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Association Conferences: Legacy and Impact
ASSOCIATIONS hold conferences in various destinations, local and international. However, there have been noticeable changes in the way conferences are now organized, e.g., use of more digital tools, deployment of hybrid options and concern for the environment. So “business as usual” no longer applies in organizing conferences. A new legacy and impact planning methodology for conferences is emerging.
This was the premise of a recent webinar that the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) conducted for its members and partners. Entitled “How to Leverage a Congress to Generate Positive Impact with your Local Partners: A New 4-step Methodology,” the webinar was presented by Gemmeke de Jongh of the Visit Flanders Convention Bureau in Belgium. Visit Flanders, the official convention bureau for Flanders and Brussels, launched its Vision 2050 in 2019 themed “Travel to Tomorrow,” which is about creating a balance among the conference destination residents, visitors, entrepreneurs and the host place of the event. For conferences, Visit Flanders has shifted from “more” to “better” and with a stronger purpose and value for associations. The shift aims to achieve long-term positive societal impact that actively supports the needs of local stakeholders.
To distinguish, legacy is a “gift,” i.e., something that was produced and inherited from a past action or decision which is from the point of view of the legacy creator (organization-centric). Impact is the change generated over time by an activity that yields value to stakeholders and is from the point of view of the beneficiary (end user-centric).
For its legacy-impact initiative, Visit Flanders has developed a four-step planning methodology as follows:
1. Define. Identifying and engaging stakeholders, determining the intended impact, mapping outcomes, and establishing activities and outputs, and building capacity through training activities
2. Manage. Knowing the impact ecosystem, mapping event activities (how they currently deliver value as well as pinpointing additional activities), drafting and sharing a project plan, engaging and managing all stakeholders, and implementing and monitoring the project
3. Measure. Designing the measurement strategy, curating relevant indicators, planning, collecting and analyzing data and aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
4. Maximize. Developing the communication strategy, storytelling and reporting the impact achievements and learning and using the findings
Visit Flanders also has its “legacy makers” who serve as ambassadors in spreading the word and its work on legacy and impact. It also is part of the International Alliance for Im- pact, a newly-formed informal network of 15 like-minded destination management organizations and convention and visitors’ bureaus whose goal is to share and learn, communicate and be involved and do business exchange.
Association-organized conferences are more than just events on the calendar; they are catalysts for growth, innovation and positive change. As we embrace the future, it is essential to recognize and support the transformative power of these gatherings, ensuring that they continue to shape a brighter, more informed and connected world. The experience of Visit Flanders is one good example of going beyond merely meeting and networking in a destination and really creating a legacy and impact in that destination and its people.
Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org.
BY ADRIENNE WOOD University of Virginia
LAUGHTER is an everyday reminder that we humans are animals. In fact, when recorded laughter is slowed down, listeners can’t tell whether the sound is from a person or an animal. We throw our heads back and bare our teeth in a monkeylike grin. Sometimes we double over and lose our ability to speak for a moment, reverting temporarily to hooting apes. And just as hoots and howls help strengthen bonds in a troop of primates or a pack of wolves, laughter helps us connect with others.
Laughter is evolutionarily ancient. Known as a “play signal,” mammalian laughter accompanies playful interactions to signal harmless intentions and keep the play going. Chimps laugh. Rats laugh. Dogs laugh. Perhaps even dolphins laugh.
And laughter is an essential feature of human social interactions. We laugh when we’re amused, of course. But we also laugh out of embarrassment, politeness, nervousness and derision.
I’m a psychology researcher who studies how people use laughter to connect, and sometimes disconnect, with others. For humans, laughter has expanded from its original function as a play signal to serve a variety of social functions.
Laughter smooths social interactions
AMUSED laughter is a response to what scholars of humor call a “benign violation”—a situation that could represent a threat but that the laughing person has concluded is safe. (Psychologists love to ruin good things like comedy by overexplaining them.)
Laughter is a way to communicate that an interaction is playful, harmless and unserious. It’s often not a reliable sign that a person is having a good time, even though people sometimes laugh when they are enjoying themselves. An awkward exchange, a misunderstanding, a mocking joke—all these potentially uncomfortable moments are smoothed over by laughter. My colleagues and I were curious about whether the tendency to laugh is a trait that is consistent for each person regardless of context or whether it depends on whom they’re interacting with. In one study, we had people talk to 10 strangers in a series of one-on-one conversations. Then we counted how many times they laughed.
To our surprise, we found that how often a person laughs—at least when talking to strangers—is fairly consistent. Some people are laughers, and others are not. Whom they were talking to didn’t have a strong effect. At least in our sample, there weren’t hilarious partners who made everyone they talked to laugh. We found that the people who tended to laugh more enjoyed the conversations less. If you intrinsically enjoy talking to strangers and feel comfortable doing so, you may not feel the need to laugh a lot and smooth out the interaction—you trust it is going well. However, people felt they had more in common with these big-time laughers.
So in conversations between strangers, laughing a lot is not a sign of enjoyment, but it will make your partners feel similar to you. They will be likelier to agree that the two of you have something in common, which is a key ingredient in social connection. I suspect people borrow and transform the play signal of laughter to influence situations that, on their face, have nothing to do with play.
Laughter sends a message
WE humans have remarkable control over our voices.
