Meeting Planning Innovation

We're all looking for those breakthrough ideas -- ways to differentiate our events and drive meaningful value to attendees.

Brainstorming sessions can be an excellent way to stir up new and actionable ideas, but there's a method to the madness. Here are five ways to set the stage for a fruitful brainstorming session:

1. Diverse Perspectives: Gather a variety of people who are looking at the event through different lenses. Participants might include staff, leadership, attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, etc.

2. Masterful Facilitation: A strong facilitator will engage participants in idea sharing and keep the discussion on topic. It's important that this person be credible, respected, and as neutral as possible.
 
3. Structure the Unstructured: While brainstorming is free and open, the facilitator should kick off the meeting by setting clear expectations and ground rules for the session. While clarifying questions are fine, participants should be alerted to avoid "how" and "why" questions. Set time limits for each topic and stick to them. Assign a scribe to capture all ideas.
 
4. Suspend Judgment: During initial rounds of brainstorming, there should be no judgments shared as to the merit of ideas. While most people think this applies to naysayers, it applies to affirming types, too. "What a great idea" may seem like a harmless comment, but it can disrupt the flow.
 
5. Wrap Up and Next Steps: If it's been a productive session, the walls should be covered in flip chart lists of ideas. If time permits, the facilitator might choose to revisit one idea list and ask participants to rank their top three choices. Continue with a high-level recap and share next steps for evaluating, developing, and implementing your best breakthrough ideas.

How about you? What's your best brainstorming tip?