Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

We talk about all kinds of things, with a focus on my work and thinking about participant-driven and participation-rich meetings and event design. 06:00 On traveling to events, and my passion for what I do. 11:00 What participant-driven and participation-rich meeting design means, and the core components.

Event Design 62

Event Design Meeting Social Media Meeting Design 62

The MICE Blog

JULY 27, 2022

One of the presentations that highly inspired me to think differently about event design took place in 2019 at the MICE Forum at ITB Berlin (Organised by VDVO ). The conference programme was designed to highlight the importance of the individual who is the centre of every live event.

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Events Speakers Conference Event Design 147

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Rereading a 2012 post by Jeff Jarvis , I was struck by the parallels between his take on news organizations’ responsibilities to their platforms and the responsibilities of conferences. ” —Jeff Jarvis At conferences, the “users” are primarily participants. Design in flexibility. Give them power.

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Platform Media Conference Sponsors 80

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 29, 2016

BizBash consistently uses the term “event design” to mean “ visual design” As an example, consider the 2016 Design Issue. The cover proclaims “What’s Next in Event Design?” 3 — Conferences That Work. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

Logistics 54

Logistics Event Design Conference Design Conference 54

Conferences that Work

JUNE 3, 2019

The first peer conference I convened and designed was held June 3 – 5, 1992 at Marlboro College, Vermont. So, as of today, the community of practice that eventually became edACCESS has enjoyed 27 years of peer conferences. Twenty-three people came to the inaugural conference. 27 years of peer conferences.

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Conference Consulting Meeting Design Website 68

Conferences that Work

DECEMBER 16, 2024

If you are serious about improving your conferences, my meeting design workshop can be the game-changer your organization needs. In a world where passive listening no longer satisfies attendees, traditional lecture-based conferences are ineffective and outdated. Share personal and collective wants and needs for the event.

Meeting Design 62

Meeting Design Conference Meeting Proposal 62

Endless Events

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

An entrepreneur since he was only 18 years old, Maarten has over 35 years of experience in meeting design. And since 2012, he has organized the FRESH Conference in Europe. Ready to hear all about the ground-breaking magic of multi-hub meetings? Don’t miss a beat, it’s Event Tech Podcast time!

Meeting 176

Meeting Speakers Regulations Meeting Design 176

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

And yes, I admit it, during the second day of my vacation while enjoying the harmonies I hear, I’m jolted to think about religious meeting design…. Religious services are thought to be around 300,000 years old — by far the oldest form of organized meeting that humans have created. Keep ’em moving!

Meeting Design 61

Meeting Design Meeting Speakers Conference 61

Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2024

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024 , I sat down with Martin Duffy and Paul Nunesdea on LinkedIn Live for an hour’s deep dive conversation about peer conferences: the participant-driven, participation-rich events I’ve designed and facilitated for over thirty years. Peer Conferences Unveiled—The Transcript!

Conference 83

Conference Meeting Booking Audience 83

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

Recently, a client asked for help designing a new conference. Thirty minutes of discussion with three stakeholders revealed they hadn’t yet settled on the event’s specific purpose, scope, and format. It’s an honor to work on a classic Conferences That. Conferences That Work goes to Japan!

Meeting Design 76

Meeting Design Logistics Conference Design Consulting 76

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 10, 2022

For too long, we’ve equated a meeting’s “success” with its size. ” But if we concentrate on increasing attendance, we overlook getting the meeting design right. Improving an event’s design makes the meeting better for all the stakeholders: meeting owners, sponsors, and participants.

Meeting 132

Meeting Meeting Design Online Sponsors 132

Conferences that Work

APRIL 18, 2022

The first novel hybrid meeting format was invented by Joel Backon back in 2010. The second is a design I’ll be using in a conference I’ve designed and will be facilitating in June 2022. Collaborative Tools Workshop ” designed by Joel Backon at the 2010 annual edACCESS conference.

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Meeting Online Conference Booking 164

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.

Conference 64

Conference Conference Design Meeting Design Education 64

Conferences that Work

MAY 11, 2020

I’ve been designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich in person meetings — aka peer conferences — for almost thirty years. Because participants love these meetings ! Now the covid-19 pandemic has forced meetings online. In person meetings have vanished overnight.

Online 150

Online Conference Platform Publishing 150

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Presentation versus interaction at meetings. But our meeting designs, in large part, haven’t changed to reflect this shift in cultural awareness. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Presentation versus interaction at meetings appeared first on Conferences That Work.

Meeting 120

Meeting Publishing Meeting Design Booking 120

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Finally, as a meeting designer I’m convinced that using meeting formats that facilitate and support sharing amongst peers of relevant information is one of the most powerful ways to improve the effectiveness of meetings. Share information; don’t hoard it. Image attribution: Flickr user ben_grey.

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Consulting Meeting Design Benefits Training 145

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 16, 2021

And it made me think about meeting design. And, me being me, I thought about what Marcy had just said in the context of meeting design. And meetings are no exception. The art and craft of the meeting designer. It’s a meeting designer’s job to create these contextual layers.

Rehearsal 126

Rehearsal Meeting Design Conference Planner 126

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

Conference 62

Conference Proposal Meeting Design Publishing 62

Conferences that Work

JUNE 14, 2021

When the leading candidate for the Mayor of New York City has this take on how people learn, perhaps it’s not so surprising that we’re still sitting through endless broadcast-style sessions at meetings and conferences. Learning researchers and our best teachers and meeting designers have known this for a long time.

