4 Ideas for rethinking conferences

I am in a fortunate position in that I get to speak at a number of conferences each year.

I also get to host/mc quite a few as well, so I think I have some experience here.

In the main I love conferences. Most of mine is spent at business and tech conferences, but I also get to a number of academic conferences as well. Hearing the insights on new trends, research and the success and failure stories of people and organsiations are always a delight. I can usually be found in a corner (when I am listening) scribbling away some kind of sketchnote about the insights learned and storing weblinks for further study. And yet I think there are some shortcomings that I think many conferences could learn from.

So here are my four thoughts on rethinking conferences.

1. Speaker Coaching

Conferences, like TED, and to a lesser extent the TEDx spin offs have a speaker coach. The practice ensures that the speech is presented ahead of time and also rehearsed before said speakers are allowed on stage. This is crucial to the brand as they know it is going to be televised for time immemorial so they want to get it right. Presentation coaches will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that opening lines and closing thoughts are strong. Often rehashing and rewriting to ensure that they convey the big idea the speaker wants to make on stage.

Speaking is a craft like any other and requires some guidance. From message development to platform skills to use of great visuals to make your point.

Even experienced speakers like myself will work with a mastermind group for high stake presentations to make sure that we are hitting the right notes and making it the best presentation we can. Feedback is the breakfast of champions.

I now ALWAYS ask conferences if they have a presentation coach and if not then add this as an extra service from myself, especially for the less experienced presenters.

2. Round Tables

Off the main stage, not enough conferences host or provide for round tables. This is where peers can come together and discuss thoughts and opinions that are part of the conference theme.

Some conference organisers don't like this as they think it would distract from the main theme, but the truth is not everyone is going to be enthralled by every speaker, no matter how good they are. Sitting in the dark and staring at a stage is not why I paid hundreds (thousands) of pounds to attend.

Some subjects just don't resonate and if you walk through the lobbies or hallways outside of many big conferences (not just in the breaks) you will witness some incredible meetings of minds.

Scheduling a space for round tables can be an incredible experience. Not in the traditional panel sense of host asks questions and response, but a table of people sharing thoughts and ideas with an audience listening in.

3. Interactive Polling

This is becoming more popular. At the Stretchon conference I spoke at (pictured above) last year, there were options given to audience members. These questions were then voted up and each speaker was asked the most popular questions by the host following their presentation.

This process was rather swift and also addressed a lot of the questions people want to ask speakers after a presentation but can't. Either because the list waiting to speak to them is too long or the speaker has swiftly retreated back to the green room.

4. Unconference

My final suggestion is that of unconferences. Having worked along side many conference organisers I know that organising this things is no walk in the park. It is a stressful task requiring a lot of outlay both financially and emotionally. I have shared the stage with a number of marquee names who are incredible diva's too. Many musicians have nothing on the demands of some speakers I have met. Anyhoo...

Many of the top conferences have strong brands and could use that to further facilitate unconferences.

These are smaller more intimate gatherings where the emphasis is less on a singular keynote speaker, but a group of people gathered to discuss and chew the fat on specific themes. When well facilitated these can be amazing events and can also feed into tapping into some incredible talent who would other go under the radar of regular conferences.

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Granted many large conferences are already doing this. Some well, others not so well. But like most industries, the conference industry could do with a little shaking up. The auditorium where everyone is looking at the super star on stage, and only those who have parted with some extraordinary fee to get VIP access to said speaker is a bit dated. Of course it still works a many still do so, but that doesn't mean it's the only way.

For the record I have also written about how to speak at conferences and how to MC conferences too.

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I am a speaker, faciliator and coach. My main focus is around leadership development. Helping leaders communicate better for themselves and their organisations.

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