Second screen? What do you mean? Turning attendees into participants

Let's paint the picture - you're sitting in a hotel or convention center ballroom or breakout room with a screen or two, probably a lectern and a large unengaged group of "attendees" spending more time looking at their phone, tablet or laptop than they are at the proverbial talking head with an obligatory slide deck on the screen. Sound familiar?

For many presenters it sounds all too familiar. They have the best of intentions, usually accompanied by well thought out presentations with applicable content. Our workdays move at the speed of light. Humans require constant engagement, especially when they are captive audience. Why not give them what they're looking for, after all, they're already bringing with them and entranced by, a good portion of the technology to make this possible? Their second screens.

Long referred to as an Audience Response System, or ARS for yet another meeting acronym. It's the technology and process by which we're able to gain strategic, actionable, specific and trackable feedback/information while engaging the "attendee" using the very device(s) that can make even the most seasoned presenter cringe - their second screen. Effectively, we're turning attendees into engaged participants. Be it an audience survey, gamification, quizzing, message retention metrics or just general Q&A, second screen technology engages audiences as well as gives them a voice. With this voice, they no longer have to wave their hand and wait for someone to deliver a microphone (hopefully) and share an idea, thought or feedback in front of a room full of peers and colleagues or worse, their boss. What a concept. Seems like a no brainer, right? Well it certainly could be, but there are a couple important things to consider prior to jumping into the increasing trend!

The most obvious and probably most frequent roadblock for employing technology like this in many cases, is cost. Surely this type of engagement comes with an investment. Organizers can't turn a blind eye to this concern. In a world where we're all being asked to do more with less, how could we? Therefore it becomes incumbent upon stakeholders to consider and/or quantify the value of the information you are receiving from your participants. It bares repeating, if deployed with purpose, you will be capturing strategic, actionable, specific and trackable feedback/information. Stakeholders must consider the value of that information and the costs it would require to capture it, outside the gathering space and in a vacuum. The investment is often a fraction of the cost.

You've got budget? Great. Let's get started. Make no mistake proper deployment is critical. You must have a plan for your engagement. Have the important conversations with your meeting and event stakeholders to best determine your plan of action.

They're traditionally the drivers of key take-aways and often the group distilling captured information into tangible traction and ROI. This will enable you to begin with the end in mind. Determine what outcomes and objectives you're seeking and develop a plan. What feedback are you looking for? Will this feedback have reach outside the session doors though the use of social media? Are we able to distill down the information we're gathering to meaningful data that will support our objectives? How? Getting this critical information will not only set the stage for a variety of technology solutions, but it will be the architecture for your how you best utilize it.

And of course as with any technology, and certainly that with which connectivity is essential, be certain your meeting or convention venue is adequately equipped with appropriate bandwidth. This will best equip participants to engage fully in the program. While not all will adopt early, the more exposure and accessibility to the technology will absolutely encourage the unlikely, to join in the activity.

There are certain ancillary benefits as well as this type of engagement will surely put speakers on notice.

I challenge meeting organizers to take their gathering to the next level by embracing technology. It is yet another tool in your toolbox to deliver positive results. I also caution you, have a plan. Nothing worse than asking someone for their opinion and not listening.

Nothing worse than asking someone for their opinion and not listening.

• Tony Sansone is a hospitality consultant in the suburbs.