Do you want to approach serious congresses in a hip way? That's exactly what a congrestival does. The serious, sometimes boring content is draped with a nice festival-sauce. That way, your congress becomes a true experience. This latest trend is developing rapidly.
How one experiences a festival these days: you walk from one stage to the other and you select what appeals to you the most. Meanwhile, you halt at one of the many food stands and pick from a wide variety of dishes. So what if you apply these principles to a congress?
Open programme
You bring the content in the form of a festival. Instead of offering closed workshops and presentations, you organize open stages which your participants can freely enter and exit. Take for instance a stand on a medical congress where you can actually try out the latest type of wheelchair.
Festival-like location
The experience is key to the congrestival. And the location adds to that experience. If you're going to stay in the traditional congress centres, then think of a nice way to fill them up. You can also find original locations with large open spaces such as old factory halls. Alternately, you can host the congress in a festival-like field and organize the workshops in tents.
Innovative catering
The large catering buffets are history. You should try food and drinks stands with an experience. Baristas who serve a beautiful cup of coffee, bartenders who prepare healthy cocktails, live cooking stands, ... You can also make use of food trucks. There are plenty of good and original options. These ingredients turn the congrestival into a hybrid between a playful festival and a serious congress, with one central element: the experience. And that experience ensures that the content is memorable.
Source: Photo: Het Zorginnovatie Congrestival | Mirella Boot Fotografie
