Prime-time: How to Prepare Your Audience at the Beginning of an Event

Most events try to open with a splash: A sit-down video designed to convey energy, a powerful greeting from an emcee or host, etc. Lights, camera...action!

...And then they go into the standard format of "our first speaker..."

This might be fine if you want another event-as-usual, with information washing over your audience. 

But if you've taken the time to design a really effective, interactive event, spending some time priming the audience for their experience will pay off tremendously. What should you do to get your audience ready for an event that is going to benefit them more--but also requires more from them than passive listening?

1. Set expectations: Spend the first part of the event talking to your audience. Convey that this won't be an event as usual, and they'll be seeing different ways of doing things. Set up the event by setting their expectations: The event will be valuable for them. It will be worth their time. Here is what they will be able to take back day ONE to achieve the objectives you've set for the event. 

2. Get their buy-in: They know what to expect from the event--they won't be having an "event as usual" so they can't be an audience as usual. There is an element of reciprocity involved--you've made a commitment to them by preparing an event of value, so they have to be a different kind of audience. Not passive, but active. Part of getting their buy-in can also involve having them set their own goals and expectations for the event--what do THEY want to get out of it? What are they committed to seeking out by the end of the event?

3. Give them permission to play full out: Audiences are so used to being at least partially passive that if you want them to interact you need to give them permission to do so. If you're expecting questions, cheering, role-play participation, etc., after you've set the expectations of that behavior, you have to give them permission to do it in the way you want to see it. Which leads to...

4. Practice & reward the interaction you want to see: Start out right away by getting the audience to participate in the way you want them to, and then reward it. This looks different based on your outcomes and how you structure your event, but one thing we do is--when we have competition laced throughout the meeting--get the teams cheering right away. They then get points for their early efforts (or fewer points if one team wasn't so great). This sets the tone for the audience interaction you want and expect. 

A great event opening to a different kind of event can, of course, include the standard splashy video. But then it should go beyond that to priming the audience to participate and play full-out--making the event incredibly valuable for them and the company.