Conference energizers are important. They’re not just fluff and they shouldn’t be an afterthought. Choosing the best conference energizers for your programming is vital. If you’re going to dedicate both time and money to any portion of your conference, then it deserves thought and planning.
The Best Conference Energizers
Iowa State University has a page on the school website about Energizers, Icebreakers & Teambuilders. I think it’s fantastic that this is page worthy on a university website. They describe energizers as activities that re-energize a team that’s dragging. In the corporate environment, a division or a team that’s dragging is a liability. I lead programs at a lot of conferences in which the primary conference objective is to instill an organization with optimism, purpose and focus. During a typical conference, there will be presentations by company leaders on goals met, goals missed, new products, challenges etc. All that content is important. But the downside to this is that the content can make a conference feel too much like ordinary work.
Enter The Energizer
With agenda items that often mirror existing culture and challenges, it’s vital to set aside time for the best conference energizers to cause positive disruption. Positive disruption will challenge your workforce to think of existing problems in new ways. Great energizers will motivate and inspire. The folks below created powerful energy and positive motivation that swept them into the portion of their conference in which they had to tackle some tough issues. After taking part in a valuable energizer the stage was set to successfully embrace the work at hand.
Attributes of the best conference energizers
- Find a program that involves some level of physical activity – You don’t have to provide ropes courses for 500 people, but you should make sure your energizer allows people to engage by moving around. Build something, dance some, sing a little, laugh out loud.
- Find a program that inspires in an honest way – I was at an event in which the speaker came on stage and said, ‘Good morning Miami’…only problem was we were in Memphis! Make sure whoever leads your conference energizer takes time to delve into your organization. When I lead a program I immerse myself in my client’s culture – so by the time I walk on stage, I’m in the moment in a sincere way.
- Find a program that provides take-aways – Inspiration and energizers are great catalysts to doing some great work. But that special feeling won’t last back at the office. Make sure whoever is leading your energizer can provide actionable take-aways that will provide lasting impact.