The Bunny Effect
Bunnies. Cute, floppy-eared, nose-wiggling, big-eyed, furry jumpers. Adorable, snuggly and soft. What’s not to like? Especially when they’re unexpected. In this case, they were at a conference!
Not surprisingly, these little guys were the talk of the event and the most photographed as well. For me, it didn’t help that the bunnies were scheduled to be onsite at the same time I was to do a presentation. Talk about tough competition. Even I wanted to ditch my session to go play with them.
It was a signature moment that set the tone for the event, the first in-person gathering in three years of the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers. Watching people flock to the area and wait in line to sit down, pet, cradle, snuggle, and go nose-to-nose with these bunnies was pure joy. The conference attendees laughed, smiled, and reveled in the moment, and even those who just chose to witness the festivities were giddy.
The idea came from the executive director of the organization’s sister, a teacher who brought the bunnies to her classroom – where not surprisingly, they were a hit. Translating that experience to adults in a convention center seemed like a stretch and a bold move, and it was – as I’d never heard about cute furry animals at a gathering like this. But it was brilliant.
And so were other elements. Instead of trying to fill every minute, the conference started with an extended breakfast. That relaxed opening offered people an opportunity to spend time catching up after a long time apart, or a chance to make new acquaintances. And it allowed others to ease back into large scale gatherings after not attending them for a number of years. It was a very nice, and thoughtful, gesture.
During each of the time blocks with concurrent sessions, one of the offerings listed on the agenda was a ‘quiet room’ option, which was just as worthy a choice as any of the others. By naming it, the conference planners reminded us of the opportunity – whether we took it or not.
The notion of taking care of yourself, engaging as is appropriate for you, pausing when you want or need to, stepping away from the crowd, while still making the most of the time, made the conference even more enjoyable, doable, and fun.
Without needing to say anything, the conference organizers let us know that this conference was different. It was something to savor. And it serves as reminder remember to us all to create this for ourselves the next time we're at a gathering. BYOB! Bring your own bunnies (metaphorically)!