The shift back to large, in-person conferences has begun after what seems like a lifetime—well, for us anyway. For example, LPL’s Focus conference, one of the largest conferences for investment advisors, was held in person and chalked full of educational and networking opportunities. At a large-scale event like this, ensuring your breakout CE session stands out against others is crucial for a fruitful turnout. To help you do so, we’ve compiled our best tips to increase the success of your presentation.
Tip #1: Bring a Subject Matter Expert
Kick your session up a notch by asking a representative from your firm or an outside source to talk about their experience and expertise on the matter. While your presenter is sure to know the ins and outs of your breakout session, inviting a subject matter expert to speak during your session is a great way to standout and add credibility to your presentation. Now, what constitutes being an expert? Typically, an expert is considered to be someone who has either been published in a professional newsletter, written a book about the matter, spoken on panels, and/or been interviewed on the subject. Someone who has been tenured or has many years of field experience could also be considered an expert.
Tip #2: Make Sure Content is Timely + Relevant
During the session creation process, it’s important that the information being added is both timely and relevant to your audience. Ask yourself, who is your audience? Are you hosting in an area where covering state-specific regulation is best? Or is a general CE overview the way to go? Is your audience more tailored to a certain vehicle? Has your content been updated recently or is the information past its prime? Keep these questions in consideration to guide your presentation.
Tip #3: Use Tech to Boost Session Engagement
Utilizing a technological element during your session is perfect for an added engagement factor. Inserting interactive pieces such as a polling feature helps break up the monotony and see in real time that your audience is connected to the material.
Tip #4: Hook Your Audience with a Catchy Title
Half the battle of drawing in a good turnout is hooking people with a title that stands out against the rest. Especially at larger conferences with congruent breakouts, this is your one chance to draw more advisors to your session over others. Your session title is the first big impression, so make it count! Using numbers (ex. 10 Must know Retirement Planning Mistakes for your Clients), adding descriptive words that encapsulate the subject, and being clear and concise are a couple parameters to keep in mind.
Tip #5: Have Fun & Collect Feedback at the End
Finally, having fun during your presentation is another key to making your session a hit. Don’t be afraid to crack a joke as an ice breaker or include a pop culture reference in your material. Engaging with your audience is great for building rapport and keeping your session interesting. Also, asking for feedback after concluding is helpful for future sessions. Find out what worked (or didn’t!) and use that as a resource when building sessions for other upcoming conferences.
While we have full faith that you’ll crush your breakout session after reading through these tips, if the next battle is getting your content approved, we’re here to help. Send us an email at info@questce.com or fill out a contact form here for more information on the approval process.