Conferences that Work

MARCH 28, 2022

When meeting planner textbooks gloss over the key ways that meetings can be made much more effective and useful for all stakeholders, planners remain ignorant, and traditional broadcast-style meetings continue to be the norm. Most assume that a meeting planner is all they need. Steve Jobs said, “Design is how it works”.

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Food and Beverage Meetings Meeting Design Site Selections 429

Conferences that Work

MARCH 17, 2025

Since November 2009, I’ve been writing weekly about meeting design, facilitation, and all kinds of other things that have sparked my interest, and I’m taking a break for a couple of weeks. Don’t worry; I’m hanging out here right now. I’ll be back! Have a great day!

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2009 Meeting Design Conference Meetings 156

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Rereading a 2012 post by Jeff Jarvis , I was struck by the parallels between his take on news organizations’ responsibilities to their platforms and the responsibilities of conferences. ” —Jeff Jarvis At conferences, the “users” are primarily participants. Design in flexibility. Give them power.

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Conference 2012 Conference Design Government 240

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 10, 2017

In order to design relevant education and networking experiences at our conferences, we need to be focused to the point of obsession with our target audience. Over the past 18 months, we’ve carefully scrubbed and analyzed the attendance of 20 major conferences. Who has the professional development budget to attend every year?

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Conference Education 2017 Speakers 288

Gallus Events

DECEMBER 11, 2018

I spoke at IBTM in Barcelona ( you can read the “review” here ) at the end of November on one of my favourite topics, Meeting Design or fresh formats for conferences. I then picked out five key things to consider when you thinking about designing fresh formats. What objectives should underpin meeting design.

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Conference Meeting Design Entertainment Meetings 178

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

And yes, I admit it, during the second day of my vacation while enjoying the harmonies I hear, I’m jolted to think about religious meeting design…. Religious services are thought to be around 300,000 years old — by far the oldest form of organized meeting that humans have created. Keep ’em moving!

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Meeting Design Meetings 2014 Speakers 166

Conferences that Work

JUNE 3, 2019

The first peer conference I convened and designed was held June 3 – 5, 1992 at Marlboro College, Vermont. So, as of today, the community of practice that eventually became edACCESS has enjoyed 27 years of peer conferences. Twenty-three people came to the inaugural conference. 27 years of peer conferences.

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Conference 2014 Consulting Meeting Design 189

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 21, 2024

The barrier to becoming an Innovator I don’t want to be too hard on the majority (56%) of event organizers who want to evolve their meeting designs but continue to hold static events. Sadly, three-quarters of you are not. This is a promising trend, but there’s still a long way to go.

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Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2025

Their status is publicly proclaimed on the pre-conference program, giving attendees no say in the decision. Status at traditional events follows a power-over model, rather than designs that support power-within and maximize power-with for participants. Improve all your meetings!

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Meetings 2014 Conference Design Fashion 156

Conferences that Work

APRIL 1, 2024

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024 , I sat down with Martin Duffy and Paul Nunesdea on LinkedIn Live for an hour’s deep dive conversation about peer conferences: the participant-driven, participation-rich events I’ve designed and facilitated for over thirty years. Peer Conferences Unveiled—The Transcript! Here it is—enjoy!

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Conference Meetings Corporate Meetings Association Meetings 245

Conferences that Work

JULY 2, 2018

Recently, a client asked for help designing a new conference. The needs assessment trap Conference design clients who “know what they want” have already decided on their “ why? It’s an honor to work on a classic Conferences That. Conferences That Work goes to Japan!

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Meeting Design 2012 2014 Meetings 192

Gallus Events

MARCH 22, 2016

At the end of February we supported Practically Perfect PA to run their second “Assist Conference” They reached their target of 100 PAs just a few days before the date of the conference, and everyone was delighted to have sold out the event. The five keys to great conference content. And the reason?

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Conference Meeting Design Speakers Fashion 173

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 179

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

I’ve been promoting the Conferences That Work meeting format for so long, that some people assume I think it’s the right choice for every meeting. two meeting types and three situations when you should NOT use a Conferences That Work design: — Most corporate events. Well, it’s not.

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Meeting Design Conference Meetings Conference Design 120

Conferences that Work

JANUARY 10, 2022

For too long, we’ve equated a meeting’s “success” with its size. ” But if we concentrate on increasing attendance, we overlook getting the meeting design right. Improving an event’s design makes the meeting better for all the stakeholders: meeting owners, sponsors, and participants.

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Meetings Meeting Design 2020 Speakers 367

Conferences that Work

AUGUST 16, 2021

And it made me think about meeting design. And, me being me, I thought about what Marcy had just said in the context of meeting design. And meetings are no exception. The art and craft of the meeting designer. It’s a meeting designer’s job to create these contextual layers.

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Food and Beverage Meeting Design 2021 Meetings 348

Gallus Events

MAY 18, 2017

Networking at conferences is always one of the top three reasons that attendees give for attending a conference. This is something very different from the networking that we casually think about: you know, the random meetings over coffee or picking up the delegate pack. Why is structured networking missing from many conferences?

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Conference Conference Networking Technology Meeting Design 187

Conferences that Work

DECEMBER 16, 2019

If you had told me forty years ago, a freshly minted high-energy particle physics postdoc, that I’d go on to have four additional careers (owner of a solar manufacturing business, computer science professor, independent IT consultant, and meeting designer/facilitator) I wouldn’t have believed you. Hire curious people.

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Consulting Meeting Design Conference Meetings 362

Gallus Events

JULY 24, 2017

I have always used the metaphor of a production line to explain the need for meeting design. The production line approach to Meeting Design. Most departments are set up to deal with an exhibition or a conference. The post The production line approach to meeting design appeared first on Gallus Events.

