How to Engage Introverts at Conferences

Participative learning, collaborative working, audience led content – events are changing, and for the better. But with this shift to more involved formats there’s a danger that we alienate a large part of the audience.

One of the crowd

Susan Cain estimates that between a third and half the population is introverted. To understand the real differences between introvert and extrovert personality types, take a look at her phenomenally popular TED Talk. In short, introversion is a preference for reflective, minimally stimulating environments. Shyness is very different- it’s a fear of negative judgement. And, as she points out here, there are many shy extroverts.

As conferences shout about ‘speed networking’ and ‘rocket pitches’ a growing number of people quietly decline to attend. In the world of internal communications, where attendance is often mandatory, these formats can cause real stress (I’ve heard of people in focus groups who talk about being physically sick before having to go to an event that simply hasn’t been designed with them in mind).

Should we abandon all thoughts of participation for fear of appealing to only the most unabashed of extroverts? The answer is definitely not.

Firstly, as Jeff Hurt has persuasively argued, it is a myth to suggest that introverted audiences don’t value participative formats. And, secondly, the fundamental value of people coming together at conferences in 2014 isn’t in pushing information (that’s what the internet is good at) but in sharing ideas, pollinating new thinking, starting conversations – all things that are best done when everyone participates.

So how can we design participative events that don’t alienate huge swathes of our audience?

Event Communications
Avoid shouty jargon that leaves your would- be audience uncertain as to what the event will involve – no one knows what a collaboration zone will entail. Be clear about how the participative elements will be run and how they’ll add value. Encourage people to start building relationships with one another prior to the event and contributing to the content at their own pace.

Format
Use research from past events and pre-event communications to gain an understanding of the content individuals will value. Then tailor a format that allows small groups to engage in active learning around the topics of relevance to them.

Design a narrative that naturally steps people towards collaboration.
This shouldn’t mean having to spontaneously share thoughts with the entire audience. Rather it should see people working together in more intimate two's or three's. Allow time for people to reflect on things and encourage solo flights of thought before they collaborate.

Consider the physical setting, provide quieter seated areas where people can have deeper conversations or simply recharge. Think about the duration of your conference and ensure that people feel able to skip fringe drinks receptions.

Facilitation
A traditional one-way presentation format has no need for facilitation, but as you involve your audience more, the need for support increases. Good facilitators are expert at appealing to all personality types and will help you avoid the pitfalls you might find on the path to delivering a more participative event.

Q&A
Move your Q&A from being the preserve of the vocal few by using an app. Some of these go beyond simple question functionality and allow the audience to see all the questions being asked and vote the most pertinent to the top. Ensure people can ask questions via digital channels at any point before, during or after the event.

Networking
Encourage people to self-categorise on registration and to book one-on-one meet-ups during the event with people they’re likely to share genuine interests. Use topic zones or topic tables to make the networking more efficient and less reliant on small talk. In short, deliver context.

Social Media
The social channels around your event are the perfect place for people to connect and contribute on their own terms. The key is integrating the social content back into the event and vice versa.

In Conclusion
For events to deliver true value they need to treat the audience as participants. But in doing this we have to be mindful of the full spectrum of personality types. If we design events that appeal only to extroverts, we not only alienate a large proportion of the audience, we lose the reflective expertise and focus that introverts bring to the world.

-Jez Paxman