How To: Work with a visualiser at a conference

Conferences are full of rich conversations, fresh ideas and expert insights. But when speakers are moving at pace and introducing unfamiliar concepts, it's impossible for people to absorb everything they hear.

Before you know it, the session is over. Participants leave with pages of notes (or none at all), a head full of ideas and a long list of actions, wondering how everything they've heard will translate once they're back at work.

This is where visuals come in.

Visuals make meaning visible. They translate abstract ideas into images and words that help people understand, remember and act.

They also invite participation and contribution, with engagement lasting beyond the event itself.

Interestingly, memory continues to consolidate after we've learned something, particularly during sleep. That's one reason why post-event content matters just as much as the event itself.

Working with a visualiser doesn't just help people engage during your conference. It helps key messages live on long after the final session has ended.

Many conference organisers hire a visualiser to capture the key ideas from the day. But creating a great visual isn't simply about turning up with pens and paper.

Working with a graphic recorder starts long before you step into the room. The best results come when you build a partnership, giving your visualiser the context they need to create something truly valuable.

One: Start the conversation early.

Don't wait until the agenda is finalised. Visualisers have supported hundreds of meetings and conferences and can be valuable thinking partners when you're designing your event.

Early conversations give you time to explore what success looks like, shape the visual approach together and allow the visualiser to prepare layouts, materials and logistics well in advance.

Two: Be clear about your purpose.

Be clear about what you want your conference to achieve.

How do you want participants to think, feel or act differently by the end of the event? How will the visuals support those outcomes?

When everyone understands the purpose, the visual becomes a tool that supports your event objectives.

Three: Position the visual thoughtfully.

The location of the visual matters. Participants should be able to see it developing throughout the day, speakers should be able to reference it and the visualiser needs to be able to clearly hear and see what's happening.

We've seen visualisers placed outside the main room or next to the coffee station, making it difficult for both the visualiser and participants to engage with it.

Whenever possible, position the visual at the front or side of the room so people can watch ideas emerge in real time and return to it during breaks to reflect and continue conversations.

Four: Give participants space to reflect.

Conferences often pack a huge amount of information into a short period of time. While some people enjoy moving quickly from session to session, others benefit from opportunities to reflect and connect ideas.

A visual provides a natural place for people to revisit key messages, spot patterns, discuss their learning and deepen their insight, while building on the collective wisdom of the group.

Sometimes the most valuable conversations happen in front of the visual during the coffee break.

Five: Introducing the visualiser

Introduce the visualiser at the start of the event, or even better, invite them to introduce themselves.

Let them explain who they are and what they’re there to do. Why the visual is being created and encourage participants to engage with it throughout the day.

When people understand its purpose, they're much more likely to contribute.

There’s nothing worse than not being introduced and participants wondering who they are and not engaging with the visual being created.

Six: Use the visual to summarise 

As the conference is coming to an end, display the visual for participants and talk it through. It will be a perfect summary of the day with all the key themes and learnings in one place. 

Seven: Think beyond the event

How will you use the visual once the conference is over? Shared with participants? To brief colleagues who couldn't attend? Revisited in follow-up meetings? Used as a new business tool for prospective clients? Shared on social media?

The most successful conference visuals continue creating value long after the final session has finished.

If you want to find out more about how to use the visuals we create to keep insights top of mind, read more here.