photo by Jacob Slaton

When Convene talked to Mike Walsh in 2013, he gave this definition of a great meeting:

The thing that really defines a great event or meeting in the ones I have experienced in all the places in the world is the event planner that really thinks about human interactions. They think about the narrative structure of the event. But they also leave lots of spaces inside that for people to make their own connections.”

To me the analogy is a bit like a really good mystery movie. A mystery movie does not lay everything out for you unless it is really designed for idiots. It kind of gives you an arc. Then gives you spaces to make your own connections and bring your own relevance.

When PCMA Chairman Scholar Alex Plaxen, a student at The George Washington University, interviewed Walsh after the presentation, Walsh talked about how cinematic tools like music — as well as presentation strategies employed by top retailers — can transform your meeting experience: