The untapped value of human connections
By Michael Pinchera
“I think the most impactful challenges are the growing prevalence of technology, our mindsets toward connection and the inertia of the pandemic,” explains Rob Lawless, who is delivering the Smart Monday keynote, The Untapped Value of Human Connection—sponsored by Visit Anaheim and brought to you by The Keynote Curators—today October 6.
“While social media and AI can both be very helpful tools, we need to remember that algorithms create echo chambers and unrealistic perceptions of reality. Social media and traditional media highlight the sensational anomalies of life, not the wholesome middle ground. AI creates incredible efficiencies, but we need to ensure that these are a means to an end of greater connection.”
Too many people think they don’t have the time necessary to dedicate to building interpersonal connections. Some even fret over a perceived inability to measure the ROI of such an endeavor, he explains.
“This leaves companies and individuals hesitant to invest in what could be one of the most impactful uses of their time,” he says. “Harnessing the value of connection requires tending to it consistently over time and letting the outcomes naturally unfold.”
Rob also believes that pandemic experiences made people more comfortable staying at home and with more limited in-person encounters. “I believe many people are still stuck in that place and the only way to fix it is to put ourselves in motion again. Without that motion, we will have people continuing to struggle with loneliness and everything that comes with it.”
This, however, is where event professionals can play a massively influential role, crafting and showcasing positive examples of connection. “Event professionals can show up with authenticity and vulnerability when sharing their own stories, breaking the mold of the perfect lives social media portrays,” he says. “They can also ask thoughtful, intentional questions of attendees—beyond their work roles and responsibilities—to help them feel the value of being seen and heard.”
Industry pros can also help overcome negative perceptions relating to connection, he says, by including unstructured times and spaces at events where individuals are freed to connect on their own terms, in environments in which they’re more comfortable.
Read an extended interview
here
Rob Lawless at IMEX America
MPI, booth F504
Back to IMEXscoop
