Successful Outlook Conferences

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Successful Outlook Conferences

• AUBER Annual Conference Tucson, Arizona
• October 19, 2004

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Panel

• Essie Adibi, Chapman University
• Rajeev Dhawan, Georgia State
• Lee Reynis, University of New Mexico
• Keith Schwer, UNLV

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1. Start with a Framework

• Have a clear expectation of what you want to
  achieve
• A good strategy is anchored in results, not
  problems or activities

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Some Questions?

• What did you expect to accomplish at your next
  Outlook Conference?
• How important is a national outlook for your
  conference?
• How important are special topics to the Outlook?

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2. Seek Your Comparative Advantage

• No one needs to keep doing what you or others
  have done in the past
• Work on improvements and changes

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Some Questions?

• What was the most important improvement in your
  Outlook that you have made in the last 5 years?
• Who is your nearest competition? What do you do
  differently?

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3. Identify your Market

• Successful Outlook Conferences means you have a
  focus that will exclude some groups

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Some Questions?

• Your focus?
• Who should not attend your Outlook?
• How do you let people know about the Outlook?

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4. Build on Opportunities

• Success seldom comes from great strategies to
  change the world
• Success usually comes from little ideas
• Dont focus on great things that might be
• Focus on what things can be

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Some Questions?

• What windows of opportunity have you seized
  upon in making your Outlook Conference better?
• What are likely to be future windows of
  opportunity?

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5. Make Things Happen

• Compress rather than extend the time things take
  load, fire, and aim
• Prolonging a process tends to erode energy

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Some Questions?

• What things do you do that shortens the time to
  get things done
• What are the most important things for you to get
  done and what are most important things for
  others?
• Do you have and use checklists and timelines?

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6. Keep Your Eye on the Target and do not
disturb the calm

• Structure, process, and timing need to connect to
  your desired outcomes for the Outlook Conference

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Some Questions?

• What programmatic things might you cite that you
  have learned from managing your Outlook
  Conferences?
• Do you have sponsors? How much do you charge
  sponsors? Conference fee?
• Length of time for the Outlook? How often per
  year? Special topics or sessions for sponsors?
• Do you share the program with others?

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Successful Outlook Conferences

• AUBER Annual Conference Tucson, Arizona
• October 19, 2004