Let me rephrase, “Are old style conferences dying a quick death?”

They are and in their place are conferences or summits that provide shorter keynotes and allocated networking time. Art of Marketing is taking place in Vancouver next week and hosting five Marketing “Artists”.

All five speakers are household names in Social Media and Digital Marketing. Not one is a motivational speaker but each will be sharing industry specific insight and best practice. No droning on for three hours – each speaker gets about an hour. Then the attendees are told, hey, it’s okay to network. Go out and shake a few hands.

People do want to get out of their offices (bricks and mortar or virtual) and meet real, live, thinking bodies. We are all starved for human contact because we have created walls for ourselves behind computer screens. It is down right cool to meet the face behind the Tweet and an easy lead in to break the ice.

Why are old school conferences a dying breed? Partly due to 2011 being the age of instant entertainment. We constantly want the feel good hit and to get it quickly. Also it’s due to a sophisticated consumer who has many options to satisfy their career development and knows what top quality, cutting edge information is. Today’s conference goer is not attending to listen to regurgitated material and is looking for innovative thinking and platforms.

Another type of conference that’s taking hold is “unconference”. Community members (from one industry or many) meet and they decide how the day will unfold. On arrival attendees volunteer to speak on a topic that they are proficient in. These topics are given a yay or nay and those chosen are given a time slot. There are usually three or four topics running concurrently. My colleague David Wees came up with an inventive way to give those not chosen a moment in the limelight – at lunch break they are allocated a table and anyone can join in to discuss the topic in a more informal setting.

Unconferences are very casual. It is not rude to leave if the topic is not what you thought it would be and move to the next room. Often the casualness is a given during the presentations too – it’s all right to ask questions, which sometime causes the presentation to move in unexpected directions. David has a great infographic and deeper definition on his site.

Sidebar: Funny story from David who observed people at his EdCamp event leaving very early in the day. He asked why they were leaving and the reply was, “We thought we wouldn’t have to work or think?” Enough said…

Old style conferences are dying and being attended by the uninitiated or those who don’t want to have to think. New conference styles that respect attendees intellect and their desire to meet new colleagues are the new kid on the block and a force to be reckoned with.

Stayed tuned for a report on the Art of Marketing, a speaker’s critique, and whether value was realized.

To your voice,

Janice

Last week I attended a presentation that was hampered by weak facilitation. The result was an audience who quickly lost interest.

And to boot, the audience was just as uncomfortable as the speakers were. First the audience was embarrassed, then they were simply impatient because no one stepped in to rescue a situation that was falling apart.

The facilitator is the key to and responsible for a strong start, middle, and finish.

The Role of a Facilitator – Not a Juggling Act – A Strategic, Well Rehearsed Role

Three Tips to Stop Presentations From Losing the Audience

First Order of Business
Ask the audience to turn off their cell phones. I appreciate the reminder; sometimes my memory lapses and it would be the height of embarrassment for me to have my phone ring during a presentation.

Don’t be afraid to ask, this is a point of common courtesy.

Second Strategic Intervention
Have the presenter write their own bio with two simple directives. First it needs to be pertinent and directed to the speech at hand. Second it needs to be short. We’ve all endured the entire curriculum vitae that takes as long as the presentation.

The audience wants to know why the speaker has the authority to speak. If you receive a bio that is still too long, gently remind the speaker that everyone is there to hear the presentation – the wow factor – not the bio, which will be long forgotten.

Third Bold Move
I expect some backlash from number three.

At the presentation in contention, beyond the seating area, approximately 25 people were standing. And talking. And talking. People who were seated could not hear because of the background din. The facilitator or an organizer needed to ask them to move to another room. Come on folks it’s not high school any more.

You’re choice – do you want to be perceived as a brilliant leader who has the chutzpah to help create a professional event or are you willing to let it slide away because of politeness enabling. Hint: Everyone in the seated area wished that someone had spoken up and taken control.

Next Post

The facilitators role in fielding audience questions post presentation, how to present a gift of appreciation, and a simple method for a strong finish.

Image Credit: Emiliano Spada

Let me interject here and argue against my statement. As a (woman) reader I would be annoyed (mildly put) to hear that in 2010 women lack confidence.

Lack of confidence…WT!

My theory contradicts my core beliefs and values. I’ve lived through women’s lib and have studied with confident, well educated female Gen Y’s. With the strides that women have made, why are they still the under represented gender in presentations and speaking engagements?

Marion lives in Beaujoulais country in France and I live on the west coast of Canada and from different geographic perspectives have made the same observation. Women hang back, they don’t elbow in to position themselves on the stage. Men present with bravado, women exhibit self-doubt. Women thank the audience for coming, men expect filled seats. Yes, all generalizations. However I am speaking from observation. Yes, I have seen strong, confident women speakers although not in majority.

When I conduct research for my blog I am always looking for clips of women orators/presenters. I have found meager pickings but have found many powerful examples of fine male orators. Women where are you? Challenge me, I would like to hang on to my theory of strong, confident women taking on stages and podiums.

To women who are contemplating taking a speaking role – take the leap and present with confidence. And men encourage your female colleagues to get up on the stage.

Come and Dance With Me

Michal Zacharzewski sxc