Independent Banker - March 2021 - 75

on, or whose minds may easily wander. If you need to
screenshare, make sure your presenters know what buttons
to press and have presentation materials downloaded
and ready. If they-or you-are nervous, rehearse the
presentation and walk them through anything they're not
sure about.
" We make no assumption that any person playing any
role is fully comfortable until we've done a rehearsal, from
the smallest to the biggest event, " LaNore says. " We're
double and triple checking that everything works. "
Give them a friendly face
Having a dedicated presenter or host walk participants
through an event can be a good way of keeping people
engaged. That person may also be more experienced with
events or public speaking, which is going to increase your
chances of success. " Consistency is important, " LaNore
says. " Introduce that face, someone who can be the friend to
those participants. "
Have fun with it
LaNore recommends incorporating fun elements into your
event, whether that's asking attendees to answer polls or
trivia questions or adding a happy hour element. If it matches
the tone of your event, add the occasional movie clip or
joke into a presentation to bring some levity to what could
otherwise be a one-dimensional experience. -Eric Best
8 ways to make the most of
ICBA Connect
ICBA Connect will provide two days of
energizing content, from keynote speakers
to industry insights, that can serve as the
platform for a bank team-building event. Here's
how to get the most out of those two days:
1. Spread out your connections. Bank
registration includes 30 connections for your
entire community bank, which you can divide
among employees or devices.
2. Download the app. In addition to the
livestream on the ICBA Connect website, ICBA
is launching a mobile app so you can interact
with other attendees.
3. Don't worry about seeing everything.
Keynote speeches and other content will
be available on demand for two weeks after
ICBA Connect.
4. Consider your schedule. To cover your
bank's daily operations, you might choose to
switch out employees or teams by day or event.
If an employee misses something, they can
watch it on demand.
ICBA Connect and beyond
This month's ICBA Connect, held on March 9
and 10, will be like no virtual event you've
attended. This two-day digital event will
showcase seven keynote speakers, including
household names like Matthew McConaughey
and Earvin " Magic " Johnson.
Go to icba.org/connect to register and to
see a schedule of ICBA Connect. If you haven't
registered yet, do so as soon as possible.
In addition to ICBA Connect, ICBA is
delivering more than 10 hours of extra content
beginning this month, including the ICBA
ThinkTECH Innovation Showcase (March 16),
The Future of Payments is Here! panel
discussion (March 23) and Peer Connections
networking (March 24-April 22).
5. Use the ICBA Connect Guide. This resource,
sent to all registered banks in advance,
features questions and topics you can use to
spark conversations at your bank.
6. Incorporate food or activities. Bring in
lunch or snacks for your team. Consider ways
for remote employees to also feel included.
7. Express gratitude. Take a moment to thank
or share your thoughts with your team and
encourage them to do the same.
8. Make the team-building continue. Try
planning team appreciation days, bringing in
local speakers or business leaders, and other
ways to keep up the momentum.
independentbanker.org Q 75
http://www.icba.org/connect http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - March 2021
