F is for Federal and Fun

When we saw the headline, How to Entertain a Serious Audience, we immediately thought of government events. We know it is an overgeneralization and a misrepresentation that people who serve the government tend to be more serious, bureaucratic, and careful with their words, but there is some truth to this stereotype. With very real mandates around gifts, endorsements, and the reality of austere budgets, events for the federal sector cannot be as flashy as those for commercial-focused attendees. But that does not mean they cannot be fun.

While the day-to day work and missions of government audiences are incredibly important, vital, and sometimes even deadly serious, it does not mean they don't enjoy some levity. Here are a couple ideas to lighten the mood at events and create some fun differentiators in the crowded federal event marketplace. [Tweet "Ideas to lighten the mood at federal events and create some fun differentiators. #GovEventsBlog"]

• Get creative with session names - think about choosing a theme for session names. Maybe it's all song titles, classic literature, historical quotes, etc... and challenge your presenters to work their topics into the theme - even it is just for the title and the intro.

• Get non-government speakers - look for keynotes that are not from the government space but appreciate the work of public servants. Their outside opinions and even misunderstandings of the federal world can provide for some new and even fun perspectives. One example we've seen is Women in Technology who has a local news anchor emcee their annual awards program. She appreciates the work of the technologists though not being one herself makes light of the very technical terms in people's titles and bios and gasps in amazement at the acronyms used in government job descriptions. This gives everyone in attendance a chance to laugh a bit at themselves and the world they take for granted.

• Switch up the norm - think about starting the day with breakout sessions and panel discussions rather than the traditional keynote. Getting people involved in interactive sessions first thing might change the dynamic of the whole event. [Tweet "Switch up the norm - think about starting the day with breakout sessions. #GovEventsBlog"]

• Play games - look to integrate some easy, low-effort (for organizers and participants) games throughout the event. You could create a scavenger hunt or Bingo card for people to complete with phrases they hear throughout the event or intersperse trivia questions throughout the event for small prizes. Appealing to the competitive streak may get people more engaged in even the more mundane topics.

• Decorate - why not add some balloons or a fun prop for photo ops as part of the event décor. Think about putting items like play dough, Rubik's cubes etc... on tables. Some people think better and more creatively if their hands are busy. [Tweet "Some people think better and more creatively if their hands are busy. #GovEventsBlog"]

What have you seen at events that have gotten people to loosen their ties and shake off their jackets? We'd love to hear your thoughts on lightening the mood at federal events.