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Meeting Design Meetings Technology Sponsorships 124

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Presentation versus interaction at meetings. But our meeting designs, in large part, haven’t changed to reflect this shift in cultural awareness. Read the full article at Conferences That Work The post Presentation versus interaction at meetings appeared first on Conferences That Work.

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Meetings Meeting Design Conference Event Design 315

Conferences that Work

JUNE 14, 2021

When the leading candidate for the Mayor of New York City has this take on how people learn, perhaps it’s not so surprising that we’re still sitting through endless broadcast-style sessions at meetings and conferences. Learning researchers and our best teachers and meeting designers have known this for a long time.

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Meetings 2021 Meeting Design Conference 348

Conferences that Work

APRIL 18, 2022

The first novel hybrid meeting format was invented by Joel Backon back in 2010. The second is a design I’ll be using in a conference I’ve designed and will be facilitating in June 2022. Collaborative Tools Workshop ” designed by Joel Backon at the 2010 annual edACCESS conference.

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2010 Meetings Conference Travel 423

Conferences that Work

MAY 11, 2020

I’ve been designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich in person meetings — aka peer conferences — for almost thirty years. Because participants love these meetings ! Now the covid-19 pandemic has forced meetings online. In person meetings have vanished overnight.

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Conference 2012 Meetings Meeting Design 395

Gallus Events

APRIL 18, 2017

There is no such thing as the “perfect” conference programme. Every programme should reflect the slight differences in the audience; those delivering the content; the physical space in which the meeting takes place; the budget, and a good few other aspects too! Conference Programme Template. Add some meeting design.

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Conference Meeting Design 2017 Sponsorships 140

Conferences that Work

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Software testers do peer conferences right! They even call them a peer conference , rather than unconference , a term I don’t like.) As evidence of software tester conference awesomeness, I offer three examples below. a short history of the peer conference. The 2022 SoCraTes peer conference. But first…. …a

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Conference 2022 2004 Meeting Design 156

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Finally, as a meeting designer I’m convinced that using meeting formats that facilitate and support sharing amongst peers of relevant information is one of the most powerful ways to improve the effectiveness of meetings. Share information; don’t hoard it. Image attribution: Flickr user ben_grey.

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Consulting Meeting Design Conference Meetings 369

Conferences that Work

JULY 24, 2017

So you’re holding a conference. Read the full article at Conferences That Work. The Solution Room—a powerful conference session There’s been a lot of interest in The Solution Room, a session that I co-facilitated last July at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress in Orlando, Florida.

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Conference 2011 Education Meetings 180

Gallus Events

APRIL 24, 2017

What “traditional” ways are there to stop your conference delegates leaving early? One reason you may have conference delegates leaving early, as the theory goes, is that there is too much else happening and your attendees have headed off to do other things. The post Conference delegates leaving early?

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Conference Meeting Design Speakers Venues 153

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

So, perhaps it’s not surprising that many conference organizers today make a similar mistake by emphasizing broadcast content over attendee interactions. When organizers structure conferences as one-way content delivery sessions, they overlook the simple, high-impact power of peer-to-peer dialogue.

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Advertising Conference Technology Events 156

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 These days, this site gets about six million page views per year, making it, as far as I know, the most popular website in the world on meeting design.

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Conference Meeting Design Meetings Events 27

Conferences that Work

JUNE 28, 2021

During our 25 minutes together, we discussed various panel formats, their value, and how to structure and design powerful panel discussions into the larger context of meetings, conferences, and events. 2:30 A brief history of meetings; why lecture formats are still so popular; how panels fit into the larger context of meetings.

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Meeting Design Conference Meetings Event Design 334

Conferences that Work

JULY 19, 2021

If you want maximum learning, interaction, and connection at a meeting, small meetings are better than large meetings. For example, think about a conference to explore the implications of a medical breakthrough. Increased learning, interaction, and connection. Have you experienced one, and, if so, what was it like?

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Meetings 2011 2021 Fashion 367

SmartMeetings

MAY 6, 2019

As these experts work to understand changing consumer trends, preferences and behaviors, considerations must be made into meeting design to craft a truly relevant event, which target audiences will not want to miss. Consider these three key trends and how they can positively impact meeting design. Not sure where to start?

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Meeting Design Meetings Social Media B2B 102

Conferences that Work

MARCH 3, 2022

Here’s a rare opportunity to ask me anything about meeting design and facilitation at a unique, free, online workshop. Take this opportunity to ask Adrian anything about meeting design and facilitation. Enjoy time after the session in an online social environment that closely mimics meeting in-person socials.

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Meeting Design 2022 Conference Meetings 296

Conferences that Work

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Community versus audience I began my first book with the research finding (and common observation) that people go to conferences to network and learn. Creating community at conferences around participant-driven content , therefore, creates a far more effective learning and connection-rich environment.

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Meetings Meeting Design 2015 Conference 245

Conferences that Work

OCTOBER 11, 2021

All meeting design needs to recognize this reality. What we think of as modern business meetings and conferences are hundreds of years old. The traditional top-down formats of meetings and conferences reflect the top-down structure of the institutions that still largely dominate our world. Institutions.

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Conferences that Work

APRIL 25, 2022

The Conference Arc: Building connection while uncovering wants, needs, and resources. Ask Adrian Anything: using a fishbowl sandwich to facilitate group discussion on meeting design and facilitation. Human spectrograms: a simple tool for learning about other participants. Creating the right program. Consolidating learning.

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