My personal opinion (from planning many conferences) is that you'll always face the attrition problem towards the end of the day - no matter how successful the conference.
I work on one particular conference that I'd consider similar in spirt to the PTO Today ones (although totally different in subject). In that one, we've also abandoned having an keynote first thing. We have a continental breakfast/networking time then go straight into a breakout session. The "big" keynote is in the second slot of the day.
Another planning issue is Fridays - they make good days to hold the events from some perspective. People are ready to wind down their week and focus on something external. But if you present some great, motivational info - then they have all weekend to cool off and lose momentum. Not as much info gets carried back.
For the PTO Today conferences, I'd suggest you encourage attendees to plan an officers meeting for the day after they return so they can share all their info while still fresh and excited.
Chicago was great! I missed the Keynote because my plane had mechanical trouble, but I made it before the first breakout session . I would suggest that you repeat the breakout sessions at least twice during the day. A couple were at the same time and I was really torn about which to attend. Otherwise it was great!!!!!
Tim, since you are having a planning meeting today, would it be possible to plan a conference a little further south (FL,GA)? It's a really beautiful time of the year here. Not too cold or too hot. Hint, Hint
I liked the cocktail reception. I didn't feel bad leaving before it started! LOL! If it had been another session, we would have felt it necessary to stay... and getting a head start on a 2 1/2 hour drive was great. (I made it home just in time to see my son batting in the first game of the season!)
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the conference.
Yeah, the conclusion is always something we wrestle with. It's why we added the cocktail reception a couple of years ago, so at least there'd be something. Before that, the last break-out session ended and folks just sort of went on their way....
Big trick is that -- by very end -- nearly 40% of our attendees have taken off. Whether it's to relieve babysitters, to go home and make dinner or to get a headstart on a long drive, a good number of attendees have left by the very end. We know those attendees are still really happy with the day (the feedback forms this year rated the event better than ever!), they just need to leave early for one reason or another.
So I'm not sure that a big, last general session/keynotey thing would do it, but I'd love other ideas that could better conclude the event. All ears.
We actually have a 05-06 conference planning meeting this afternoon.
I attended the conf. in CHI. (Sorry to say I was the only one from my PTO who attended.) It was so much info my brain was about to pop. I really brought back a ton of great ideas that will really help us out.
Do all the conferences end the same way? I really would have enjoyed a session at the end that would have been more of a rah rah good job keep it up kind of presentation. Another gal that I met there felt the same way.
Tim, you could give another presentation like the one at the begining.
It really was a great conf. this is just my little thought.
