INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Last week, my friend Traci Browne wrote to me about a workshop that wasn’t. “You’ll love this…I went to a 4 hour morning workshop at this digital conference. The speaker said, this will be interactive because no one wants to listen to me talk for four hours. MORE
Here are what I think are the two best free easy ways to create graphics for blog posts and presentations if you’re not a graphics wonk. Note: I am not a graphics wonk.) I’ve written over five hundred posts on this blog over the last ten years. MORE
I’m reposting this simple idea for power in hotel rooms from a Facebook post by my friend Kristin Arnold. “Finally!! A smart hotel that put plugs on the head of the bed frame! Way to go Renaissance Atlanta concourse !” MORE
Here’s an example of why I love conference facilitation and design. After setting up a Personal Introspective this morning (25 minutes) I turned over what happens to the small groups. Watch the listening and involvement of every person as I weave my phone through the circles of chairs. MORE
Sharing our experience of others directly with them can be incredibly powerful. Let me tell you a story…. Not long ago, I was working at a multi-day workshop with a 6-person group that included someone I’ll call D. MORE
We are biased against creativity. Though most people say they admire creativity, research indicates we actually prefer inside -the-box thinking. MORE
Want to get a taste of my new book Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need ? (It It will be out in November — next month!) Here are some Event Crowdsourcing free chapters for your enjoyment. Read Event Crowdsourcing free chapters. MORE
Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need I’m happy to announce that my third book Event Crowdsourcing will be released this Fall. It covers a fundamental yet neglected topic: creating meetings people actually want and need. MORE
Stay on time! Though it’s clearly sensible to keep a conference running on schedule, we’ve all attended meetings where rambling presenters, avoidable “technical issues”, incompetent facilitation, and inadequate logistics have made a mockery of the published program. MORE
What’s an Ideal Meeting? April 2018, Meetings and Conventions Magazine Do you incorporate participatory sessions into your events? MORE
“You can’t make people change. But you can create an environment where they choose to.” ” —Seth Godin, Leadership. Change is hard. And you can’t make people change. However, meetings have tremendous potential to change lives. MORE
At BizBash Live DC , BizBash CEO and Founder David Adler and I took the stage at the Ronald Reagan Building for a wide-reaching interview on the best formats for live experiences in front of an invited crowd of several hundred meeting professionals. MORE
Ten years of Conferences That Work ! Ten years ago today, I started this website and published my first book: Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love. (A A decade later it’s still selling.). MORE
“ Contains active cultures.” ” How often have you read this on the sides of yogurt containers? Well, healthy organizations contain active cultures too. Active cultures — not just for yogurt any more. MORE
Is it OK for a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit association to make large profits, pay its four top executives well over $1M per year, and yet do little for its members? MORE
An embarrassing incident I was hanging out at the Marlboro South Pond Regatta , a whimsical affair where local sailors of all stripes and abilities casually “race” around a few buoys in the lake, sometimes stopping to chat mid-race with each other or watch our beautiful loons. MORE
As someone who loves to facilitate connection between people, I was struck by this New Yorker profile of the philosopher Elizabeth Anderson. MORE
The other day, Celia and I were walking in Boston’s beautiful Arnold Arboretum when she asked me who’d responded to an email I’d sent. When I pulled out my phone to answer her question, she said she felt she was walking with a third person, a stranger. MORE
Good things come in threes. Though I usually overlook anniversaries, I noticed one this morning. The first peer conference I convened and designed was held June 3 – 5, 1992 at Marlboro College, Vermont. MORE
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 ? MORE
Here’s a teaser: the introduction to my new book Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need. Interested? Then buy the book ! Curiosity. I’ve always been curious. I’ve always wanted to understand the world I found myself living in. MORE