Not only can we speak, but we can also alter the meaning of our words by modifying our vocal pitch, vowel placement, breathiness or nasality. A breathy “hello” becomes a flirtatious advance, a growly “hello” becomes a threat, and an upturned, high-pitched “hello” becomes a fearful question.
This got me thinking: Maybe people change the sound of their laughter depending on what they want to communicate.
After all, while some forms of laughter are considered uncontrollable—the kind that leaves you physically weak and running out of oxygen—most everyday laughter is at least somewhat under your control.
It turns out that there are already a lot of studies looking at different forms of laughter. Although their perspectives and methods differ, researchers agree that laughter takes many acoustic forms and occurs in many different situations.
The most popular approach for categorizing the many forms of laughter is to sort them by the internal state of the person laughing. Is the laughter “genuine,” reflecting a true positive state? Or is it the result of embarrassment, schadenfreude or mirth?
I wasn’t satisfied with those approaches. Laughter is a communicative behavior. To me it seems we should therefore categorize it according to how it influences the people listening, not based on how the person felt while laughing.
The word “cat” transmits the same information to a listener regardless of whether the speaker loves or loathes felines. And the effect of a giggle on a listener is the same regardless of how the giggler feels, assuming the giggle sounds the same.
Pleasurable, reassuring or threatening
WITH the communicative nature of laughter in mind, my colleagues and I proposed that laughter can be boiled down to three basic social functions—all under the cloak of playfulness.
First, there’s reward laughter. This type is most clearly linked to laughter’s evolved role as a play signal. It is pleasurable to hear and produce, thus making a playful interaction even more enjoyable.
Then there’s affiliation laughter. It conveys the same message of harmlessness without delivering a burst of pleasure. People can use it to reassure, appease and soothe. This is the most common laughter in everyday conversations—people punctuate their speech with it to ensure that their intentions aren’t misconstrued.
Finally, there’s dominance laughter. This type turns the nonserious message on its head. By laughing at someone, you are conveying that they are not worth taking seriously. My colleagues and I have identified acoustic properties of laughter that make it sound more rewarding, friendly or dominant.
I have also found that people change how their laughter sounds during conversations that emphasize those three social tasks. The changes are subtle because the context—the situation, the people’s relationship, the conversation topic—does a lot to clarify a laugh’s meaning.
There is no such thing as a fake laugh. All laughter serves genuine social functions, helping you navigate complex social interactions. And because you look and sound so silly while doing it, laughter ensures no one takes themselves too seriously. THE CONVERSATION
By Eugenia Last
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS
DAY: Dustin Milligan, 38; Sally Struthers, 76; Jim Davis, 78; Peter Cullen, 82.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Discipline is a prerequisite to achieving what you set out to do this year, so take your time and do things right the first time. Refuse to let outside interference shred your confidence or allow others to take advantage of you. Trust in your intelligence and know what’s best for you; your year will unfold just how you want. Trust and believe in yourself. Your numbers are 5, 19, 24, 28, 31, 39, 43.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Plan something entertaining or physically challenging and give it your all. Get in the groove and mastermind what brings you closer to your happy place. Make decisions based on your needs, not what someone pressures you to pursue. Romance is favored. ★★★★★
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Choose personal growth over changing others. Consistency will win over those who have yet to decide. Let your actions speak for you; the results will be your calling card. Unnecessary change is not in your best interest. Maintain or ration rather than accumulate. ★★★
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t get upset. Someone will try to supersede you, but staying composed and using intelligent tactics will be the best way to ensure you maintain your integrity and position. Be the calm in the storm. Romance and selfimprovement are favored. ★★★
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take the initiative, be resourceful and map out a plan before you begin your next endeavor. Preparation will put your mind at ease and make whatever you do more enjoyable. Surround yourself with responsible and resourceful people, and enjoy what life offers. ★★★
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be free-spirited on a budget. Don’t give in to temptation. Use your imagination to devise a plan to give you the boost you need and the ingenuity to follow through with your goals. Romance is favored. ★★★★★
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t act hastily. Time is on your side, and opportunity is heading your way. Embrace changes that make you feel secure and confident that you can take care of your responsibilities and do what makes you happy. ★★
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Ask an expert, and you’ll find a way to conquer anything that stands in your way. Monitor spending and scour over every detail before you agree to make a move. Stay on top of medical issues that can affect your productivity or performance. ★★★★
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll need leverage to reach your goal. Observe what others do and say, and raise issues that can give you the edge when trying to get your way. Don’t fear doing things differently or being controversial when dealing with joint endeavors. ★★★
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A demonstrative approach to life will draw positive attention and offer you the platform you require to present your plans. The input you receive will help you decide what’s feasible. An investment will offer greater financial mobility and personal growth, and romance looks promising. ★★★
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Tidy up loose ends and prepare to make your life easier. Set your sights on what you want, and do whatever it takes to reach your destination. Align yourself with unique individuals with insight into future trends and long-term investments. Proceed with confidence. ★★★
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put more energy into going above the call of duty. Separate yourself from those competing with you. Set high standards and bypass anyone who isn’t on board; if you snooze, you lose. Make your mark, and don’t look back. ★★★★
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dedication, loyalty and intelligence will lead to opportunity and positive change. Keep your eye on the ball and your feet on the ground; the result will be where you want to hang your hat. ★★
BIRTHDAY BABY: You are excitable, proactive and changeable. You are focused and assertive.
