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Alexander von Humboldt: A meeting designer way ahead of his time

Conferences that Work

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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Five reasons NOT to use a Conferences That Work meeting design

Conferences that Work

The function of such meetings is primarily top-down : effectively communicate management objectives, answer questions, and get employee buy-in. As a result, many conference attendees have not encountered these designs before and have not experienced how effective they can be in creating valuable connections and learning with their peers.

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How the Responsibilities of Conferences Mirror Those of Media Platforms

Conferences that Work

.” —Jeff Jarvis At conferences, the “users” are primarily participants. For decades, I’ve championed responsible conference designs that prioritize participants. My books and writing share these processes freely, allowing conference organizers to adapt them to their needs.

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The Conference Arc — the key components of every successful participation-rich conference

Conferences that Work

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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Six reasons why unconferences aren’t more popular

Conferences that Work

I still believe that these events, when well-designed and facilitated, offer the best attendee experience for the majority of conferences that are held today. 2—Poor unconference design Half a century ago, as a lowly graduate student, I attended tons of traditional academic conferences. Here are my six reasons.

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Becoming a writer

Conferences that Work

Since 2005, I’ve written three successful books on meeting design and facilitation and over 800 weekly blog posts on a wide range of topics. My books continue to sell, and this blog is the world’s most popular website on meeting design and facilitation. Attendees loved my events! Nothing worked.

Booking 96
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Event design is not just visuals and logistics

Conferences that Work

Prolonging the misconception, as BizBash implicitly does, that meeting design is principally about sensory design is slowing the adoption of fundamental and innovative process design improvements that can significantly improve our meetings. Instead, let’s broaden our conceptions of what meeting design is.