I am the second sort of escapologist. “I read once that the first time they put an escapologist in a tank of water, he or she will have one of two reactions, and which one determines the course of their life. The first sort of escapologist is an ordinary person who has come to the trade organically, by whatever curious sequence of opportunity and happenstance—and that sort will panic. MORE
You can improve meetings by de-emphasizing status. Apart from my first book , I haven’t written much about status at events. It’s time to revisit this important topic. I think about status at events as the relative levels of proclaimed or perceived social value assigned to or assumed by attendees. MORE
Meeting planners typically default to squaring the circle when specifying room sets. They persist in seating attendees in long straight lines whenever possible, ignoring the benefits of curved and circular seating at their events. See Paul Radde’s Seating Matters: State of the Art Seating Arrangements for more information.) The architecture of assembly where curved theatre seating dominates, teaches us otherwise. MORE
[link] 40-seconds of highlights from the Participate! workshop and Solution Room I recently facilitated for the New York State Bar Association. MORE
“I am crazy but I’m not alone.” ” —participant evaluation comment. Someone wrote “I am crazy but I’m not alone” on the paper evaluation form for the first edACCESS peer conference in 1992. MORE
What might leadership for meetings look like? Let’s turn to Harold Jarche for inspiration: “Those doing the work are often the only ones who really understand the context. Leadership is helping build the structure and then protecting the space to do meaningful work. MORE
Is it OK for a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit association to make large profits, pay its four top executives well over $1M per year, and yet do little for its members? MORE
High school feels like a dream. Fifty years later, few distinct memories remain. I’ve only stayed in touch with one friend from those days, so there’s almost no reinforcement from reviewing and remembering the past. And yet there are some experiences that still retain power. MORE
Study this 1839 dinner seating layout. What’s wrong with this picture? Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Dinner seating — a study appeared first on Conferences That Work. No related posts. Event design dinner men only round tables rounds seating seating design MORE
We’ve all experienced the meeting question that isn’t. A session presenter or moderator asks for questions and someone stands up and starts spouting their own opinions. A concluding question (if they even have one) is little more than an excuse for their own speech. MORE
Here’s my article “ Five Reasons to Change Conferences “ , published in the December 2018, NSA Speaker magazine. MORE
How often have you heard “Any questions?” ” at the end of a conference session? Hands rise, and the presenter picks an audience member who asks a question. The presenter answers the question and picks another questioner. The process continues for a few minutes. Simple enough. MORE
Event design may be more important than you think. I’m going to argue that event design changes society. And I’ve got legendary communications theorist Marshall McLuhan and computer scientist Alan Kay on my side! MORE
In February 2018, I took advantage of an excellent Green Mountain Power (GMP) program to install a Tesla Powerwall 2.0 on my Vermont home. For just $1,500, GMP installed a 13.5 MORE
“Experiential” is the new hot adjective used to describe events. “No more listening to speakers; you’re going to have experiences !” ” Sadly, many of these so-called experiential events are phony. The promoters slap a novel environment (e.g., MORE
Beware of “experiential” events that are just razzle-dazzle. “Experiential” has become a buzzword to use to describe hip events. Instead of listening to speakers, you’re going to have — wait for it — experiences ! Sounds so much better, doesn’t it? MORE
A September 2019 research study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences clearly illustrates why switching to active learning is hard — and worth it! Lecturing has been the core modality in our education systems for centuries. MORE
Can a rehearsal be better than a concert? You be the judge! Every summer since 1951, the world-famous Marlboro Music Festival takes place my small Vermont hometown. Last week my wife and I attended the free morning rehearsals for two pieces of chamber music — Mozart’s Horn Quintet and Dvo?ák’s MORE
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 12, 2019
Ten years of Conferences That Work ! Ten years ago today, I started this website and published my first book: Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love. (A A decade later it’s still selling.).
