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The first installment of this two-part series began with details about harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and the critical demand of sustainability requirements in meeting planning.  Venturing into Part 2 is a focus toward the vital components of collaboration, crafting personalized experiences and promoting inclusivity.  These topics will be explored within the framework of effective strategic budgeting to ensure a harmonious balance between innovation and fiscal responsibility.

3 – COLLABORATION

MIT’s Human Dynamics Lab study found that:

  • The most valuable communications are done in-person (10)
  • 35% of the variation in a team’s performance is explained by the number of times the team members spoke face-to-face (10)

MIT Professor of Economics, David Atkins writes of research he conducted in Silicon Valley during the pandemic that:

  • Eliminating a quarter of face-to-face meetings in Silicon Valley would reduce the number of patent citations by approximately 8% (11)
  • If 25% of office workers in the sample worked from home instead of at the office, face-to-face meetings would fall by 17% and patent citations by 5.2% (11)
  • If half the office workers in the sample worked from home, meetings would fall by 35.1% and citations by 11.8% (11)

Furthermore, a session at a recent Global Executive Retreat found that:

  • Social capital is essential for influence, and as much as 70% to 80% of our ability to influence stems from face-to-face exchanges. Finding ways to establish face-to-face connections, even with hybrid working or remote workers, can significantly impact collaboration and productivity. (12)
  • Culture is not evenly distributed, but rests in pockets within the network. Certain behaviors are caught and taught, and employees shape each other’s experience. Understanding these cultural clusters and their influence on organizational behavior can help organizations drive desired cultural changes. (12)
  • Organizations open to improvement balance their time across all three dimensions (discovery, development/delivery, and diffusion) for long-term future success and short-term results. They can generate 25% more insights, increase speed by 10 times and scale solutions three times more effectively. (12)

Therefore, it’s absolutely essential that in-person, face-to-face meetings are collaborative, productive, and influence the experience of others.  This is critical to cultural changes within an organization to drive speed, innovation and growth.

How to incorporate collaboration into your meeting planning:

Know collaboration benchmarks
This practice involves working with other organizations that have shared goals and challenges but are not direct competitors. Using this technique gives your organization a community in which to exchange ideas, insights, best practices, and lessons learned from mistakes.

Lead by example
If you want participants to engage, infuse planning with a positive vibe, ask questions and listen – truly listen, instead of simply thinking of what to say next. Try to understand what people really want (and why), what their goals are and create a rough outline of an agenda. Encourage participation. Most importantly, demonstrate what it means to work in a collaborative environment.

Meeting Design
Consider the format that is most likely to achieve the goals of the meeting. Include options like the following to maximize collaboration opportunities:

  • Play games, to strengthen the bonds that produce high performing teams.
  • Use breakout sessions to discuss a topic. Be sure to allow each person within the group ample time to lead, add discussion points or ideas.
  • Invite participants to submit materials such as research, data and video clips. These materials should be provided in advance of the meeting.
  • Avoid groupthink. Groupthink is a conformity phenomenon that occurs among individuals in a group who put aside their own beliefs for the sake of being liked, accepted or coming to the same consensus as the rest of the group. You can avoid it by:
    • Minimizing the stress of the group. Time constraints, moral dilemmas and crisis situations can increase the odds of groupthink.
    • Increasing the diversity of the members of the group by including individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise. Consider factors such as differences in age, gender, ethnicity, job function, experience and dissenting opinions to challenge the group’s status quo.
    • Assessing the group dynamics. This should involve checking to see if everyone is being seen and heard, and if differing viewpoints are offered. Additionally, assessment of the group may open doors to external input to challenge assumptions or generate fresh perspectives.
    • Reducing threats of overpowering or impartial leadership. Censoring opposing viewpoints, protecting leadership from constructive feedback or perceiving leadership as untouchable are symptoms of groupthink.
  • Include surveys and other feedback loops.
    These are done to better understand the culture of the organization, and how changes are impacted because of collaboration. It is an ongoing process, not a one-off study.
  • Connection and network tracking.
    • Use knowledge of current internal connections to assemble teams for collaborative projects or assignments. Inspire individuals to think about the connections they have within their networks that would be mentors, innovators, problem solvers, see things from a different perspective, etc.
    • After the meeting, gather feedback from participants about their collaboration experiences and how their network of contacts has changed their effectiveness, productivity, and morale.
    • Continuously track and monitor participants’ connections and collaboration activities. Determine how these relationships help your meeting effectiveness through better collaboration, improved teamwork, and more innovation or opportunities.

