The Magic at the Meeting
Would you travel across the country to attend one of your chapter meetings?
Acar Altinsel, co-founder of Las Vegas-based Penguin Magic and creator of magic tricks did. (That’s Acar on the left and James on the right.)
Acar has family in the Metro Detroit area and scheduled his visit around the Seth Godin event that took place last week in Ann Arbor.
(A compelling speaker and well-communicated advance notice can make a difference in attendance.)
What attracted the 400+ local attendees?
Several organizations worked together to create a spectacular event centered around Seth Godin’s visit. It looked something like this:
- 2-3 PM: Doors open. Meet and greet with John Beilein, new Men’s Basketball coach at the University of Michigan.
- 2-3 PM: Organist entertains as attendees get seated in the historic Michigan Theater.
- 3-4:30 PM Coach brings greetings; Seth speaks about his new book, The Dip
- 4:30-5:30 PM: The crowd follows Seth across to the Ann Arbor SPARK for book signing and reception
- 5:00 PM: Another networking event starts at nearby hip new restaurant
- 5:30 PM: A follow up marketing panel focused on Web 2.0 runs at Ann Arbor SPARK
What worked?
- Cool location
- Exciting people
- Lots of networking
- Attendees had choices about how to continue their learning
- Diverse groups working together created interesting mix
- It was fun
As a chapter leader, how can you enhance your meeting experience so members are willing to drive through rush-hour traffic - or fly across the country - in order to attend?
Filed under: Magic Meetings
