Sound n' Sight

9 Brain Friendly Tips For Event Pros From a Neuroscience Researcher

At the recent Event Camp East Coast, particpants created a program that included a fascinating session on neuro-science inspired tips for event planners by Brain Researcher Andrea Sullivan.  Here are nine of my takeaways from it.

1 - To Create Rapport, Mirror Body Language

Have an important client meeting or job interview coming up? Watch the body language of the person you are meeting with and do your best to unobtrusively replicate it.  According to Andrea, when you match the body language of another person, it helps to put them at ease and create an easier rapport.

2 - Filter The Information You Are Receiving

Brain evolution hasn’t caught up to cultural evolution so the non-stop flow of information from social media sites, television and everything else can be extremely overwhelming.  Filtering the information that you are exposed to helps to keep you from being overloaded.

3 - Schedule Frequent Breaks, White Space at Conferences

If you want people to be present during sessions you have to give them something else to do while digesting information, according to Andrea.  Frequent breaks and white space allow for this. 

4 - Give Thought to the Environment in Your Sessions

The neutral colors that so many conference and meeting rooms are decorated in do not stimulate the brain enough. Consider adding plants, artwork and some colors to the room.

In addition, consider the furniture. A study found that people who sit in rigid chairs are less flexible in negotiations, explained Andrea. So if you want people to be flexible, give them cushy chairs.

If you want to ensure attendees stay awake during sessions, stay away from dramatic, night club style lighting. More light keeps you awake.

5 - Offer a Choice

When you give people choices (in sessions) they are much more present and engaged, said Andrea. One easy way to encourage people to exercise their freedom of choice is to do what participant driven conference organizers Adrian Segar and Joan Eisenstodt do. At the start of the conference they make it clear that if at any time conference participants feel the need to leave the room to switch sessions, get a snack, go to their room to take a nap or for any other reason they are supported in doing so.

6 - Help the Brain to Sleep

People must sleep. It helps them learn better because the brain consolidates memories during sleep.

Amber light is more relaxing and better for encouraging sleep. Blue light inhibits melatonin negatively, thus affecting sleep.

Andrea sharied an exercize to train yourself to turn off your brain and prepare for sleep. Lying in bed, on your in breath say to yourself “stop thinking” on your out breath say ”go to sleep.”

7 - Provide Brain-Friendly Food

As Andrea notes, this is huge! Snacks made with white sugar and flour will create a sugar crash in your attendees. Protein snacks and more complex carbohydrates give the brain what it needs to stay alert and on an even keel.

Also, consider the salt content in the snacks you provide.  According to Andrea, within 30 minutes of eating it, salt affects your circulation – affecting blood flow to your brain.

8 - Put Learning Into the Body

Reinforce what attendees are learning by including activities that put the body in motion.

Along those lines, although not for everyone, note taking can give people a kinesthetic aspect to learning.

9- Consider the Brains of Digital Natives

Those who grew up using computers, or digital natives, have different brains from others, said Andrea. To meet the learning requirments of these attendees make sure to include more interaction, participation and collaboration.

(Photo by dierk schaefer)

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