the opportunity to connect actively both before and after the event. Great for sharing event pictures, but also for scouting out ahead of time who they want to connect with in person over the weekend.

5) A real workshop, NOT a “Pitchinar”

I’m a professional speaker, and I enjoy making thousands of dollars with continuing education offers. But honestly, it’s not as important as giving people an hour or two of my best teaching.

If they enjoy how I break down complicated things into simple steps, they’ll join my tribe sooner or later.

Too often, conference presentations are set up for the sale, and not for the learning.

So my dream workshop would focus on the teaching, and not on the back of the room sales.

I’m biased of course because I love teaching, and those who learn from me in person tend to appreciate my style and methods of instruction. Workshops should empower people with enough knowledge to break through obstacles, and action steps they feel confident in taking on their own after the event is over.

Of course, most events that are no-sales workshops cost $2000 or higher to cover the costs and make a profit for the hosts. So I’m not saying that products and continuing-ed should be absent from the event.

But there should be a more strategic way, and beneficial sales process to both the audience and hosts, for generating the revenue. Such as follow up after the event with offers from the speakers, a catalog to choose 1 offer during the weekend (so as not to give advantage to speakers with earlier slots), and/or a credit from the ticket price towards an event package.

People sometimes need a nudge to buy, but we also need to set them up for success in implementing the one thing that matches them most closely. I’ve seen it happen too many times where every offer was so well presented, attendees walk out with 3-4 packages. Yes it’s their fault for signing over $10K plus, but in the end the refunds and demoralization that results from that hurts the events in the long run.

What are yours?

So those are the characteristics of my dream workshop. What are yours? Please comment below!

Bob Jenkins

p.s. As I was writing this post, I received an email from David Perdew. He’s the founder and host for the NAMS internet marketing workshops. Unfortunately I was in Poland during NAMS 2, but his email let me know that NAMS 3 is coming in January 2010, and I can save a lot of money by getting the ticket before he end of the month. Honestly, I can’t wait, and I’d pay 5 times or more what he’s asking. This is the 1 event I think most closely looks like my dream workshop. If you’ve been to NAMS 1 or 2, please let me know if it matches most of my criteria like I think it does. I’ll be there in January to let you know, too.

p.p.s. I’ve posted my schedule of events I’m attending, speaking at, or hosting on my blog here.

Bookmark And Share These Tips These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Facebook
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netvouz
  • DZone
  • Furl
  • Ma.gnolia
  • PlugIM
  • Simpy
  • Technorati
  • StumbleUpon
  • Pownce
  • TwitThis

Post to Twitter