4 – PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES

People want engaging human experiences with a personal connection.

  • 86% seek out personalization during their experiences and interactions (4)
  • 49% want to immerse themselves in local cultures and products (4)
  • Two in five seek out more immersive, personalized access to unique experiences and activities such as performances, events, spa treatments and classes (4)
  • More than one in three express a desire to learn about local cultures or give back to the local community (4)
  • 25% want travel and hospitality companies to accommodate their personal needs (4)

How to incorporate personalized experiences into your meeting planning:

  • Personalization and data privacy need to go hand in hand.
    While people want more personalization, getting it requires them to release more information about themselves. That information is protected by privacy regulations and laws, making transparency essential.
  • Check-in provides an opportunity for the first connection with personalization. Meeting planners should seize this opportunity by making check-in meaningful for attendees. This should include, but not be limited to, welcome messages, name badges, concierge services, suggested activities based on individual participant interests, and even personal introductions (if applicable) and so forth.
  • AI can play a key role in mapping known data to reveal valuable insights.
    More valuable networking and collaboration opportunities, as well as highly personalized experiences, will follow.
  • Swag bags should be unique and Swag bags are an excellent way to incorporate personalization to attendee interests while keeping your message, brand and theme intact. (Read more about swag bags and personalization here.) Ensure recipients find contents valuable, relevant, and meaningful to reduce the likelihood of items being discarded.  Swag bags created with an intent to eliminate excess materials or trash promote environmental sustainability and minimize excess bulk for participants when traveling.
  • Utilize surveys and feedback loops. Data analytics and real-time interactions allow for further customization of options, opportunities, experiences, and post event options.

5 – INCLUSIVITY

Being welcomed, respected, and valued is a signal that organizations care about their people.  Sadly, a lack of inclusivity in meetings is a significant issue with 65% of employees reporting that they consistently feel uncomfortable contributing in meetings. (13)

Establishing an inclusive meeting culture is important because inclusive companies outperform less diverse competitors:

  • Companies that value inclusivity are 36% more profitable. (14)
  • Inclusive companies generate 19% more innovation revenue streams. (15)
  • Among the top quarter of employee engaged companies, they were 23% more profitable and experienced 43% less turnover than those in the bottom quarter. (15)
  • Companies that practice inclusivity experience a 56% increase in job performance. (16)
  • Inclusive companies earn a 167% higher employee net promoter score (eNPS) which indicates a current employee’s satisfaction with company culture and overall employee engagement. (16)

How to ensure your meetings are inclusive:

