The Challenge
Our client needed a way to break up an intense, week-long training conference while still conveying high-value technical information to attendees. Instead of inviting another Health Care Provider onto the general session stage to walk attendees through a complicated series of data, our client wanted to develop an impactful workshop where attendees could interact directly with the information.
The other challenge? The only room available for this workshop was a hotel exhibit space with low ceilings, numerous columns, fire exits, and service pathways. And did we mention the other half of the room was being used throughout the week as the main meal hall for the conference’s 1,000+ attendees?
Experiential Design
We started by developing a vision for the space. Our team had produced a similar workshop the previous year, and this client was eager to adapt it for their own use. The idea for a coffee shop was quickly selected as the perfect way to create an intimate atmosphere in which authentic conversations could take place.
Our design team developed a custom brand for this workshop in order to create an identity for the space. We then turned the medical charts and data into framed coffee shop artwork that hung on the walls and served as the focal point for each station’s discussions.
We sourced a specialty, vintage rental company that was local to the event location. We worked with them to design a series of experiential training spaces by building custom walls, bringing in cozy furniture, and staging décor and live plants throughout the space.
Intimate Learning Environments
Attendees were broken up into groups of 10-12 people that rotated through a series of five stations. At each station, attendees were able to speak directly with an HCP about a specific part of their training materials. This allowed them to not only discuss the data, but also to talk through key selling strategies and best practices with fellow teammates.
Antique bookshelves and the room’s numerous columns were used strategically to section off each station, providing privacy and a feeling of intimacy, while still allowing attendees to rotate easily from one station to the next.
Café Success
Post-workshop feedback revealed that attendees loved the ability to interact with HCPs and ask questions directly. The unique setting (and free coffee!) was a highlight of the week. It was praised by key stakeholders as a valuable training tool that increased attendee engagement and information retention. Attendees left the workshops feeling empowered to return to their markets and share this information in detail with new and existing partners.
