The formality of conferences
5November 20, 2006 by Colin
There’s a well-established format for conferences, well-tended by an industry of conference organizers, professional speakers, audio-visual suppliers, facility managers, catering companies and for-profit “think tanks” that make their money from organizing specialist conferences.
Signs you’re at a traditional conference:
- thick binders of material to greet you at check-in
- dozens of facilitators, stewards, assistants
- more than three person with a radio headset
- more than one projection screen in each meeting room
- accreditiation or maintenance points from your professional organization
- a plethora of directional signs
- Your breakfast muffin may or may not have been baked today
We find ourselves in a period of transformation, however. “Unconferences” like MESH, CaseCamp and others are demonstrating that a community or interest can meet, exchange information and extend their common knowledge without extensive handholding – and without a lot of flash.
Instead of audio-visual gimmickry, the authority and energy of the conference comes from the experience, obvious dedication and personal authority of the individuals up on stage – or in front of the “breakout” room.
There is still a place for “traditional” conferences – when you have a large audience looking for a common lump of information. Or where new advances in technology, pedagogy or professional skills require an element of instruction and reinforcement.
But there’s an awkward feeling when a large and traditionally-oriented conference tries to push a theme of innovation and ground-breaking thought.
In the end, any success will come from the energy and initiative of conference participants finding opportunity in the corners of the conference: the traditional structure, by ensuring comfort and familiarity for the majority of the conference attendees, does oppress initiative and non-comformity to some degree.
Think about it: how many times have you sat through a truly horrible presentation, then clapped heartily alongside every other attendee. Was that out of a sense of politeness, or the harsh reality that the people around you might think you were unlike them?
[tags] conference [/tags]
Colin, the “unconference” model is still pretty new to the market place. How long do you think it will actually last? Personally I’ve been to horrible presentations at both unconferences (what ever that really means) and conferences.
Dave
I think your key point counts for both old school and “unconference”-type models, Colin: “success will come from the energy and initiative of conference participants finding opportunity in the corners of the conference”. Indeed. ‘Tis ever thus.
The difference between the two approaches, perhaps (and this is a dramatic over-simplification, I know) is that in the old model the “corners of the conference” goodness is incidental and accidental. In better versions of the newer model, things are structured in such a way that the corners become the centre. That’s the true benefit of an unconference, IMHO.
Also, I like your traditional conference bullets. We need a similar list for Conference 2.0:
Signs you’re at an unconference:
- flimsy flyers, a really cool-looking pen, and a funky sticker for your laptop greet you at check-in;
- a scant handful of over-worked and harried volunteers, who still manage to smile and have fun on zero sleep;
- as many Powerbooks as Latitudes;
- more than one SSID in each meeting room ;
- somebody announcing a brand new professional organization or standards initiative;
- a plethora of references to Dave Winer;
- Your breakfast muffin may or may not have been baked today.
Ryan, I am all for encouraging energy, initiative and participation at conferences, and – to Michael’s point – it is a good trend to see that “corners become the centre”.
But great keynote speakers or panels are still a main draw for me. I wish people would focus more on becoming “unspeakers” than on organizing “unconferences”.
I’d rather be at a conventional conference with unconventional speakers than vice versa. I am pretty sure we will continue to see a “hybrid conference model” emerge that takes the best of both worlds.
– Martin
Sorry, Colin, I accidentally called you Ryan…I was on Ryan Anderson’s blog right before reading your post. Too much late night blog surfing…
– Martin
So we’re all agreed that PowerPoint is the devil?
Let’s throw in that Grade 10 lesson on presentations: “State what you’re going to say; say it; re-state what you said.”
It IS all about the quality of the presentations, isn’t it.
Thanks for the comments, guys!