A new type of event was born at the Doral Arrowwood in Rye Brook, NY, June 3-4, 2010. The first annual Enterprise Engagement Alliance Networking Expo & Conference, a synergistic blend of Education, Exhibits and Events, was roundly praised by attendees and participants alike as an unqualified, first-of-its-kind success.

“Our goals were to create a valuable experience for all concerned by defining the emerging field of Enterprise Engagement, provide education sessions that addressed its key components, lay the groundwork for a formal curriculum and certification, and test a new type of show concept that consists of conversation centers and networking opportunities instead of booths,” notes Bruce Bolger, President of Selling Communications, Inc., one of the event’s main sponsors. “We hoped to create a model for a new type of event.”

Dates for 2011 have just been announced. The 2nd Annual EEA Networking Expo & Conference will take place June 15-16, and is slated for the Doral Arrowwood. Program content from this year’s event will be used to develop a formal Engagement Curriculum for Certification and Continuous Learning that will be released at the 2011 event. The program will be directed by an advisory board composed of management in all areas of the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Claire Howells, Vice President of Engagement for Zions Bancorporation, and Don Peppers, Partner, Peppers & Rogers Group, will serve as co-chairs of the Executive Advisory Board.

A Comprehensive View

What made the EEA Networking Expo so unique among conferences and trade shows? It signaled the coming together of numerous cutting-edge concepts in seminar content, exhibit design, scheduling and environment that reflected the same holistic, “enterprise-wide” approach the EEA takes to engagement – a broad-based, comprehensive view of people, performance and profitability and how they work together to affect corporations in a positive way.

“It’s a great hybrid – an improvement on the traditional trade show,” notes Chris Harrison, VP Special Markets at Brinkmann Corporation. “I’d say it’s a home run. It has the feel of engagement. We can sit around a table and help buyers and other attendees plan things out.”

“The industry was clearly looking for a small, intimate opportunity to talk and learn where there’s time for quality conversation and an exchange of ideas,” says EEA Chairman Allan Schweyer. “One of our partners calls the concept ‘Future Show’ – an event that’s about relationship-building, discovery, problem-solving and collaboration.”

There were really two things going on at once,” says Jim Dittman, Founder and President of Dittman Incentive Marketing. “You had an opportunity for brands to be talking to major incentive company buyers. But then you had the education, which really is primarily designed for the corporate end-user. And I believe that any corporate people who were there probably went away saying, ‘That was truly worthwhile.’”

Key Components

The venue for the EEA Networking Expo, the Doral Arrowwood in Westchester County, NY, was chosen specifically for its proximity to major East Coast markets, and also because it’s relatively secluded and offers a resort-style experience that maximizes networking opportunities and relaxed interaction. The property is a favorite for corporate events run by nearby Pepsico, and the Arrowwood is also home to the Pfizer Learning Center.

“I thought the venue was good; it was very conducive to those sort of accidental conversations you have with folks over meals, at a coffee break, or at some of the cocktail receptions,” notes Tom Miller, President and CEO of The Miller Company. “I met a few people, and I had conversations with people I already know that were very beneficial. I thought the facilities were excellent. It was a great place to have a meeting.”

Content for the EEA Networking Expo was custom-tailored to attendees because they had direct input into the program via social networking and surveys run by the EEA’s Web portal at www.enterpriseengagement.org. As with attendees and exhibitors, the education program reflected a multi-disciplinary approach, covering the broad range of strategies and tactics that fall under the Engagement umbrella.

“The content was very good,” says Jeff Booher, Vice President of Spear One. “I went to maybe three of four of the Breakout Sessions and all of the general sessions. All of them were great. And the venue was wonderful. I think it’s good to have it out of the city. Fewer people were distracted and wanted to go do other things. And the networking with other attendees was a great value.”

 “The whole show and the conference was more than I expected,” says Laura Lee Pullara, Director of New Business Development for Bulova. “The quality time that we were able to spend with each person was exceptional. I thought the hotel and the conference were very well put together.”

The Expo also featured a unique exhibitor set-up developed by the Hughes Group as part of its Future Show concept. Instead of traditional booths where exhibitors stand behind counters stacked with literature, “Conversation Centers” featured group seating, Internet access and signage, separated from other exhibitors by a unique translucent barrier. “The Future Show concept is a new way to get face-to-face with customers that’s more economical than the traditional sales trip,” says company Founder and President Robert Hughes. “By offering sponsors a semi-private place to meet with customers, along with interesting learning and networking opportunities for all, the Future Show becomes a way to see 15 to 30 customers in two days instead of two weeks and talk about the big picture, as well as specific business needs.”

“I thought the idea of having the plenary sessions in a room ringed by some of the brands’ exhibits was very smart,” notes Jim Dittman. “I also thought that the construct of the exhibits – it’s almost not right to call them exhibits – the way they were done, with translucent, brightly colored screens and the set-up, was very conducive to intimate business meetings, as opposed to a trade show with people hawking their wares.”

“It was one of the best shows I have attended in a long, long time,” says Joe Hafenscher, VP Sales, Special Markets, at Fuji Film N.A. “You guys got it right having qualified buyers, and I think the buyers also enjoyed the event from all the feedback I got. The quality of attendees stopping by our booth was the best part of the show. We had consistent traffic for a full two days, and every single conversation was with a legitimate buyer within our industry.”

Overall, I think it was very good,” says Mike Murphy, Director – Supply Chain at Incentium. “When you compare it to other trade shows – where you go and stand around and meet someone for maybe 30 seconds to a minute versus this one where you can sit down and actually talk about business – it’s a very nice change.”

About the Enterprise Engagement Alliance

The mission of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance is to provide research and education to help organizations profit from this growing interdisciplinary field that connects people, performance and profitability. Founders of the EEA include Peppers & Rogers Group and its 1to1 Media division; the Human Capital Institute; and Selling Communications Inc. PollStream, at PollStream.com, provides polling tools and expertise to help large organizations shape their corporate culture so that it’s more connected, collaborative and productive.

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