Your brain is the hardware of your body; it’s involved in everything you do – every action, whether it’s voluntary or involuntary, is powered by your brain. When our brains play such an active role in overall health, why don’t we exercise them as we do the rest of our bodies? Adult learning has become a widely accepted tool for those looking to increase their brain health, improve intellectual capacity, and ward off Alzheimer’s, and brain games are now recognized to be a great way to improve conference retention among attendees.
Research shows that cognitive function is most supported by consistent use of the brain. Since the brain is part of every decision you make and is responsible for attaching a particular feeling to a life event, attendees are that much more likely to relate a particular feeling or memory to attending your conference when taking part in activities that utilize their brain power.
With all of the facts, figures, charts and graphs attendees are presented with, they often experience information overload. When this happens, it’s that much more difficult for them to retain everything that is thrown at them in such a short period.
By challenging attendees intellectually, you improve their attention span, memory retention, and subsequently prolong engagement at your conference. It’s a fine line to walk; you want to challenge them, but you don’t want to make the information so challenging that they’re unable to take it all in.
How do you know if you’re improving learning retention, not completely turning your audience off?
Many conference organizers are exploring technological options when they consider conference learning tools. For example, our Group Competition Module, an add-on module for our OptionPower audience response software, allows conference participants to not only engage in group polling, but also quizzes and games. These simple activities are sufficient to stimulate brain activity, helping the attendees to recall the substance of the conference with greater ease.
When an attendee returns to the office and shares with their supervisor how fun it was to participate in such unique, personalized, and challenging activities, that decision maker is that much more likely to see return on investment in sending them in the future, thus improving conference retention.
Brain games are just one conference learning tool that helps to make a positive mark on attendees, which can help ensure that your conference will be a must for teams in the future. For more tips on planning and producing a successful conference, download our free ebook.