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

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.

Conference 93

Conference Conference Design Publishing Education 93

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

I’ve been promoting the Conferences That Work meeting format for so long, that some people assume I think it’s the right choice for every meeting. two meeting types and three situations when you should NOT use a Conferences That Work design: — Most corporate events. Many corporate events have a tight focus.

Meeting Design 88

Meeting Design Conference Meeting Conference Design 88

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

My Dutch friend and expert moderator, Jan Jaap In der Maur , recently shared an innovative format for an in-conference pitch competition he devised for the Conventa Crossover Conference , in Ljubljana, Slovenia: “There were also the Conventa Crossover Awards. given at EventCamp Twin Cities on September 9, 2010? If so, download.

Conference 57

Conference Conference Design Education Meeting 57

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!

Meeting Design 83

Meeting Design Meeting Conference Conference Design 83

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.

Preparation 106

Preparation Venue Conference Attendee 106

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!

Venue 84

Venue Meeting Conference Design Meeting Design 84

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.

Conference Design 76

Conference Design Event Design Conference Entertainment 76

Conferences that Work

MAY 20, 2019

Events operate by stories Like science fiction, events also create futures, and events operate by stories. Just as good stories have a story arc , coherent events have a conference arc. The promise of events springs from the reality that we are the stories we tell about ourselves.

Conference Design 60

Conference Design Events Conference Booking 60

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

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. Panelist time!

Panel 63

Panel Audience Consulting Conference 63

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 11, 2021

What makes attending conferences worthwhile? As I described in Conferences That Work , the two most common reasons for attending conferences are to learn useful things and make useful connections. But there are numerous other ways that conferences provide value to stakeholders. Complicated problems.

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Conference Human Resources Meeting Production 136

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.

Management 52

Management Trade Show Event Planning Trends 52

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 31, 2016

Another issue of an occasional series— Dear Adrian —in which I answer questions about event design, elementary particle physics , solar hot water systems, facilitation, and anything else I might conceivably know something about. There’s no single answer for this design decision that’s optimum for all circumstances.

Conference Design 70

Conference Design Conference Publishing Education 70

Bizzaboo

NOVEMBER 15, 2018

The most authoritative 2019 tech conferences directory on the web. Searching for top technology events to attend in 2019? Or looking to wrap up 2018 with an exceptional conference? Scouring the internet for event information could be an overwhelming task. In other instances, summits function exactly like conferences.

Conference 141

Conference Events Technology Technology 141

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.

Conference 112

Conference Speakers Advertising Booking 112