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Disengaged Attendees

  • 1.  Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-16-2023 12:08
    Edited by Megan Clark 10-16-2023 12:08

    Happy Monday! We are ready to get started with our Huddle of the Week!

    Identifying the signs of disengaged attendees is crucial for event success. Common causes of disengagement include overwhelming agendas, lack of personalization, and digital fatigue. To counteract disengagement, event organizers should focus on personalization, dynamic content delivery, and facilitated networking.

    Event technology can play a significant role in preventing attendee disengagements. Utilizing event apps, interactive features, gamification, and analytics can help create a more engaging and memorable event experience for attendees. 

    Questions for you:

    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?

    Are you ready to stop attendee disengagement? Register now for our webinar on October 31st – Zombie-Proofing Your Events: Tips for Engaging Attendees to learn more!  

    #HuddleoftheWeek

    #VoiceIt

    #Creating/ManagingEvents

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    Megan Clark
    Assistant Team Lead, Online Community Marketing
    Cvent
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  • 2.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-17-2023 07:23
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Arriving late to sessions, looking at their phones, skipping social programming.
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Shorten sessions, add prizes/incentives, increase opportunities for participation/customization of session and content.


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    Cate Liverman
    Director-Constituent Relations
    UVA Medical Alumni Association and Medical School FoundationUnited States
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-17-2023 11:42
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?
      Device usage and fidgeting for sure and less attendance at our extra socials/events. 
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?
      Keeping the length of sessions no longer than 60 minutes. Longer breaks between sessions that include refreshments. And making sure there are networking opportunities that are not content related at least once a day if not more. 


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    Chris Townley
    Marketing and Communications Associate
    National Council Of State Housing AgenciesUnited States
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-17-2023 12:04
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Scrolling on their phones
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Polls, Catchbox, prizes


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    Julie-Michelle Davis, CMP
    Meetings Manager
    Amex GBT - USA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-17-2023 16:40

     What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Hanging out in the back of the room, side chatter
    What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? ask speaker to pause for a moment,  do a 7th inning stretch



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    Hallie Loeb, HMCC
    Event Operations Specialist
    CDW United States
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-18-2023 06:06
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?
      • Working, talking, or scrolling their phone in the hallway instead of attending sessions
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?
      • Interactive sessions that involve activities for both learning and entertainment


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    Tori Martinez
    Event Technology Specialist
    Direct Travel
    United States
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-18-2023 09:26
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Skipping sessions, scrolling on devices, doing unrelated work, or nodding off.
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Ensuring that sessions are tailored to what the audience wants/has requested, interactive sessions, plenty of breaks with refreshments, and hosting different types of social events to keep them feeling new.


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    Jess Olcott
    Training Program Coordinator
    ETC, Inc.
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-18-2023 15:47
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?
      We do mainly online webinars, and the most common signs are not responding to the poll questions, not asking questions of the presenters, and logging off early
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?
      Have poll questions to keep them engaged, limit webinars to an hour, have banter between presenters or presenter and emcee to mix up what they are hearing and seeing


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    Lori Wildman
    Marketing Director
    lwildman@dmainc.com
    DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc.United States
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-19-2023 15:01
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Skipping events, not asking questions, leaving early, sitting in the back, checking email/phone
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Breaks, not scheduling too much at any one time, incentives, surveys/polls, interactions, feedback


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    Virginia McCoy
    Sales Associate
    Visit Savannah
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-19-2023 17:30

    Question 1: What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?

    • The most common sign of attendee disengagement that we see is a lack of interaction during sessions. When attendees aren't asking questions, participating in discussions, or using interactive features, it's a clear indicator that they may be disengaged.
    • Body language cues such as looking at their phones or watches, fidgeting in their seats, or avoiding eye contact with speakers and presenters.
    • You can also notice disengagement in post-event feedback, with attendees providing low ratings or comments suggesting they didn't find the content or experience engaging.

    Question 2: What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?

    • Personalization is key. We tailor content to attendees' interests and needs, ensuring they feel the event is designed for them. This might involve pre-event surveys to understand their preferences.
    • We use interactive technology and tools like event apps, live polling, and Q&A sessions to encourage participation. Attendees appreciate the opportunity to actively engage with content. Though to much can be overwhelming for some. 
    • Networking opportunities are a priority. We facilitate networking sessions, both in-person and virtually, to help attendees connect with each other and with speakers.
    • We make sure our agenda is dynamic and well-paced. Shorter sessions (as much as we can), breaks, and changing formats keep attendees energized and engaged throughout the event.
    • Post-event follow-up. We send out surveys to collect feedback, and we use analytics to measure attendee engagement and satisfaction. This feedback helps us improve future events.


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    Steven King
    Operations Manager
    Children's Advocacy Centers of MichiganUnited States
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-22-2023 14:51

     What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?

    - Playing on their phones. Chatting with colleagues (and not engaging with other attendees).

    What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement?

    - Keep them occupied with engaging content. Give a proper number of breaks. 



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    Kayla Sisco
    Program Manager
    Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc.United States
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-23-2023 13:11
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Showing up late to the sessions, a lot of times people are taking out their phone or laptops and not listening in fully, doodling on pen and paper if we've left them out for note taking
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? We try and do more sessions that are smaller and more collaborative. Additionally we have tried a few where they break off into smaller groups for more intimate discussions with a lead at each table, and interjecting live polling and audience questions throughout rather than just at the end.


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    Rachel
    NJ
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-24-2023 09:32
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Working in between sessions, skipping sessions
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Adding in breaks for people to catch up on work, adding small incentives to arriving on time to a session, creating very curated sessions to make it more exclusive to those people that are truly engaged in the topic.


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    Beth Vriesen
    Events Registration Admin
    Associated Bank Corporation
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-30-2023 08:24
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? Scrolling on their phone, talking to others and not paying attention to speakers
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? Interactive sessions and speakers that grab your audience's attention are good ways to keep their attention


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    Denise Slee
    Meeting Technology Specialist
    World TravelUnited States
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 10-30-2023 17:18
    1. What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged?  Not looking up while in an in-person meeting, on their phones, and talking with the person next to them.  
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? make it more interactive, polls, and allowing for Q&A.  


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    Susan Harrison
    Meeting & Event Manager
    Atlas Travel Meetings & IncentivesUnited States
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    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Disengaged Attendees

    Posted 11-07-2023 07:42
    1.  What is the most common sign you see when attendees are disengaged? they are on their phones more
    2. What steps do you take to ensure attendee engagement? enteraction with questions, stepping to the floor where the attendees are sitting and engaging with them there.


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    Mary Ann Hall
    Event Specialist
    Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago(CRSO Department)
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    Original Message


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