A summit meeting brings diverse perspectives to the table in order to tackle high stakes or complex issues. Convening leaders from a profession, industry, or cause along with internal and external stakeholders helps to ensure that a variety of viewpoints are considered. This can lead to a more informed and robust conclusion to the summit discussion as well as a better plan of action for future implementation.
As a top executive convening the summit, you’re in charge of shaping its objectives and outcomes. But the lines between directing, designing, planning, and coordinating can be blurry. That’s why it’s important to define responsibilities at the outset. Designate a summit director, for instance, and give that person the power to make decisions and say no when someone wants to add something off topic. The summit director should also be a part of the group that creates pre-, in-, and post-meeting materials and activities.
Summit meetings can be a valuable way to gain insights from other organizations, industries, or countries and to collaborate on innovative solutions. However, it’s important to understand that these types of conferences can be difficult to execute successfully.
It’s important to consider next steps at the outset so that you can channel volunteer enthusiasm and maintain momentum for change after the event is over. It’s also essential to ensure that the envisioned outcomes are actually achieved once attendees return to their divisions, regions, or functions. Otherwise, the value of this type of gathering could be diluted.