INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
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
The past It’s been a long journey becoming brave. Fifty years ago, I was a teenager who, after a single embarrassing moment, gave up dancing in public. For forty years. MORE
We are biased against creativity. Though most people say they admire creativity, research indicates we actually prefer inside -the-box thinking. MORE
“The job you’ll be doing in the future hasn’t been invented yet. ” This is old news. The story of my professional life 1977: I earn a Ph.D. in applied elementary high-energy particle physics. Get a post-doc position and move to the United States. Work at major U.S. 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
Although I’m simultaneously overwhelmed and underwhelmed by the thousands of books and videos about “leadership” pumped out every year, a recent quote struck a chord: “You’ll do more good if you aim to serve more than you aim to please.” ” — S. MORE
As someone who loves to facilitate connection between people, I was struck by this New Yorker profile of the philosopher Elizabeth Anderson. 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
While Liberating Structures include many useful ways to improve meetings and organizations, one of the “simplest” offered — “ 1-2-4-All ” — has a big problem. It claims to uncover a group’s “important ideas” in just twelve minutes. 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
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
It’s no Comedians in Cars getting Coffee , but here’s my draft script for Seating while Eating at Meetings. 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
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
For three months now, I’ve meditated for twenty minutes every day. Personally this is a big deal, as I’ve struggled to maintain a regular meditation practice for decades. I’ve resolved countless times to meditate daily, and fallen off the mindfulness wagon over and over again. 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
Not long ago I wrote about the end of decent paid jobs and the need for basic income. A startling recent advance in machine learning has only heightened my concerns. MORE
[link] 40-seconds of highlights from the Participate! workshop and Solution Room I recently facilitated for the New York State Bar Association. 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
How can you improve your facilitation practice? Here’s an example that illustrates what I do: a mixture of continual improvement , lifelong learning , and Kaizen. An example from The Solution Room I’ve been facilitating The Solution Room , a popular plenary session, for 8 years. 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
“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
After watching Hannah Gadsby ‘s stunning show Nanette — which I highly recommend — here’s a small piece worth sharing. Gadsby starts with Vincent Van Gogh, looking at how we’ve come to lionize the idea of misunderstood genius. Born ahead of his time,” she says. What a load of s**t. 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
How can we bring people together across divides? In April 2017, I posted the following to the NCDD-DISCUSSION list. ( MORE
While writing about seeing the gifts in people and events I remembered one of my favorite scenes in Love Actually (2003). MORE
I recently came across some principles for “ making large scale change happen “ I think they’re worth sharing. Here’s the text version: Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Making large scale change happen appeared first on Conferences That Work. MORE
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
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
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.
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!
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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.
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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
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
JULY 15, 2019
The past It’s been a long journey becoming brave. Fifty years ago, I was a teenager who, after a single embarrassing moment, gave up dancing in public. For forty years.
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.
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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
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
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
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
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
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
DECEMBER 24, 2018
Here’s my article “ Five Reasons to Change Conferences “ , published in the December 2018, NSA Speaker magazine.
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
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
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
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
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
MAY 27, 2019
How can you improve your facilitation practice? Here’s an example that illustrates what I do: a mixture of continual improvement , lifelong learning , and Kaizen. An example from The Solution Room I’ve been facilitating The Solution Room , a popular plenary session, for 8 years.
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
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
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
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
MARCH 11, 2019
For three months now, I’ve meditated for twenty minutes every day. Personally this is a big deal, as I’ve struggled to maintain a regular meditation practice for decades. I’ve resolved countless times to meditate daily, and fallen off the mindfulness wagon over and over again.
Conferences that Work
APRIL 8, 2019
“The job you’ll be doing in the future hasn’t been invented yet. ” This is old news. The story of my professional life 1977: I earn a Ph.D. in applied elementary high-energy particle physics. Get a post-doc position and move to the United States. Work at major U.S.
Conferences that Work
AUGUST 13, 2018
After watching Hannah Gadsby ‘s stunning show Nanette — which I highly recommend — here’s a small piece worth sharing. Gadsby starts with Vincent Van Gogh, looking at how we’ve come to lionize the idea of misunderstood genius. Born ahead of his time,” she says. What a load of s**t.
Conferences that Work
APRIL 15, 2019
While Liberating Structures include many useful ways to improve meetings and organizations, one of the “simplest” offered — “ 1-2-4-All ” — has a big problem. It claims to uncover a group’s “important ideas” in just twelve minutes.
Conferences that Work
OCTOBER 29, 2018
Although I’m simultaneously overwhelmed and underwhelmed by the thousands of books and videos about “leadership” pumped out every year, a recent quote struck a chord: “You’ll do more good if you aim to serve more than you aim to please.” ” — S.
Conferences that Work
JANUARY 7, 2019
Not long ago I wrote about the end of decent paid jobs and the need for basic income. A startling recent advance in machine learning has only heightened my concerns.
Conferences that Work
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
It’s no Comedians in Cars getting Coffee , but here’s my draft script for Seating while Eating at Meetings.
Conferences that Work
JANUARY 28, 2019
I recently came across some principles for “ making large scale change happen “ I think they’re worth sharing. Here’s the text version: Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Making large scale change happen appeared first on Conferences That Work.
Conferences that Work
FEBRUARY 4, 2019
How can we bring people together across divides? In April 2017, I posted the following to the NCDD-DISCUSSION list. (
Conferences that Work
JULY 23, 2018
While writing about seeing the gifts in people and events I remembered one of my favorite scenes in Love Actually (2003).
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