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Sponsored Content By Ascend Integrated Media
A meeting daily gives a daily account of what’s happening at your annual meeting, bringing attendees a mix of news from sessions, what speakers are coming up, and more. (Getty Images)
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”
This famous newspaper-peddling phrase once called attention to the news of the day and drove hordes of people to the newsboy waving the paper overhead. Although times have changed and digital has become a competitive sidekick, the daily paper remains an exciting method of storytelling, especially within the scope of your annual meeting.
A meeting daily is just that — a daily account of what’s happening at your annual meeting. It’s written, produced and distributed on-site in easy-to-grab locations and it brings a mix of sessions and speakers to light. Of course the meeting daily isn’t your grandfather’s newspaper. Dailies may serve the same purpose, but they can be fun and informative. All it takes is a reimagining. The old adage, “remember your audience” is a good starting point. From there, the sky’s the limit.
Snackable Content
When you remember your audience, it’s important to consider the speed at which consumers operate. They want quick information in an easy-to-digest format — snackable, if you will. As such, various story treatments can make the information more appealing. For example, try telling a story in a Q&A format, as a bullet and graphic combination, or as short “pearls” of important takeaways.
Grab ’em Graphics
This is where it gets fun. A picture really is worth a thousand words. When combining today’s technology and human talent, design capabilities can produce both appealing and informative meeting dailies. It adds visual interest to functionality. Take for example, infographics. This mix of data/content and graphics tells a story with words and images. It draws the reader’s eye directly toward the news. It allows readers to digest short helpings of information, supported by a graphic representation.
Designers have a multitude of tools at their disposal, from subscription-based stock art to design software that drives original design and layout. Combining these tools to create a proprietary look for your meeting daily makes it yours and brings consistency to your organization’s brand.
Call it Out
Don’t wait for the reader to reach an intriguing quote or piece of data within the body of a story. Call it out as a design element. A call-out is usually set apart from the story on the same page, but highlighted by different type and color. A call-out is determined by the value of the information in the story. Choose wisely on what to call out to make it stand out.
Look and Feel
Don’t ignore the packaging of your meeting daily. Work with professionals to select the proper elements of production, from paper stock to print quality.
Read All About It!
Yesterday’s newsboy has given way to an army of meeting daily distribution points. This includes well-placed newsstands within the exhibit hall and on the registration floor, as well as team of friendly people eager to distribute the paper to passersby.
To take a page from The New York Times, your meeting daily can be “all the news that’s fit to print.” But who says it can’t be fun, too!
Ascend Integrated Media is a Gold Award recipient of the American Media & Publishing organization’s Newspapers, General Excellence Award.
