Sit in the Attendee’s Chair

My friend Joanne Dennison, CMP, helps others work towards the goal of sitting for, and earning their, CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) certification. One of the things she is passionate about is having the planner sit in the attendee’s chair. So much so that it’s the name of her podcast (which is great and you can listen to episodes on your current podcast platforms). It is a fundamental practice that many event planners overlook during the planning process because they’re often too busy running ahead, looking at the task lists in front of them, and concerning themselves with details. However, as Joanne emphasizes, you literally need to sit in the attendee’s chair. Like….get a chair, put it in the room, and sit down. Look around. Are you comfortable? Can you see the stage? Do your feet dangle? Is your back starting to cramp? Would you need a table to take notes? Is there a column blocking your view? What is the attendee actually experiencing in this room from their seat? This blew my mind.

I’m not going to give away all of Joanne’s tips here, but I do want to draw your attention to one of the resources she mentions in her class. It is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.¹ If you haven’t thought about this in reference to event planning, you’re missing out. This will take your planning to the next level. Maslow proposes that people function at maximum efficiency when their basic needs are met, but those needs must be met in a certain order. 

At the most basal level, our basic physiological needs must be met for us to function: water, food, shelter, clothing, etc. Moving up the pyramid is knowing that we’re safe. This includes predictability, order, and control in our lives. After this level is love and belonging. Do we have friends and family or community? Are there people we are doing life with? Next are esteem needs, which include self-esteem, confidence, achievement, and recognition, etc. And at the top of the triangle are self-actualization needs. This level is about personal growth and meeting one’s full potential. You have figured out your gifts and talents, are using them, and feel contentment in life.

Joanne took these concepts a step further and applied them to event planning. Genius. You can visit her website, The Meet Guide, for the full details, but she gave me permission to share the highlights here. If you are actually sitting in the attendee’s chair, let’s say in a breakout room, two of the basic physiological needs you want to consider might be room temperature and chair comfort. An attendee will be much more apt to focus on what’s being said if they’re not shivering or sweating, or thinking about the cramp in their back from an uncomfortable chair. At the safety level, one thing to consider is how crowded the room is. Did you exceed the capacity for the allowable number of chairs in the room? Are the aisles wide enough for someone to walk through them with their bag?

The next level up the pyramid is belonging. Here you might want to review how new attendees are welcomed into an annual event where other guests are returning, know one another, and could potentially make a newcomer feel like an outsider. If you treat a new attendee well, you will have covered the next level, which is esteem needs. People want to know they belong; that they fit in. If a new attendee is invited to a “New Here” reception the night before the event starts, by the time they sit in the first session, they will have had the opportunity to meet others, hear from the host organization’s leaders, and set proper expectations for the event.

And finally, if the event did what we all hope an event will do, you will have set an attendee up for success at the top level, self-actualization. They should have gleaned something from a session or speaker that either affirms something they are already doing or brings to light a talent they could use to a higher degree.

Seasoned planners are most likely to put themselves in attendees’ shoes. They can visualize what it might look like for a new attendee to drive onto the property, walk in, need to find where they’re going, and determine where directional signage should be placed. They can think through registration or check-in to determine how many lines, what types of signage is needed, and where to set up so attendees can move quickly through this process and begin their event experience. And they can brainstorm with their teams about the content arc that takes attendees on an intentional journey, so they leave with something practical, whether it’s a motivational event, a new product training, or an educational session. 

But, I’ll bet very few planner think about putting themselves in the attendees’ chair.

Does this thought blow your mind too? Share something that came to mind here or
send me an email.

1.Abraham Maslow. A Theory of Human Motivation. 1943.