Conferences that Work
APRIL 22, 2019
How often have you heard “Any questions?” ” at the end of a conference session? Hands rise, and the presenter picks an audience member who asks a question. The presenter answers the question and picks another questioner. The process continues for a few minutes. Simple enough.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019
A September 2019 research study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences clearly illustrates why switching to active learning is hard — and worth it! Lecturing has been the core modality in our education systems for centuries.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 2, 2019
“You can’t make people change. But you can create an environment where they choose to.” ” —Seth Godin, Leadership. Change is hard. And you can’t make people change. However, meetings have tremendous potential to change lives.
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Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 4, 2019
At BizBash Live DC , BizBash CEO and Founder David Adler and I took the stage at the Ronald Reagan Building for a wide-reaching interview on the best formats for live experiences in front of an invited crowd of several hundred meeting professionals.
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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 ?
Conferences that Work
JUNE 10, 2019
Here are what I think are the two best free easy ways to create graphics for blog posts and presentations if you’re not a graphics wonk. Note: I am not a graphics wonk.) I’ve written over five hundred posts on this blog over the last ten years.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
Sharing our experience of others directly with them can be incredibly powerful. Let me tell you a story…. Not long ago, I was working at a multi-day workshop with a 6-person group that included someone I’ll call D.
Conferences that Work
JULY 22, 2019
High school feels like a dream. Fifty years later, few distinct memories remain. I’ve only stayed in touch with one friend from those days, so there’s almost no reinforcement from reviewing and remembering the past. And yet there are some experiences that still retain power.
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1,000 Participants. 75 Locations. 1 Solution.
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Conferences that Work
MAY 6, 2019
I’m reposting this simple idea for power in hotel rooms from a Facebook post by my friend Kristin Arnold. “Finally!! A smart hotel that put plugs on the head of the bed frame! Way to go Renaissance Atlanta concourse !”
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 15, 2018
The other day, Celia and I were walking in Boston’s beautiful Arnold Arboretum when she asked me who’d responded to an email I’d sent. When I pulled out my phone to answer her question, she said she felt she was walking with a third person, a stranger.
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 26, 2019
Here’s a teaser: the introduction to my new book Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need. Interested? Then buy the book ! Curiosity. I’ve always been curious. I’ve always wanted to understand the world I found myself living in.
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 21, 2019
Want to get a taste of my new book Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need ? (It It will be out in November — next month!) Here are some Event Crowdsourcing free chapters for your enjoyment. Read Event Crowdsourcing free chapters.
Conferences that Work
JULY 29, 2019
Last week, my friend Traci Browne wrote to me about a workshop that wasn’t. “You’ll love this…I went to a 4 hour morning workshop at this digital conference. The speaker said, this will be interactive because no one wants to listen to me talk for four hours.
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 19, 2018
What’s an Ideal Meeting? April 2018, Meetings and Conventions Magazine Do you incorporate participatory sessions into your events?
Conferences that Work
DECEMBER 17, 2018
Beware of “experiential” events that are just razzle-dazzle. “Experiential” has become a buzzword to use to describe hip events. Instead of listening to speakers, you’re going to have — wait for it — experiences ! Sounds so much better, doesn’t it?
Conferences that Work
JULY 1, 2019
Event design may be more important than you think. I’m going to argue that event design changes society. And I’ve got legendary communications theorist Marshall McLuhan and computer scientist Alan Kay on my side!
Conferences that Work
DECEMBER 10, 2018
We are biased against creativity. Though most people say they admire creativity, research indicates we actually prefer inside -the-box thinking.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
“I am crazy but I’m not alone.” ” —participant evaluation comment. Someone wrote “I am crazy but I’m not alone” on the paper evaluation form for the first edACCESS peer conference in 1992.
Conferences that Work
DECEMBER 24, 2018
Here’s my article “ Five Reasons to Change Conferences “ , published in the December 2018, NSA Speaker magazine.
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 12, 2018
Is it OK for a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit association to make large profits, pay its four top executives well over $1M per year, and yet do little for its members?
Conferences that Work
JUNE 3, 2019
Good things come in threes. Though I usually overlook anniversaries, I noticed one this morning. The first peer conference I convened and designed was held June 3 – 5, 1992 at Marlboro College, Vermont.
