Are You Guilty Of Advancing The Height Of Conference Arrogance? January 27, 2015 by Jeff Hurt The sound of a great conference is not the thunderous applause following an inspiring speaker. It is the creaking of our mind’s doors and windows opening to fresh vistas and perspectives. It’s the low hum of people talking to one another in pairs about their insights, thoughts, reflections, concerns and opportunities around short chunked critical … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conversations, discussions, interactive, lecture, participant-centric, participatory conferences, peer-based learning, presentation best practices, professional speakers
Some Conferences Are Like Bad Funerals April 1, 2013 by Jeff Hurt Many annual meetings are like funerals of the past. Quiet, stoic, painfully long, full of tradition, and extremely passive. It’s hard to tell who really died as the audience is just as lifeless as the deceased. Sometimes these traditional conferences have doses of fear and damnation trying to scare people into doing something they don’t … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference best practices, conferences, connexity, EPIC conferences, event experience, participatory conferences
Are You Designing For The Four Stages Of Conference Experience? January 3, 2013 by Jeff Hurt As a conference organizer, are you designing for the four stages of a conference experience? Or are you only designing for attendees to consume information? If you are planning only didactic, one-way, information transfer such as lectures and panels, you are missing some great opportunities to give your attendees a more robust experience. Four Stages … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference tips, conferences, meeting planning best practices, participatory conferences, participatory culture
Creating Conference Engagement With These Seven Social Spaces October 22, 2012 by Jeff Hurt People participate in a variety of behaviors at a typical conference. They enter the conference with specific expectations of what they can do at the event, who they can do it with and what’s expected of them. So how often do we plan conferences with a focus on the behaviors and types of spaces that … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , adult learning, attendee engagement, conference best practices, conferences, engagement, meeting space, participatory class, participatory conferences, participatory culture
A Conference Learning Manifesto With Ten New Principles To Adopt October 12, 2012 by Jeff Hurt We participate, therefore we are. This spin on cogito ergo sum (English: “I think, therefore I am”) is a good motto for all conferences and events. It is exactly where I think conference organizers should begin to focus their meeting planning efforts. They need to focus on designing learning experiences where attendees actively participate, not … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning principles, conference best practices, conferences, participatory class, participatory conferences, participatory culture
These Three Society Changes Affect Your Conference Planning September 4, 2012 by Jeff Hurt 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…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , association issues and challenges, association trends, conference education, conference learning model, conferences, EPIC, meeting industry trends, participatory conferences
Ten Learning Shifts For Conferences, Events And Associations August 25, 2011 by Jeff Hurt To paraphrase cognitive scientist and author Cathy Davidson: Our nonprofit institutions, for the most part trade and professional associations as well as professional societies, are acting as if the world has not suddenly, irrevocably, cataclysmically, epistemically changed. Learning Is Changing Learning is changing. Anyone. Any time. Anywhere. By the end of 2011, 2 billion people … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , association issues and challenges, association trends, conference education, conference learning model, conferences, meeting industry trends, participatory conferences
Participatory Conferences And Events: Participatory Design Or Design For Participation? June 29, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Here’s a test. Pick which statement best defines a participatory conference. A. Conference organizers invite prospective attendees to participate in the development, design and planning of a conference experience. B. Conference organizers design a conference experience using an intentional internal design process however once the conference begins, it invites attendees to contribute, participate and interact. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , attendee engagement, design for participation, engagement, meeting planning best practices, participatory class, participatory conferences, participatory culture, participatory design
