To the Point By Deborah Sexton

What Meetings Can Learn From Reality TV

Love them or hate them, reality shows dominate the airwaves — and almost certainly have influenced attendees’ expectations at face-to-face events.

I

don’t really watch a lot of television. I don’t have the time, or perhaps I should say that I don’t make the time.

But I’m well aware of the fact that the two most-watched shows this past spring were reality-TV competitions — “Ameri- can Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars.” Somewhere around 30 million people tuned in to watch the “American Idol” finals last month. Go channel surfing and you’re sure to land

on a reality program in one form or another. E! chronicles the everyday lives of celebrities, HGTV has built an empire on home-improve- ment reality shows, and even the History Chan- nel and the Discovery Channel have gotten in the game. Reality dating shows, social experi- ments, and cooking competitions have become immensely popular. There have even been some popular entries from the business world, includ- ing “The Apprentice,” “Shark Tank,” and “Undercover Boss.” And that doesn’t include those reality shows

that showcase outrageous behavior, which can only be called lowbrow. Even they have their share of loyal viewers who seem transfixed by the antics of their real-life characters. I can’t help but think that the proliferation of

reality TV has influenced attendees’ expectations at face-to-face meetings — and not necessarily in a bad way. After all, we’ve grown accustomed to hearing unscripted remarks from real people, not actors or talking heads. We’ve gotten used to getting behind-the-scenes access to places that were once off-limits — hospital rooms, board-

10 pcma convene June 2011

rooms, and dressing rooms. We love to feel like we’re part of the real-life drama, whether by casting our votes or discussing our favorites around the water cooler. Does this mean you should hold your next

meeting on a deserted island? Schedule attendees to compete in a ballroom-dance or singing com- petition? Of course not. But there is something to be said for incorporating what people like about reality TV into your meeting and mixing up the program. How you do that will depend on your type

of meeting and your attendees. Essentially, what I’m suggesting is that you consider changing up the format of some of your sessions so that they are less scripted. Maybe you can provide behind-the-scenes access to your event, such as we gave PCMA 2011 Convening Leaders at- tendees with a backstage look at the audiovisual setup during our general sessions at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Or you could incorporate a new or unusual venue to your lineup of events, and add more group discussions to sessions. One thing is certain: We all need to make sure attendees are integral participants in the pro- ceedings, not just passive spectators. Face-to-face meetings are a crucial part of

doing business. It’s up to us to be creative in how we engage our attendees and to stay in step with popular culture, which is largely defined by our TV-viewing habits. What ideas do you have for shaking up your meeting? Write me at deborah.sexton@pcma.org. n



FOOD NETWORK, HERE WE COME: Taking a cue from reality TV ourselves, Convene is channel- ing a little of Food Network’s “Din- ner: Impossible” and “Restaurant: Impossible” in this month’s cover story and CMP Series article (see p. 38). Find out what dif- ferent ideas top convention-center chefs came up with when asked to pre- pare a menu within specific parameters set by PCMA Senior Vice President of Meetings and Events Kelly Peacy, CAE, CMP.

Deborah Sexton President and CEO deborah.sexton@pcma.org

www.pcma.org

PHOTOGRAPH OF DEBORAH SEXTON BY MICHAEL ABRAMSON; ILLUSTRATION BY BO LUNDBERG