Conferences that Work
JANUARY 14, 2019
We’ve all experienced the meeting question that isn’t. A session presenter or moderator asks for questions and someone stands up and starts spouting their own opinions. A concluding question (if they even have one) is little more than an excuse for their own speech.
Conferences that Work
MARCH 25, 2019
Stay on time! Though it’s clearly sensible to keep a conference running on schedule, we’ve all attended meetings where rambling presenters, avoidable “technical issues”, incompetent facilitation, and inadequate logistics have made a mockery of the published program.
Conferences that Work
JULY 8, 2019
Meeting planners typically default to squaring the circle when specifying room sets. They persist in seating attendees in long straight lines whenever possible, ignoring the benefits of curved and circular seating at their events. See Paul Radde’s Seating Matters: State of the Art Seating Arrangements for more information.) The architecture of assembly where curved theatre seating dominates, teaches us otherwise.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019
“ Contains active cultures.” ” How often have you read this on the sides of yogurt containers? Well, healthy organizations contain active cultures too. Active cultures — not just for yogurt any more.
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 27, 2018
An embarrassing incident I was hanging out at the Marlboro South Pond Regatta , a whimsical affair where local sailors of all stripes and abilities casually “race” around a few buoys in the lake, sometimes stopping to chat mid-race with each other or watch our beautiful loons.
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 19, 2019
In February 2018, I took advantage of an excellent Green Mountain Power (GMP) program to install a Tesla Powerwall 2.0 on my Vermont home. For just $1,500, GMP installed a 13.5
Conferences that Work
JUNE 24, 2019
Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Meetings People Actually Want and Need I’m happy to announce that my third book Event Crowdsourcing will be released this Fall. It covers a fundamental yet neglected topic: creating meetings people actually want and need.
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 12, 2019
Can a rehearsal be better than a concert? You be the judge! Every summer since 1951, the world-famous Marlboro Music Festival takes place my small Vermont hometown. Last week my wife and I attended the free morning rehearsals for two pieces of chamber music — Mozart’s Horn Quintet and Dvo?ák’s
Conferences that Work
MARCH 18, 2019
“Experiential” is the new hot adjective used to describe events. “No more listening to speakers; you’re going to have experiences !” ” Sadly, many of these so-called experiential events are phony. The promoters slap a novel environment (e.g.,
Conferences that Work
JANUARY 21, 2019
You can improve meetings by de-emphasizing status. Apart from my first book , I haven’t written much about status at events. It’s time to revisit this important topic. I think about status at events as the relative levels of proclaimed or perceived social value assigned to or assumed by attendees.
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
[link] 40-seconds of highlights from the Participate! workshop and Solution Room I recently facilitated for the New York State Bar Association.
Conferences that Work
APRIL 29, 2019
Here’s an example of why I love conference facilitation and design. After setting up a Personal Introspective this morning (25 minutes) I turned over what happens to the small groups. Watch the listening and involvement of every person as I weave my phone through the circles of chairs.
Conferences that Work
JUNE 17, 2019
I am the second sort of escapologist. “I read once that the first time they put an escapologist in a tank of water, he or she will have one of two reactions, and which one determines the course of their life. The first sort of escapologist is an ordinary person who has come to the trade organically, by whatever curious sequence of opportunity and happenstance—and that sort will panic.
Conferences that Work
FEBRUARY 18, 2019
What might leadership for meetings look like? Let’s turn to Harold Jarche for inspiration: “Those doing the work are often the only ones who really understand the context. Leadership is helping build the structure and then protecting the space to do meaningful work.
Conferences that Work
MAY 13, 2019
As someone who loves to facilitate connection between people, I was struck by this New Yorker profile of the philosopher Elizabeth Anderson.
Conferences that Work
NOVEMBER 12, 2018
Is it OK for a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit association to make large profits, pay its four top executives well over $1M per year, and yet do little for its members?
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