Engage Your Group for High-Energy Meetings

As meetings continue to evolve, we’re excited about what’s new and inspired by inventive ideas. The old “sage from the stage” style has retired (thank goodness), replaced with events designed to boost creativity, communication and results. Looking for ways to reach your goals and keep your meetings fresh and fun? The Kiawah ProMeetings team has you covered with tips for events that are ever-engaging – and never boring:

Mix it up to fire up your team. People want to be active participants, and innovative formats are the tool to transform your event. As you plan your session, share goals with the venue and ask how they can help you increase engagement. Here at Kiawah, for example, we can set up novel room configurations to spark dynamic, free-flowing discussions or assist with a cafe-style format featuring small group rounds to encourage an energizing mash-up of new ideas. And we inspire connection and conversation with indoor (and outdoor) lounge areas featuring comfy furniture, irresistible refreshments and stunning views, plus charging stations to dock those disruptive devices for a while. Face-to-face collaboration is the key, so let’s get everyone involved!

Build in opportunities for engagement. Research tells us that participants who feel engaged and connected will retain and implement more of what they learn (more about this here). To create an immersive experience, try a few ideas that have worked well for groups at Kiawah. Successful strategies include crowd polling (the popular Poll Everywhere app works well), buzz groups that break off to generate ideas to present to the larger group and informal learning sessions in relaxed settings outside the conference room. Learning science also tells us that engaging people’s senses keeps them alert, so we can help groups stay attentive (and have fun) with Play-Doh or Silly Putty, mini-puzzles, stress balls or colorful markers and paper for doodling (a Wall Street Journal article explains why this works). The ideas may be economical, but an engaged audience is priceless.

Think purposeful play. New experiences energize groups and special traditions can bond teams and build company culture. So partner with your venue to schedule some dedicated time for socializing. You’ll reward your team and boost ROI by extending engagement with more time for connection and creativity. A meeting location like Kiawah abounds with opportunities for memorable team experiences, including golf on five championship courses, tennis and paddle sports. Naturally, fun and budget-friendly recreation are built right into an island with a pleasant year-round climate for biking and outdoor activities. Off-island pursuits include nearby historic Charleston, which charms our groups with cobbled streets, graceful architecture and heritage attractions. Add a little gusto and you’ll get a positively rewarding event.

Think of the Kiawah Island conference team as your personal consultants in engaging your participants and reaching your goals. We create a paradise for productivity with exceptional value and dedicated support and you benefit from a destination that’s won Successful Meeting’s Pinnacle Award fifteen times. In this gorgeous island setting, amenities include five championship golf courses, two tennis complexes and endless recreation.

Please contact our Director of Group Sales, Marty Couch, and his team at 800.576.1585 to take advantage of this very special, but limited, summer offer: