ScienceDaily (July 23, 2009) — Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

Story telling is a powerful tool for presentations but underdeveloped and not enough used in the meetings industry. Are there specialists? Is there a book about storytelling? Do you know a storytelling association or Institute? Who is PhD in storytelling? Researching, listing, analyzing and classifying the existing storytelling components aimed at presentations in meetings, events, conferences, etc. has not been done.

In today’s economic climate, planning and evaluating meetings and events for bottom line value is more important than ever.

ROI Week in Dublin 30 August – 3 September 2010 offers six different courses to achieve and prove Return on Investment, including the use of SenseiROI, an online tool which takes most of the hard work out of setting objectives, collecting data and evaluating results from meetings and events.

Thinking makes tired, now it is scientifically established. Neuroscientist Maarten Boksem discovered which mechanism is responsible for mental fatigue: our dopamine system.What is Mental Fatigue?‘When doing a task we like dopamine is released in our brain. This is the fuel for the anterior singular cortex, a little brain area that is responsible for control processes. When at a certain moment the brain struggles to concentrate on one task, the dopamine level drops and so the activity of the anterior singular cortex.

(Summary, translation and conference perspective by Maarten Vanneste)

(learning + networking) x motivation = meeting results

A meeting architect is an individual that focuses on the potential meeting objectives, the meeting formats and designs, and the conceptual and practical building blocks to construct a meeting for better learning, networking and motivation in the participant population. A meeting architect also knows how to measure the meeting results up to its Return on Investment. The meeting architect works in four phases: - Analysing meeting objectives - Designing the meeting to support these objectives - Executing and guiding the meeting towards its objectives

This issue speaks to the topic of speakers. In my work, I have the opportunity to hire, coach and work with speakers. I also appear as a speaker at conferences and meetings. I have been witness to the good, the bad and the ugly. In hindsight, I have learned many lessons. Speakers may consider themselves celebrities, subject matter experts, motivational, sports, keynote, break-out, or entertainers. Innovative meetings occur where there is a good match between Speaker, Topic, your Requirements/Needs, Desired Outcome and the Setting with a twist of the right Chemistry.

How can you ensure your meetings aren’t a turn off for tomorrow’s delegates? Katherine Simmons reports     Today’s students - and some young people already within the workplace - belong to a generation known as “digital natives”. This generation has mastered the concept of multi-tasking – talking and networking with peers via mobile phone, text, e-mail and social networking sites such as Bebo, Facebook and MySpace, downloading music from iTunes and sharing photos with friends on Flickr. All at once.

26 January 2007 International visitors to the BadVibes web site (www.sound101.org) — a research project from the University of Salford — listened to sounds such as a dentist's drill, fingernails scraping down a blackboard and aircraft flying past, before rating them in terms of their unpleasantness. Although fingernails scraping down a blackboard is said to be the worst sound by many people, the actual recording of this sound only came 16th out of 34 sounds auditioned.