Social Tables recently hosted George Washington University students to talk all things meeting design and event technology.

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Welcome GWU!

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● Please ask as many questions as you like.
Housekeeping
● Take down notes. *there will be activities/learning zones.
● Reach out to us anytime (contact details to come).
● HAVE FUN!

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● Tabler panel session about event technology + design.
● Our favorite events planned in Social Tables.
● See Social Tables in action.
● Q&A session.
● CSTEP diagram presentations.
Today’s Agenda

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What You’re Going to Learn With MeMeet today’s Tablers!

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● What does Design mean to you?
Work in groups. Share idea. You have 2 mins.
Activity
**definition: to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name.
**source: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/design

7. Design tells a story.

8. Design sends a message.

9. Design changes behavior.

10. What You’re Going to Learn With Me
● The design of your organization’s overall meetings and events
strategy (e.g. annual meeting in January, educational conference in
June).
● The design of a conference’s theme.
● The design of the attendee experience (from the moment they arrive
to the moment they depart).
● The design of the program (from session length to break times)
● The design of each breakout room.
● The design of each tabletop.
Design is everything!

11. Source: Maritz - The 8 Phases of a Successful Event
Designing the attendee experience (journey mapping)

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● What does Meeting Design mean to you?
**Work in groups. Share idea. You have 3mins.**
Activity

13. What You’re Going to Learn With Me
The purposeful shaping of both
the form and the content of a
meeting to deliver on crucial
business objectives.
Meeting Design

14. Presenter-Audience Agreement
Most planners don’t know anything about design!
● Planners scored the lowest on questions of technical
nature, such as the appropriate size table or dance floor
based on guest count, hanging heights for installations,
space requirements needed for entry/exits, etc.
● Only about 20 percent of respondents knew the maximum
height of a non-elevated floral arrangement.
● Social Tables empowers planners to manage this process.
BizBash, March 12, 2015
Learning Zone!

15. Meeting Design Best Practices

16. “
Room set is extremely
important to the success of
a meeting, and a serious
responsibility for the
meeting professional to
manage.
- Convention Industry Council Manual

17. What You’re Going to Learn With Me
Start with your goal and work backwards:
1. Identify the event’s objectives.
a. Educate
b. Produce
c. Celebrate
d. Promote
e. Ideate
f. Decide
g. Network
2. Design the event based on those objectives.
3. Execute the event.
4. Assess the event results.
Objective-Based Event Design Framework
Adapted from MPI white paper on Meeting Design

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1. How has event technology evolved how planners plan events?
2. Why do you think planners and properties are averse to adopting technology?
3. What is the #1 benefit that planners gain from adopting technology?
4. What do you see as the biggest efficiency gained for planners and properties who use
technology?
5. How do you think event design has benefitted from the creation of technology tools?
6. What is the biggest frustration you hear from customers when it comes to designing an
event?
7. What other opportunities do you foresee for the future of event design/ technology?
Let’s talk event technology + design.

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See Social Tables in action!

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Questions? Comments?
Justin Blau - justin@socialtables.com
Sabba Nazhand - sabba@socialtables.com
Rachel Dobroth - racheld@socialtables.com
Whitney Drazovich - whitney@socialtables.com
Laura Lopez - laural@socialtables.com
Thank You!
@Socialtables
blog.socialtables.com/
socialtables.com/meeting-design-generator

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