Hands-On Workshops Draw Crowds & Applause

The room was packed. Most came with their laptops. The questions flew. Several left with new accounts on Google Reader, Twitter or LinkedIn. And the evaluations – top notch.

This was a local “chapter” meeting.

The program was conceived at another luncheon meeting on social media where we had a tour of blogs and wikis. The group asked so many basic questions that we responded by inviting members to come back for a hands-on guide to social media. We had hoped for 10-15 and got 25. Yes, social media is hot – but the comments that came back praised the format – the ability to listen and try.

Hands-on programs can create the excitement we’ve been talking about in the last couple of blog  postings (Local Events Bring Members Back  and Local Events That Draw Members).

For a twist on the idea, a banking chapter sponsored a Business Writing workshop. This full-day program began with a writing assignment submitted in advance. The presenter edited all the assignments and from them built the course about the common weaknesses and errors. She added a few good tips on writing and then gave them time to “correct” their papers. This worked particularly well because the assignment was directly related to their work.

When it gets tougher to draw member’s attention, you need to think more creatively. So, what hands-on workshops can (or has) your chapter hosted?