Meetings Blog Apr 21, 2017
When we “play” and connect with the feelings that remind us of childhood, our concentration increases and new memories are stored more easily. Additionally, we also get in touch with our more playful, creative side, meaning that we have more fun: as the phrase goes, we’ll be “like kids in a candy store”.
Have a look at the age range of your attendees and look for shared reference points in their childhoods, to make sure your plans are perfect. And here’s our contribution: a list of six ideas that you can use to get the most out of your next event.
We get nostalgic remembering the long hours we could spend playing with Lego blocks. While the Play Mobil fort and pirate ship were some of the most sought after, Mr. Potato, with his thousand faces, was always well loved.
When we played with our friends there were always never-ending Monopoly sessions, Scalextric races, bottle-cap games and marbles. Use the charm of these to your advantage to gamify parts of your event. To ensure your attendees get to know each other, you can use their faces to play the legendary Guess Who? You can also use this classic game for product presentations: make each question correspond to one of the product’s characteristics (size, weight, color, shape, properties) and have your attendees try to guess them: this way they’ll better remember the product and its qualities.
You can also gift your attendees a branded Playmobil, representing their profession; if it’s a pharmaceutical industry event why not gift them doctors and nurses so they always remember the event, and they’ll be able to share them with their children when they get home!
There’s nothing like the imagination, creativity and ingenuity of childhood. Recover these qualities with a group artistic activity, which will also ensure the participants relax and unwind.
When thinking of what materials to give your attendees for team-building activities or to take notes in meetings, why not give them the same things they used when they were young to make those little ‘works of art’: the same pen brands, the same erasers with that characteristic smell, glue sticks, plasticine etc. All this will evoke yet more memories; automatically taking the attendees back in time and helping them remember the new information of your event better. Imagine it! Every time an attendee uses that famous glue stick, they’ll think about the activity they used it for at your event.
If there’s one thing that left its impression on the childhood of an entire generation it is those iconic films: The Goonies, E.T. The NeverEnding Story and Top Gun, among so many more. Unforgettable tales with multiple sequels, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Terminator, James Bond and Back to the Future, all have life-long fans around the globe.
Create a movie atmosphere and use these iconic characters and their famous dialogues as the vehicle to get across the message you want to transmit. For example, sprinkle your presentation with famous phrases from a film, let your audience know they are there and ask them to remember where and when they appeared. The aim? Ensure the attendees are paying attention and do not miss any part of the presentation. You’ll be amazed at how well it works. May the force be with you!
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the forerunners of today’s incredible videogames were the famous games of the past such as Pacman, Super Mario Bros and Arkanoid. Almost everyone has had a Nintendo Game Boy in their hands at some point, or been in control of an arcade machine slotting together Tetris pieces.
So no doubt a great idea for your event would be to copy the simplicity and yet ingenious dynamics of these videogames, which leave you wanting to keep on playing and playing without a break. The idea would be perfect for less formal events, which invite networking or teambuilding. Events linked to technology would also be a perfect fit with this theme.
Use their aesthetic: you could serve cupcakes in the shape of the Super Mario mushrooms (who could resist?) or set up a table as if it were a Pacman screen, which no doubt you remember perfectly! Don’t forgot how much Pacman loved those bonus items that appeared in the game: cherries, oranges, apples, strawberries, melons… You could use candy or actual fruit to make a delicious, tempting break for your attendees, allowing them to relax, charge their batteries and then follow your presentation with their full concentration!
Hama Beads are a great way of creating Pixel Art: give your attendees the materials and show them how to create their own versions of the beloved characters from the videogames. You can use the idea to promote teamwork, to let your attendees give free rein to their imagination or to improve their skills. Another option is to include the idea in a training session: you can organize groups of attendees and ask them to create a business plan for a product, or a marketing plan, taking into account budgets and the viability of the project. It’s a great way to combine training and practical applications – by creating Pixel Art and selling it. Go all out 8-bit style!
And as a final tip, on gamification linked video games you could make relive adventures in The Legend of Zelda giving your attendees riddles to solve, to test them and reinforce their knowledge. In order to make sure they remember information about your product, ask them the questions after the presentation. You can organize the attendees into groups to promote teamwork. And don’t forget to include the unforgettable sounds of the smash-hit videogame. Let the ocarina sound again!
The soundtrack to the most memorable moments of your life includes songs by U2, Michael Jackson, AC/DC, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Queen, ABBA, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams.
If there’s a sensory experience that creates a unique atmosphere, capable of transporting us to a moment or emotional state, it is music; one of the most powerful resources you have to create the atmosphere you’re looking for. We recommend selecting famous lyrics or classic song titles. Associate them, by using them on a recurring basis and by drawing parallels with the values of the product you are promoting. That way your attendees will know the properties of your product off by heart. And what’s more, they’ll remember them every time the song comes on the radio or on the dance floor. For example, if you are presenting a red lipstick, your product could be identified with Simply Irresistible, Red Red Wine and Smooth Operator. Use your imagination and you’ll be amazed at the results a catchy riff can give you!
As Marcel Proust told us in his In Search of Lost Time, the taste and smell of a simple Madeleine cake can take us back to the happiest moments of our childhood. That’s why aiming for the stomach is an easy way to take the attendees back to a fun childhood birthday party, a summer snack with friends or recess with pals at high school. With our Tempting Breaks you can wake up the inner child in your event’s attendees: we’ll give you all the advice you need to create a noteworthy, evocative set-up with the most delicious, classic flavors.
Ultimately, an event can be seen as a challenge similar to a Rubik’s cube. And here we’ve set out for you six key ideas, like the six colors and six sides of the cube, to ensure your event isn’t a puzzle but rather a game of success. Let the fun begin!
