During a 3-year period, students who engaged in physically active lessons, on average, improved their academic achievement by 6 percent, while the control groups exhibited a 1 percent decrease.
- National Institutes of Health
Research shows that movement improves concentration, relieves stress, and increases retention. Any opportunity for students to move during class, from a ten minute standing break to a kinesthetic learning activity can positively impact student learning.
- University of Michigan
Vitamins and minerals are great helpers for brain activity, while supplements such as caffeine and sugar are not advisable due to their “quick high” effect. Caffeine in coffee, tea and soda drinks basically dehydrates attendees’ bodies and makes them more tired after a short-term alertness. This is why a lot of water is required for caffeine drinkers. Sugar is not recommended until the last part of the sessions, since it requires other nutrients in our body to digest. In this regard, the proper snack for attendees will include nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Lastly, alcohol is definitely brain-unfriendly, as it strongly depresses brain function and learning ability.
- UNLV Research Paper
In these meetings individuals exchange their data, conclusions, reasoning and questions with others. Although the cognitive benefits to the receiver of such an exchange are apparent, there is evidence that it is the speaker who makes the greatest cognitive gains from the exchange. Individuals organize information differently if they are going to present it to others than if they are trying to understand it solely for their own use. It is in the act of speaking that people tend to organize cognitively what they know.
- David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, Cooperative Learning Institute
All the research says it: You retain more information when your blood is flowing through your body and your brain is clear.
If attendee engagement means having a room full of participants who are actively listening, eagerly learning, and taking copious notes to put their learnings into action, then paying attention to the environment you are creating for them is key.
Event wellness consultants Olympian Meeting recommends keeping the 3 Ms in mind when planning your events: Movement, Meals, and Mindfulness.
I will add a fourth M: Mutuality - meaning collaboration and cooperation among fellow attendees.
By designing your event to incorporate movement breaks, choosing foods that drive positive brain function, giving space for attendees to clear their minds and process what they're learning, and offering interactivity and conversation with other participants to cement their learnings, you'll skyrocket attendee engagement and retention of information.
Here are a few suggestions to help in each category:
Movement
Begin the day with options for physical movement. For those who enjoy networking while doing this, a body weight fitness class, a morning walk or run, a yoga class, tai chi, or even offering personal trainers in the hotel gym are great ways to start the day. Give attendees time in the morning for this by delaying sessions starts (i.e. an 8am session start when the hotel gym doesn't even open until 7am is not helpful).
But incorporating movement throughout the day is also key and you can do this in fun ways that make the event more memorable.
We once played a game of Red Light, Green Light in the middle of a full-day conference, which not only got the contestants moving, but also got the bystanders cheering and laughing. A silly kid's game, some friendly competition, and a short 10-minute diversion boosted the energy in the room significantly.
Meals
As David T. Stevens always says, it's not about making everyone eat chicken and broccoli, but it's ensuring that protein, complex carbohydrates, and natural sugars from fruits are available to keep attendees fueled and present throughout the day.
I love going by the food principle of: Something people want, Something people need, and Something surprising.
"Something people want" includes actually delicious food choices that people want to eat. "Something people need" includes all dietary considerations and properly nutritious meals and snacks. And "Something surprising" means being playful with your offerings - A crepe bar for the 3pm snack break? Or a frozen banana experience for the morning snack?
Mindfulness
Ironically, it's taken me a while to get this one into my brain. When I see this word, I always think it means "meditation." But in reality, it's giving participants the space to let their brain process the day and the information they are receiving.
When we plan our agendas with just 10 minutes between sessions to hit the bathroom, grab a snack, and answer emails, we're not giving them brain space to think, process, and apply their learnings.
Expanding breaks to 30 minutes eats into the amount of information you can cram into their heads, but the reality is that you're not actually getting any more info in there anyway. Their cup runneth over. My solution runs into my fourth M...
Mutuality
What if you actually expanded the session times by 20 minutes and used that time to have participants form groups and talk to each other about what they just learned?
Imagine closing out your panel discussion 10 minutes early and asking the participants to talk with the people around them answering the same questions the panel was asked? It's not only a networking opportunity, but an opportunity to expand the knowledge gained from the session overall.
Or setting up the seating in your general session room into small living room groupings and letting attendees share key takeaways with each other after the keynote ends.
There are thoughtful ways to incorporate all of these M's into your event design to keep the energy flowing, the participants engaged, and the connections profitable.
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