Meeting 126

Meeting Remote Meeting Design Conference 126

Endless Events

JUNE 15, 2018

Meetings may cover the simplest of topics, but mixing things up to break the mold can go a long way. From uncommon games and giveaways to choose-your-own-adventures and unique conference breakout sessions , it’s possible to make any meeting interesting. Just make sure to mind the coherence of the whole event.

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Registration Events Sponsors Event Marketing 258

Conferences that Work

JULY 19, 2021

If you want maximum learning, interaction, and connection at a meeting, small meetings are better than large meetings. For example, think about a conference to explore the implications of a medical breakthrough. Do you expect to use this format in future events? Increased learning, interaction, and connection.

Meeting 132

Meeting Online Remote Conference 132

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

Today, planners are racing to adapt to trends that make conferences and events more engaging and dynamic than ever before. But when it comes to trends, where should meeting industry professionals put their focus? While the shifts are plentiful, there are five that stand out from the fold when it comes to modern event design.

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Trends Meeting Trade Show Events 157

Conferences that Work

APRIL 25, 2022

The Conference Arc: Building connection while uncovering wants, needs, and resources. Ask Adrian Anything: using a fishbowl sandwich to facilitate group discussion on meeting design and facilitation. Human spectrograms: a simple tool for learning about other participants. Creating the right program. Consolidating learning.

Online 116

Online Registration Meeting Design Conference 116

Conferences that Work

JUNE 28, 2021

During our 25 minutes together, we discussed various panel formats, their value, and how to structure and design powerful panel discussions into the larger context of meetings, conferences, and events. We covered a lot in a short time, but there’s much more to learn about Powerful panels and good meeting design!

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Panel Meeting Design Conference Audience 124

Social Tables

OCTOBER 6, 2018

While the shifts are plentiful, there are five that stand out from the fold when it comes to modern event design. Here’s how the meetings industry is changing the game. By creating “journey maps” at a recent conference, the team was able to outline completely different experiences for attendees based on their personas.

Meeting 158

Meeting Trade Show Events Social Media 158

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 11, 2021

All meeting design needs to recognize this reality. What we think of as modern business meetings and conferences are hundreds of years old. The traditional top-down formats of meetings and conferences reflect the top-down structure of the institutions that still largely dominate our world. Institutions.

Meeting 115

Meeting Technology Technology Manufacturing 115

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Community versus audience I began my first book with the research finding (and common observation) that people go to conferences to network and learn. Creating community at conferences around participant-driven content , therefore, creates a far more effective learning and connection-rich environment.

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Audience Meeting Manufacturing Meeting Design 83

Conferences that Work

APRIL 11, 2022

By “practitioners” I mean the folks who do what the meeting is about; e.g., doctors at a medical event or scientists at a conservation conference. Often, vendors meet with practitioners at a tradeshow, and sponsors (who are usually vendors too) get opportunities to address practitioners.

Meeting 118

Meeting Vendor Sponsors Attendee 118

Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2019

This (slightly edited) interview by JT Long appeared in the March 2019 issue of Smart Meetings Magazine. What led to writing the book, Conferences that Work ? I invented the format by accident 26 years ago when there were no expert speakers to invite for a conference on administrative computing issues in small schools.

Booking 97

Booking Conference Speakers Meeting Design 97

Conferences that Work

JUNE 7, 2021

Why am I writing about social learning on a blog that’s (mainly) about meeting design? Because social (uncovered) learning is the best learning model for conference sessions. Which means, to create the best meetings we need to maximize the social learning that takes place. Humans’ true superpower.

Booking 113

Booking Conference Meeting Design Online 113

Conferences that Work

JUNE 12, 2017

I love my meeting design clients, but there is one mistake I see them making over and over again. 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!

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Venue Meeting Conference Design Meeting Design 84

Conferences that Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

At a traditional meeting, however, perceived status roles rarely change significantly during the event. This leads to a number of problems, which I described in my first meeting design book: Conferences That Work. At many events, only high status people talk. The first agreement…. …is No related posts.

Meeting 129

Meeting Conference Speakers Booking 129

Conferences that Work

JULY 31, 2017

Although I have good reasons to champion meeting designs where the participants get to choose what they want and need to discuss and learn rather than a program committee , there is invariably a place for some predetermined presentations at conferences. Read the full article at Conferences That Work.

Meeting 78

Meeting Conference Booking Meeting Design 78

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 106

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

For over thirty years I’ve been making clients’ conferences significantly better, for about the cost of a conference coffee break. I make conferences better by dramatically increasing attendee satisfaction. I’d argue that hiring me is the most effective and cost-effective way to improve any event.

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Sponsors Registration Conference Attendee 80

Conferences that Work

MAY 24, 2021

After participants completed the pre-test survey independently, they initiated a conference call with their partner. ” Artificial online meetings. This occurred during the first Meeting Design Practicum in Utrecht, The Netherlands: more details here ). appeared first on Conferences That Work.

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Online Meeting Conference Consulting 118

Conferences that Work

MARCH 13, 2017

Every time I find myself wishing for an external event, I realize that I’m way better off focusing on something I can control instead. This is all very well, but it begs the question: what can meeting designers do to make it easier for attendees to participate more at meetings? Seth Godin, What Would Happen.

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