  • Venue
    • During the site inspection look for accessibility, signage, disposal of needles (for those who may use injectable medication), the time it takes to travel between spaces, washroom access that includes hand bars and how difficult it is to move between doorways, hallways and slopes
    • Consider safety and security protocols for attendees with different abilities. If anyone is bringing a service animal, make sure there is a space for the service animal to drink, eat and void, as well as a local vet nearby
    • Account for sensory issues that could be aggravated by lighting or sound effects
  • Suppliers
    • Consider the vendors, suppliers, speakers and others who will contribute to the meeting.
      • Find a balance of gender, age, ethnicity, ability and other characteristics that will create a richer experience
      • Seek vendors and suppliers with a proven track record of inclusive practices
      • Check the social media feeds of vendors and suppliers, including the comments looking for feedback relating to inclusivity practices
      • Visit GlassDoor for employee reviews, and customer review websites (if applicable.)
    • Ask vendors and supplier partners about inclusion policies and practices. Do not hesitate to ask difficult questions to gain a solid understanding about how leadership and management make decisions, recruit and engage with their employees.
  • Planning
    • Verify that the meeting does not fall on occasions like religious holidays, festivals and holy days. In addition, find out if there are dates when dietary needs may be specific.
    • When creating the schedule, consider potential issues for nursing parents, service animals, medical needs, restroom breaks and faith observations
    • Make sure the activities planned are accessible for everyone, regardless of their physical or mental abilities
  • Food
    • Allergies or intolerances to wheat (gluten), nuts, shellfish and crustaceans, dairy, lactose, eggs and soybeans should be at the top of the list concerning food awareness
    • Factors such as health, lifestyle, picky eaters and religious requirements may also be relevant. Low sugar, low sodium, low carb, keto, vegan, vegetarian, halal or kosher options might be necessary
    • In addition to the specific food and dietary needs, ability also factors into inclusivity. Consider the needs of participants as they relate to the ease in which they can access a buffet or handle a plate of food, the length of table coverings, each attendee’s ability to maneuver around obstacles (especially in high traffic or crowded areas), whether modifications might be necessary to include straws or lids or glasses, whether you should provide lighter plates or whether additional assistance might be necessary.
  • Participant details
    • Pronunciation of names is important, especially during check-in. Everyone should be greeted by their correctly pronounced first name.
    • Addressing people with dignity whether it is by their preferred pronouns, abilities, gender, age, or other characteristics should be a priority. It’s also important to consider how people may be represented during keynotes or in graphics.
  • Engagement and interactions
    • Try to set up social interactions by personality type or common interests, which will help make everyone more comfortable.
    • Empower attendees to make themselves heard regardless of their personality traits, comfort level and confidence level. Ideas for pulling this off include chat or text-based functions, getting their first and final thoughts via email or a form and encouraging them to make contributions to a collaboration board.

BUDGET SAVVY PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL MEETING

There are many details to consider when budgeting for a meeting, but it does not have to be overwhelming. By taking the items above into account when you plan meetings, you will set the event up for success in addition to protecting your budget’s bottom line.

 

Looking for a polished meeting planner to set up your offsite, in-person corporate meeting or event? Contact Gavel International for more information. 

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SOURCE(S):

1 https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/meetings-events/meetings-forecast/

2 https://www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/business-leaders-video-series/best-meetings-happen-person

3 https://meetings.skift.com/reports/event-technology-made-simple-2023-edition/

4 https://view.ceros.com/hilton/hilton-2023-trends-report/p/1

5 https://mitmagazine.co.uk/Meetings/Strategy/In-person-events-and-budgets-to-increase-in-2023-finds-Amex-GBT

6 https://www.limevenueportfolio.com/media/tw0bjgz5/001704-lvp-bfr-futurefood-the-survey.pdf

7 https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/hospitality/sustainable-meetings-events

8 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/23/a-guide-to-offering-sustainable-swag-at-corporate-events/?sh=49b98e9a5aeb

9 https://www.ihgplc.com/en/news-and-media/news-releases/2021/ihg-hotels-resorts-reveals-guests-growing-passion-to-travel-better

10 https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/brand-connect/hilton/the-science-of-being-there/

11 https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/new-study-quantifies-impact-face-to-face-interactions-innovation

12 https://www.myhrfuture.com/blog/adaptive-teaming-intentional-collaboration-in-the-new-world-of-work

13 https://hbr.org/2016/04/run-meetings-that-are-fair-to-introverts-women-and-remote-workers

14 https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

15 https://hbr.org/2018/01/how-and-where-diversity-drives-financial-performance

16 https://hbr.org/2019/12/the-value-of-belonging-at-work

Eloisa Mendez
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