Smooth The Path

Member Informed Strategy, Innovation & Marketing

  • Home
  • Speaking
    • Presentations
    • Upcoming Events
    • Happy Event Organizers
    • Happy Participants
  • Services
    • Clients
  • Resources
    • Associations of the Future
    • New Member Engagement Study
    • Association Industry Innovation Research Study
    • New Strategies for Member Onboarding, Engagement, and Retention E-book
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

March 29, 2018 By Amanda Kaiser

The Whole Conference Experience is Decided in the First 10 Seconds

A meeting planner said to me, “the whole conference experience is decided in the first 10 seconds”. First impressions are critically important to first-time attendees and repeat attendees. Those critical first impressions are made at the registration desk at most conferences. While members are standing in line, when they step up to the counter, as they interact with the person who will provide their badge, our attendees are unconsciously assessing whether the conference is right for them.

We, the professionals organizing the conference, think of registration as a transaction. But, attendees are assessing the experience.

Typically great experiences cost money, right? Not all experiences have to, especially these. The good news is some of the things that bolster attendees’ first impressions are free.

  • Huge smiles
  • Over the top welcomes
  • Greeters and welcoming teams
  • Trained registration volunteers and staff
  • Welcome and orientation sessions
  • Attendee preparation

Go ahead rock those first 10 seconds and create a better conference for attendees.

Related:

  • The problems attendees experience at conferences
  • 10 Ways to increase attendee energy at your conference
  • Another secret reason why conferences are so valuable for members

Filed Under: Conference, Member Experience Tagged With: attendee experience, conference, conference culture, conference experience, creating member experiences, first impressions, member experience

Follow

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign up for member insights & association inspiration.

Work With Me

Recent Posts

Association Strategy
Association Marketing
Association Innovation
Association Leadership
Association Value
Member Experience

Member Engagement
Member Research
Member Insights
Conference
Membership

Member Research

Blog

About

Happy Clients

Speaking

Popular Presentations

Contact Us

More Resources

Copyright © 2021 Amanda Kaiser