Tag: conference education


These Three Society Changes Affect Your Conference Planning

Those born on or after 1962 have witnessed three major culture shifts. These shifts set them apart from older generations. It also creates new challenges for those trying to create conference experiences for multiple generations. Everyone’s expectations are different. Three Major Society Shifts Since 1962 Conference organizers need to acknowledge that the needs of their … [Read more…]

Metaphors, Stories And Images Are Important For Conferences: The I In EPIC Conferences

Try this. Next time you are in the grocery store, ask the seafood clerk for fresh sardines. Guess what most seafood clerks say? “There is not really one fish called a sardine.” Most of us are used to seeing sardines in a can. In reality, the name applies to twenty-one species of small fish that, … [Read more…]

Considering The Learning Journey At Conferences

Many years ago I taught school during the day and high school dropouts preparing for their GED exam at night. It was a grueling schedule. Yet, it was extremely rewarding. On The Road To GED Every evening, after a long day of teaching, I spent another five hours on my second job at Students For … [Read more…]

What Do Yearbooks Have To Do With Presenters And Audiences?

During my three years in high school, I diligently worked on our school yearbook. I even served as assistant editor and editor of our yearbook. I enjoyed the design process including creating each two-page spread layout. I also spent many hours making sure that as many of my peers were pictured in candid shots as … [Read more…]

Creating Participatory Conferences, The P In EPIC

Do you remember Pop Rocks candy? It was the candy that exploded and jumped in your mouth. Or perhaps you recall Zotz, the candy that fizzed in your mouth. Interactive Candy If you walk the aisles of a local department store today, you’ll find a new host of interactive candies. You’ll see Armageddon Asteroids, Big … [Read more…]

Conferences Need To Focus On Creating Experiences, The E Of EPIC Conferences

Imagine it’s 2084. You are craving a new experience that you’ve not had in the past. You decide to visit Rekall to get a memory implant of a new vacation experience. This is the setting of the 1990 movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger or the 2012 remake with Colin Farrell. While Total Recall is … [Read more…]

Moving Towards More Peeragogy Learning Experiences For Conferences And Associations

What if at your next education experience, the speaker gave all the expert-power to the audience? What if the participants were empowered to take more control of their learning, collaboration and dialogue? It’s happening in secondary schools, colleges, universities and some education experiences across the globe. It’s peeragogy or paragogy, also known as peer-based learning. … [Read more…]

These Learner Types Walk Your Conference Hallways

Have you ever studied the people who attend conferences? For the past couple of days, I’ve found myself closely observing the attendees of ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo 2012 in Dallas. Here’s what I’ve discovered. The Variety Of Conference Learners Most conferences like ASAE12 have an interesting hodgepodge mix of people. Some hang out in … [Read more…]

Five More Fresh Innovative Game Changer Conference Ideas

The best conference organizers are proactively looking for fresh, new ideas to implement at their next annual meeting. They work hard at coming up with the next big idea. Shattering Status Quo The most innovative conference organizers are not satisfied with creating ordinary, mundane conference experiences. They have no patience for the status quo. As … [Read more…]

Which Would You Rather Attend: A Speech Or A Movie?

Which would you rather attend: A ninety-minute speech or a ninety-minute movie? You’ve got to be kidding, right? The majority of us would rather go to a movie than a speech. Now, let’s put this into a conference context. Given a choice, would you rather go to a two-day film festival or a two-day conference? … [Read more…]