The Kyle-ist Thing.

About 2 weeks ago, this image appeared on my phone — an invite!

A Taskmaster party? Hmm, intriguing.

What to bring? “Yourself and the ‘Kyle-ist’ thing. (5 points)”

5 points? I definitely want 5 points. What are the points for? I don’t know, but I want them!

My brother-in-law is turning 34, and I now find myself racking my brain for the Kyle-ist thing, and also thinking about how generally awesome and multi-dimensional he is. He secretly speaks 5–6 different languages decently well, and has an entire manuscript of a fictitious political / fantasy novel casually sitting on his computer. You need a photoshop architectural drawing or a bachelorette party invite in a pinch? Call Kyle. You show up for a weeknight hang, and are handed a plate of the most flavorful homemade risotto you’ve ever tasted. Something interesting happens at work that you’re sure no one besides your colleagues will appreciate — I bet Kyle will too, and he never misses the opportunity to ask.

As someone who designs meetings & events professionally, I was blown away by this invite, and ultimately the sense of excitement and anticipation created for me as the guest.

So much of what makes for a successful gathering happens BEFORE the gathering.

This is the thing most often missed. Based on your “why” for bringing these people together at this time in this way, what can you do beforehand to set the scene? In a professional setting, maybe it’s specific pre-work you ask each person to do, or a video message recorded and sent in advance by the speaker or emcee? For a conference event, perhaps it’s a dedicated Meet & Greet session over Zoom one week prior in order to create a reunion feeling at the actual event.

If you’re looking for some fresh ideas to elevate your upcoming event, offsite, or conference — we offer advisory sessions along with full scale convening design. Learn more at www.convers-ate.com.

PS. Best RSVP wins 5 points. Any ideas for me?? mollie@convers-ate.com