anti-workshop series: event management

As promised, the first in a series of posts. Teaching event management the "anti-workshop way". So before we get started I have identified a few key components of the anti-workshop approach.

• The learners need to be involved in the teaching. Whether it is through reflection, exercises that force the learner to teach others, or through much discussion and interaction. 
• Identify the expert. I'm not talking about the guy in the office down the hall that has done a workshop on this topic before. The expert in events management are the people that are behind the events you and I go to, the one's we pay money to get tickets to. Think big.
• Design an experience. Learning that is "sticky" will "stick" with the participant for many days, weeks, months after the learning occurred. When someone experiences something they are more likely to talk to their friends and family about it. The more they talk it through, the more they learn.

Ok, that's enough of that. As a professional staff member in the orientation office I am assisting with the management of 15 "events" over a 3 month time period. Each event with close to 400 participants attending, and each event lasts 2 full days.  I am talking about the summer orientation sessions. I am accompanied each summer by a graduate and leaderhsip team staff that serve almost completely in a logistics and problem solving capacity for each of these "events". This year we will be doing some intensive trianing with this group designed to explore the skills needed to be a successful event manager.

Who are the experts (that are somewhat local) in managing logistics, problem solving on the fly and producing event after event? Well the people working everyday to put on live shows like the Today Show, SNL and Jay Leno probably know something about all that. I would also assume the people that work as stage managers and actors on Broadway might have some wisdom to bestow upon our team about problem solving and managing multiple logistics at one time. The cool thing is that if your willing to look for it, a few hours of intense googling does the trick, there are experiences out there already packaged to meet the needs of your training. Does your school have any alumni working the field? Maybe a cast or crew member is a alumni from the school you work for, and if that's the case, chances are they would be psyched to sit down with your students to meet with them and share some tricks of the trade. For instance, NBC studios already packages a behind the scenes tour, but just doing the tour doesn't maximize the learning experience. However, following the experience by having lunch with an alumni working there as a crew member or producer to process through the experience does maximize the learning experience. Not everyone is a train ride away from NYC, but the point is that there most likely is something nearby that serves the purpose. By experiencing something out of the typical work environment and meeting with experts you can set the learner up for a memorable and "sticky" experience. The key is to integrate plenty of opportunities for reflection and processing throughout the experience. That sets the day apart from something that is just fun but empty, and ensures that the focus is on learning. If time allows, give your students time to present what they have learned to other colleagues or to their peers.