An Event is more than its Content

— Hey, is there a bar near the place?, I texted FX.
— I got us 2x24 Heineken, he texted back.
— Genius.
— And Chips.

We were on our lunch breaks, a few hours away from the Visual Thinking workshop. Ironing out the last details.

Orientation Posters, check. Neatly stacked notepads, check.

One of the things we understood after running half a dozen workshops is that the three magic ingredients for a successful event are : Content + Interactivity + Community. People, after all, may come for the content of the workshop or conference, but it’s really when you add interesting people in the room, and give them a chance to truly engage, that memorable experiences get created. It is not a scientific equation; as anyone who has ever put together such initiatives will tell you, there is something quite organic that needs to happen in order for that magic to shine, but as leaders we can give it a nudge by carefully setting the stage.

In this article, we’ll explore tips and tricks to strengthen the community.

Turning an Event into a Community

Many things contribute to drawing a great crowd. First of all, the choice of topic and its marketing are key. We used to think this was enough — but it did not turn out that way. The secret sauce is awesome people that come back, so that you really build a sense of community.

So how do you design events for friendliness?

We decided to keep things casual by having some drinks at the beginning of the workshop, and carrying on with a social event after the workshop was over. The choice of venue plays a lot: in past events, the set-up always included tables in the middle of the room, making it hard for participants to casually gather. The open space was a definite plus. We also made sure the exercises were the team-based during the workshop, to help people interact and break the ice long before the social function started.

As organizers, we always have to be one step ahead. There is no better moment to invite community members to pursue the journey than on the spot! This is why from a logistics point of view, we always have a few activities already planned down the line. We always close our evenings with an announcement to share the next event.

Exceptionally, we had one more announcement to make, and it wasn’t an event, it was a new program altogether : our Leadership+ Program, which will launch next week.

It turns out governance is key in community building. We experimented a lot with different models and have opted for an intrapreneurship-based to be as inclusive — and personalized — as we could.

When the people receiving a “service” are also co-creators, there is no doubt the final project will be a better reflection of its community.

Then, it is time for the unstructured happy hour. It’s a great moment to get to know everyone, and the commonly shared activity and future plans makes for great conversation starters and contributes a sense of belonging and unity to the group.

As a little wink, we add this picture; with everyday lives happening, any time when a fellow exec is present immediately sneaks a little talk on our plans and projects for the group. A stolen moment, well captured by our photographer, Adriana. ;)

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