Conferences that Work

AUGUST 6, 2018

Ah, the ubiquitous conference one-hour lecture. As an example I’ll use a three-day conference I’m currently designing. Here are three session formats we’re using for the middle of the conference arc. In my experience, each of them is far more effective than a traditional conference lecture.

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Conference Conference Design Publishing Education 101

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

Traditional conferences focus on a hodgepodge of pre-determined sessions punctuated with socials, surrounded by short welcomes and closings. Such conference designs treat openings and closings as perfunctory traditions, perhaps pumped up with a keynote or two, rather than key components of the conference design.

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Conference Conference Design Meeting Design Education 71

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

I created a new Notebook, uploaded the text of my recent blog post titled “ How the Responsibilities of Conferences Mirror Those of Media Platforms ,” and waited for the tool to generate its insights. Audio track [link] Transcript Woman: Ever feel like you’re stuck in a conference rut? ” So far, so good.

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Platform Conference Online Media 143

Conferences that Work

JUNE 22, 2020

I’m leading a free online workshop on Friday, June 26, 12 – 2 pm EDT, that will give you a unique opportunity to experience The Three Questions : in my opinion, the best way to open a conference designed for active learning, connection, and engagement. The workshop is limited to sixty people, and you must register to attend.

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Conference Design Online Conference Venue 105

Conferences that Work

DECEMBER 10, 2018

“In an article for Slate, Jessica Olien debunks the myth that originality and inventiveness are valued in US society: “This is the thing about creativity that is rarely acknowledged: Most people don’t actually like it.” Can we overcome bias against truly creative event design? We are biased against creativity.

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Event Design Events Conference Design Conference 107

Conferences that Work

JUNE 12, 2017

Clients invariably ask me to help design their meeting after they’ve chosen a venue! Read the full article at Conferences That Work. Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design! Want to see my 6 minute 40 second Pecha Kucha presentation Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design!

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Venue Meeting Conference Design Meeting Design 88

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Software testers do peer conferences right! They even call them a peer conference , rather than unconference , a term I don’t like.) As evidence of software tester conference awesomeness, I offer three examples below. a short history of the peer conference. The 2022 SoCraTes peer conference. But first…. …a

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Conference Proposal Meeting Design Publishing 62

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 19, 2024

Forged ahead and wrote what eventually became a series of three books on conference design. Consequently became a valued resource on meeting design and facilitation for thousands of people and organizations. license Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Paying it forward!

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Consulting Conference Design Conference Meeting Design 96

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 28, 2019

Here’s the text version: Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Making large scale change happen appeared first on Conferences That Work. Related posts: Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design! given at EventCamp Twin Cities on September 9, 2010?

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Conference Design Conference Platform Management 72

Conferences that Work

MARCH 12, 2018

Read the full article at Conferences That Work Related posts: A birthday present for you on the 21st anniversary of Conferences That Work What a long strange trip it’s been The first Conferences That Work event was held June 3–5, 1992, at Marlboro College, Vermont. Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design!

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Conference Design Government Conference Hospitality 74

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Events and media consultant Julius Solaris shared at the Unforgettable Experience Design Summit that he was initially very enthusiastic about unconference format events. He thought conferences would eventually adopt unconference models. The solution to this is to design your unconference before choosing the venue.

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Preparation Venue Conference Proposal 112

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

I’m indebted to Martin Sirk for sharing remarkable information about an 1828 conference designed by the German geographer, naturalist, and explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Read what follows to discover that Humboldt was also a meeting designer way ahead of his time! Martin Sirk Modern meeting design!

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Meeting Design Meeting Conference Conference Design 98

Conferences that Work

APRIL 24, 2017

For concise advice, I recommend Chris Corrigan ‘s excellent article The myth of managed culture change. Read the full article at Conferences That Work. Related posts: Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design! So, what might we be able to do? given at EventCamp Twin Cities on September 9, 2010?

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Culture Conference Design Airlines Conference 71

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

Recently, a client asked for help designing a new conference. The needs assessment trap Conference design clients who “know what they want” have already decided on their “ why? It’s an honor to work on a classic Conferences That. Conferences That Work goes to Japan!

