BIG Outcomes From Small Gatherings
Author: Chris Gasbarro, Co-Founder of Ember Escapes & Owner and VP of Strategy of Ember
Reflecting on 14 years of running an event agency, one of many things I've learned is a small gatherings can take just as much effort as a large meeting or conference and the outcome or impact is often the same or even greater. Give me a sample size of 15 people for 3 days for an offsite versus 150 for a 3 day meeting at a hotel and it gets proven just about every time. The significant delta between the two? Quality of engagement.
Quick pulse check: In the 2 years of online/Zoom meetings, given 45 people on a Zoom call doing a presentation/Q&A versus 8 people on a TEAMS call, which is more effective? Which one creates more relationships, more retention, and more value for those attending?
There are only so many hours in a day and only so many people that one person can effectively engage with. That's why typically at a 3 day sales meeting or conference the agenda is mostly one-way communication. Very rarely does a 500 person meeting "solve" something, increase the culture barometer beyond a temporary spike or have an attendee walking away with a sense of personal connection. Now I'm not saying large meetings and events don't have their place. They do. Communicating a message, reinforcing skills, and spending time learning about a product or new service all have very measurable benefits and outcomes. It's just kinda like attending a 300 person wedding compared to 30 person intimate celebration.
Smaller meetings and events have a unique opportunity to move the needle with greater impact. A disjointed leadership team going away for 3 days to focus on getting on the same page on priorities creates significant ripples of organizational alignment. Getting a project team out of the office and into an environment where they can have fewer distractions and more give-and-take discussions, and where they have the time and space to push their minds to think differently accelerates timelines and outcomes. We've seen it time and again where more is accomplished in 3 days in person than in 6 months of fragmented meetings. Not to mention the renewed connection when everyone kicks back with a beverage of choice around the fire pit and toasts a job well done. That team's engagement will be better for months, maybe years to come for the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie.
This applies to all the wonderful small gathering formats like a team dinner celebrating a successful new product launch or a board retreat. Adding small gatherings to your toolbox to help your team & organization function better is a key ingredient to success in a more hybrid working world.