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!

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Meeting Design Meetings Conference Conference Design 208

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 29, 2016

BizBash consistently uses the term “event design” to mean “ visual design” As an example, consider the 2016 Design Issue. The cover proclaims “What’s Next in Event Design?” Instead, let’s broaden our conceptions of what meeting design is.

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Event Design 2010 2016 2009 136

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

The needs assessment trap Conference design clients who “know what they want” have already decided on their “ why? Because most clients engage me after they are committed to programs and logistics that are not optimum for what they’re trying to accomplish! ” and “ who? ” and “ where?

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Meeting Design 2012 2014 Meetings 192

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

The function of such meetings is primarily top-down : effectively communicate management objectives, answer questions, and get employee buy-in. Much as I would like to tell you that participant-driven and participation-rich event formats are common these days, it just ain’t so. Valuable peer learning and connection takes time.

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Meeting Design Conference Meetings Conference Design 120

Conferences that Work

JUNE 12, 2017

I love my meeting design clients, but there is one mistake I see them making over and over again. 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!

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Venues 2010 Meetings Conference Design 210

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.

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Conference Conference Design Meeting Design Education 160

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

The solution to this is to design your unconference before choosing the venue. When this doesn’t happen (sadly, most of the time in my experience) the conference design, no matter how good it is, suffers. To conclude When designed and executed well, unconferences tend to endure.

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Conference Venues 2023 Consulting 266