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Meeting Design Logistics Conference Design Consulting 76

Conferences that Work

MAY 20, 2019

Just as good stories have a story arc , coherent events have a conference arc. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Events operate by stories appeared first on Conferences That Work. Related posts: Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design!

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Conference Design Events Conference Booking 72

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Facilitating change: The power of sharing our experience appeared first on Conferences That Work. Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design! Want to see my 6 minute 40 second Pecha Kucha presentation Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design!

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Conference Design Booking Conference Education 66

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

Read the full article at Conferences That Work Related posts: Participate! The key to successful 21st century conferences Attend Participate!, Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design! Want to see my 6 minute 40 second Pecha Kucha presentation Face The Fear—Then Change Your Conference Design!

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Speakers Conference Design Conference Education 59

Conferences that Work

JUNE 27, 2016

In this two-part article I’ll share a little of my experience and takeaways, followed by their relevance to event design ( red ). Although that opportunity had to be passed up—PCMA made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: facilitating the 2015 PCMA Education Conference —I made it to the 2016 workshop. How I got there.

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Conference Design Event Design Conference Online 76

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 31, 2016

So when designing a session or conference that includes The Three Questions , there is a trade-off between the time we have or want to allocate and group size, because we need to give each person sufficient time for meaningful sharing with their group (typically 1 – 2 minutes per person). Sources for additional information.

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Conference Design Conference Publishing Education 80

Conferences that Work

MARCH 25, 2024

And then in 2005, twenty-eight years later, I felt compelled to write a book about the new ways I’d developed to design and lead conferences that became what the participants wanted and needed. I would need every scrap of my conviction about the importance of peer conferences to persist in what followed. and the how?

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Booking Consulting Meeting Design Manufacturing 96

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Traditional conference designs also adopt this model. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Some models of change are better than others appeared first on Conferences That Work. Somehow, the inspiring keynote will instantly change attendees’ lives for the better. No related posts.

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Booking Publishing Production Conference Design 103

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 29, 2016

The cover proclaims “What’s Next in Event Design?” While its article “ 8 Fresh Faces of Event Design 2016 ” says it is about “ industry newbies who dream up and create an event’s visuals as opposed to those that handle the logistics like a planner” , this really misses the point.

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Logistics Event Design Conference Design Conference 54

Conferences that Work

JULY 18, 2016

I’m in San Antonio, Texas, having just run two 90-minute “panels” at a national association leadership conference. At the conference sessions I design and facilitate, everyone is “up there” instead of “down here.” Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

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Panel Audience Consulting Conference 63

Bizzaboo

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Whether you’re planning a flagship conference event, trade show, or intimate sales kickoff, staying on top of the latest developments in the event industry is not just important — it’s table stakes. It equips you with the knowledge and insights to ensure your events align with current trends and expectations. Read Now 4. Read Now 8.

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Management Trade Show Event Planning Trends 52

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2025

Their status is publicly proclaimed on the pre-conference program, giving attendees no say in the decision. Status at traditional events follows a power-over model, rather than designs that support power-within and maximize power-with for participants. For more on how this works, check out this 2014 post. Improve all your meetings!

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Attendee Meeting Conference Design Fashion 62

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 28, 2024

You’re consistently curious about finding new connections between complex concepts—whether it’s contrasting the structure of conferences with media platforms, or exploring both traditional and contrarian ideas.

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Conference Manufacturing Booking Conference Design 96

Bizzaboo

MARCH 31, 2025

Google’s I/O Developer Conference Source: BizBash What made it stand out Google’s annual I/O Developer Conference is more than just a tech event its an immersive playground for developers. For more information about the 100-plus announcements Google made at its I/O conference, click here.

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Events Attendee Networking Technology 52

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 3, 2016

We don’t usually think about the learning models we employ during conference sessions, and I believe our events would be better if we did. Conventional conferences assume a ready supply of experts to whom we listen while they cover the learning that has been advertised at their sessions. Image attribution: Flickr user chiotsrun.

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