Choosing a Theme
Choosing your theme's tagline is critical because it provides the centerpiece idea from which the meeting presenters will focus on. They must reinforce the key messages of the event that will be the clear call to action when everyone leaves. It is a challenge to continually come up with great meeting themes. I have compiled a list of some of the themes I have seen over the years for you. I hope it can help you brainstorm potential options. A few thoughts before you get to the list.
If speaking at that many conventions has taught me anything it is this:
Less is more!
Most of the time I see the leadership forcing the meeting planner trying to put too much information into one event. Try to make the breakout sessions shorter than planned. Use the room set-up recommendations I suggest in that document for all meeting rooms. Make the breaks longer and give the participants more opportunities to network.
Do not go more than 60 minutes without giving them the opportunity to stand up – do something! Ask them a question, have them stand and share the answer with a neighbor, do a massage and play some upbeat music, do some stretches, play a game – anything. Unless you want to lose them, do not put multiple speakers back to back to back to back to back to back. Give them time to share best practices in an effective forum. And finally:
Have a Clear Call to Action
What do you want them to do when they leave? Use a speaker like myself to tie it all together and get the participants clear on what they will do when they leave the event.
After you have selected your theme, you can creatively intertwine elements of the theme into each aspect of your meeting:
- Create a logo, PPT template for the presenters.
- Choose a color scheme.
- Clarify what the theme means for all presenters and what the leadership has decided to be the key messages – communicate effectively.
- Send out teaser invitations by mail, email, audio and video clips.
- Have your speaker record special video messages in advance to send out.
- Coordinate special events, meals, experiences tied into your theme.
- Look at potential teasers/gifts to be placed into the hotel rooms that can tie into your theme.
- Order ad specialty items that incorporate the theme - like shirts, bags, T-shirts, hats, pens, flash drives, etc. Even better, make them a surprise when they return to their hotel room.
- Outfit your staff with special shirts with the meeting theme logo so they stand out.
- Create a follow-up program with a survey to ensure that the proper messages were received.
- Consider recording key messages from the presenters for Mp3 downloads or send out a CD/DVD to reinforce the messages.
A World of Opportunities
A Whole New World
A Celebration of Success
A Spectrum of Opportunities All Systems Go
Anything is Possible
Back to the Future
Back On Top
Becoming Agents of Change Be Extraordinary
Beat (name of biggest competitor)
Better and Consistent
Beyond All Limits
Breakthrough To Excellence
Breaking Barriers
Breaking Down Barriers
Breakthrough Performance
Breakthrough To Excellence
Check out my
Building on the Best
Building for the Future
California Dreamin' (Tie into the location of the event)
Commitment to Excellence
Creating Customer Connections
Creating Connections-Building Bridges...Together
Creating Connections: Co-operating with Competition
Challenge Yourself
Charting the Course Customer Focus
Discovering Natural Treasures
Dedicated To Your Success
Develop the Possibilities
Discover the Difference
Do Great Things
Don't Stop Believing Evolving With Our Business Everything Counts
Expect the Best
Exceeding the Vision
Explore the Possibilities
Exploring the Possibilities
Facing the Future -
Together
Facing Forward
Facing the Challenges
Focus on Success
Focus on the Future
Fusing Power and People
Gaining the Edge
Get Momentum
Get Switched On! (My personal favorite!)
Get the Edge
Getting It Done
Getting You Prepared for 200_
Got Momentum
Growing Your Business
Great Expectations
Guide Their Journey: Improving Customer Service
Higher, Faster, Stronger
Historic Proportions
Homecoming 201_
It Starts with Us
Igniting Team Spirit
Ingenuity @ Work
Innovate, Integrate, Motivate
Innovation Integration
In It to Win It
Journey To the Top
Keep ‘em Rollin
Leadership Next: Defying Gravity
Leadership: Share the Vision
Leadership: Precision & Performance
Leadership Challenge
Leadership Conference: Guiding the Way into the 21st Century
Leading the Way
Leadership: Sharing the Vision
Legendary Leadership Lessons
Lighting the Future
Meeting the Challenge
Making a Difference
Make it Happen
Make it Matter!
Make Every Connection Matter!
Millennium: Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present, Shaping the Future
Moving to Mastery
Make the Member Connection—Mission Possible
New Economy Efficiencies/Old Economy Relationships
Next Generation Leadership
Navigating the Future Operation Excellence
People, Process & Performance Peak Performance
Partners in Excellence
Prism of Possibilities
People, Purpose & Passion: The Pathway to Success Pump Up Your Sales Success
Partners in Progress
Performance Driven
Pride and Performance
Play to Win
Portraits of Success
Power of the Past – Force of the Future
Peak Performance
Power Up!
Quality Connections Ready, Set, Grow Right time - Right now
Rev Up Your Business
Selling Beyond Price
Sharing Solutions
Share the Vision
Shaping the Future
Showtime!
Success Oriented
Shoot for the Stars
Strategies for Success
Success through Synergy
Service You Can Trust
Switch It On
Swing For the Fences
Team (name of company)
Together Towards Tomorrow
The Challenge of Change
The Power of You
The _____________ Experience
The Pride and the Promise
Takin' It to the Streets
The Power of Performance
The International Business Forum: Where Worlds Meet
The Future is Today
The Measure of Tomorrow
Taking Charge of Change
The Spirit of Adventure: Journey into the 21st Century
Today's Vision: Tomorrow's Reality
Think Big
Take Action
Team Impact
Understanding What's Important Viva Las Vegas
Waves of Change: Oceans of Opportunity We Create Opportunity
Where Technology Shapes Solutions
We Are All In
We've Got the Power Winning Together
Working Together Wins
Yes We Can
Your Most Important Asset – People You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet Call me directly and I will help you in any way I can put on a tremendous event. The right theme and the right speaker to bring it home can make all the difference.0
You can contact me directly at 865-300-2742 or complete the form below.
