11/19/2019

Daily Buzz: Sky-high Inspiration for Your Next Conference

Innovation can happen anywhere

If your association’s networking events feel a bit stale, take meeting inspiration from Marie Claire. The magazine recently hosted its fourth annual Power Trip, a 36-hour invitation-only networking conference for women, which took place partially in the sky.

The conference, which included 200 entrepreneurs, executives and investors, started off with a special United Airlines flight from Newark to San Francisco—complete with champagne, spa treatments, high-priced giveaways and plenty of time to mingle.

“By the time the plane touched down at SFO, voices had gone hoarse and inboxes had filled,” Sheila Marikar writes in The New York Times.

After the flight, it was time for panel discussions with celebrity guests, a cocktail hour and dinner capped off with an “Insta-worthy cake cutting and sprinkle explosion,” among other events.

“This has been a breath of fresh air,” attendee Bertha González Nieves, CEO of Casa Dragones, told Marikar. “It was less about the content and more about the people.”

Marie Claire’s spin on the traditional conference offered its attendees unique experiences at every turn. The result? A more connected experience, according to Marikar.

“Some women cried while doing a mindfulness-tinged cardio dance workout in the middle of a baseball stadium. Smiles that had been polite the day before now seemed more sincere,” Marikar says. “There was a sober, morning-after taking stock of the fact that the person you’d spoken to openly about your goals and dreams was a stranger just 24 hours ago.”

The takeaway: Provide memorable experiences at your networking events. Your attendees will take notice.

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.