The 2019 event planning season is in full swing! How are your preparations coming along? As you plan your upcoming retreat, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
Before heading into 2019, think back to previous retreats that you have attended or hosted. How was the meeting space setup? The lecture format, where chairs are lined up into rows, has been the go-to layout for a meeting space. Although, this year planners are moving away from this traditional set up to a more relaxed setting. For example, using more comfortable furniture (like couches) or designing the space to offer a variety of seating options. The goal behind this transformation is to make your guests feel comfortable so that they are more likely to pay attention and engage with the material.
Like the meeting space setup, the traditional lecture format for delivering your message is fading away. The upcoming trend is a conversational format that allows the audience to be more involved with the presentation. For example, asking the audience questions or using multimedia and/or multisensory resources. Another way to make sure your guests stay engaged is by moving around the room or stage. Now, I’m not saying you have to run laps, but slowly walking around every so often while presenting helps keep your audience focused.
Now, let’s step out of the retreat center and into digitally connecting with your guests. Social media websites, like Facebook, allow you to quickly and easily contact your guests. Facebook Live is a major up-and-coming trend. You could easily use this tool to live stream certain parts of your retreat. Or if you would like to keep it simple, take a selfie video. Yes, a selfie video. Like it’s cousin, the selfie, turn your phone camera around and take a short and sweet video of yourself with the worship service in the background, at a fun recreation activity, singing campfire songs, etc. Then post it to the appropriate Facebook page. Make sure to keep an eye out for next weeks blog on how to really use Facebook to your advantage.
As you continue to prepare for your event, keep some of these up-and-coming trends in mind. Remember, your overall goal is to provide your guests with an experience that they will never forget. This can easily be done by keeping your guests engaged with an amazing message, as well as making sure that they are comfortable and having fun!