Kaleidoscope learning - part 2 - Questions!

I think of conferences and events as if they are a kaleidoscope, where every person will see it through their own lens, and hear information through their own filters. Imagine if you attended a conference and in addition to hearing from seasoned professionals and experts in various fields sharing their knowledge, you could then extend the conversation, and share your own point of view. Then you could hear another point of view, and another, and truly create a dialogue about a topic.  Dialogue that could lead to new ideas, solutions, innovations.

We live in a society where we are constantly fed information, and one where we take in most of the information without question. Our children know how to find information from TV, or maybe in newspapers, occasionally from books, and most often from the ubiquitous internet. What they are not being taught often enough is the skill of questioning, of not accepting everything at face value, of developing filters for information in their own minds, but also the ability to assess information without bias, and to turn the information prism like, looking for where the light shines through most brightly.

 

The stream of information and its availability on a 24/7 basis will continue to grow, the statistics are astounding (ie 24 hours of content uploaded every minute to YouTube) and the ability to assess what is important to us will remain critical.

From a conference perspective we must also find ways for our participants to process the information they hear and find ways they can make it relevant and applicable to their situations.  Imagine if at a meeting we allowed "prism" time, where participants are able to reflect, turn the information looking at it from the new point of view presented and how it fits into their own context, and to be able with others extend the conversations sparked by the sessions?  Imagine if questions were not only encouraged but integral to the sessions… imagine the possibilities.

What I loved about Event Camp! #ECNC

Last fall I attended Event Camp Twin Cities as a registered virtual attendee, and then repeated that experience at PCMA 2011. Both experiences had their benefits, heightened by the level of engagement of both the f2f and the virtual attendees sharing ideas and knowledge together.


Both provided opportunities to see that there is a community far beyond the limitations set by geography, finances, or time to meet people and share thoughts, ideas and concrete data on moving our industry continually forward. As our participants become more connected and more knowledgeable via multiple streams available to all of us at the touch of a keyboard, mobile device or tablet, it is incumbent upon us as meeting and event professionals to create environments that are most conducive to engagement, contribution, relationship building and higher learning.

All of this led me to the decision that I MUST attend Event Camp National Conference in Chicago, and what a great decision that was. Here are a few of the things I learned. These are not even the "real" take-aways - for that I will refer back to the twitter stream and remind myself (and so many others) of all of them!

1. Engaging in social media with #eventprofs and #engage365 among others provided a sense of community prior to attending - I could not wait to meet my new #ecnc tweeps!

2. When you already have a sense of who is attending, there is a sense of anticipation that cannot be duplicated - you are going to meet friends, and that awkwardness of attending a conference alone is non-existent. This can obviously have applications for many.
 3. It takes a community. Thank you @mizcity @jessicalevin @mmcallen @heidithorne @michaelmccurry and others across all the event camps who have taken the responsibility to make these great.

4. You meet people with hugs not handshakes - I arrived to meet at least 15 friends, but had only met one before f2f (@glennthayer you are even more interesting than I could have imagined - thank you for the fantastic stories)

5. Virtual hosts, or as we are about to call them Hybrid Event Concierges (yes you heard it first at #ECNC @EricaStAngel) such as the role Glenn Thayer brought to ECNC are an integral part of a hybrid experience

6. Catalyst Ranch - just google this - very cool, very thought provoking, very inspired venue when you are seeking solutions, innovations or just plain happiness (they will outsource their design ideas too).  Plus, the food was great - awesome selection, lots of nutritious choices, and enough "play" food that it offered a great balance.


7. It is good to share - I had the opportunity to share my room with the most lovely young lady @lizkingevents and this was one of the best parts of my experience, and another community builder (yes Liz you will see me in New York!)

8. The ability to capture information and to extrapolate learnings in real time through a combination of lecture, discussion and the ongoing ubiquitous twitter stream adds a depth to understanding that cannot be replicated

9. Involving virtual attendees and presenters via Skype adds dimension to what we learn and provides alternate perspectives that could not otherwise happen

10. There is no longer a separation from real and virtual - social networks - whichever you may choose to engage in (or not) are going to continue to grow in strength and numbers, and embracing it opens up doors you can't yet imagine

11. There are people in the world who are scared of pickles. Really.

12. Virtual presenters when added via Skype are an excellent way of sharing and thank you to @lindydreyer @GreenA_V and Klososky (see below) for taking the time and making this work

13. Your own community will have great presenters - and using crowdsourcing to narrow down presenters and topics ahead of time can help drive sessions people want. @brandtkrueger @glennthayer and @psalinger among those I saw - thank you for bringing it

14. @chrisbrogan @lizstrauss are both as nice and as smart and as funny as you would expect - I remain impressed

15. @kikilitalien - you are the sweet spot - of social media and more

16. You can change the world one teen at a time. Their perspectives are incredible and thank you @hankwasiak for your incredible, inspiring stories

17. Mullets are still in fashion. Right @ScottKlososky ?!?

18. Social media crosses all boundaries of age, gender and experience. This is a very, very good thing.

19. Social media may be the bane of privacy and legal departments but it is here to stay so learning how to use it to your advantage, is to your advantage.

20. An engaged virtual audience adds depth - thank you to so many of you who shared - check out the on-line archives to see all that everyone had to say - some amazing takeaways.

21. On - line archiving. ROCKS. Thank you Event Camp for continuing to keep the messages alive. Follow the #ecnc tag or Event Camp

22. The Velvet Chainsaw and Mid-course Corrections @velchain @jeffhurt - you are as relevant and engaging in real life, ok, maybe more.

23. Event Camp West Coast. Please.

24. You never know where the next great idea is going to come from (as in the above). One great (unrelated) idea I see coming is from @tracibrowne, trade show maestro and @asegar (Conferences That Work, a totally excellent read) is Exhibit Camp - which looks to me like it will be a most unique opportunity for exhibitors who want to maximize their opportunities that drive revenue. Oh how I love awesome ideas!

I look forward to seeing what else people have to share.

Engaging Learners

Learners need to be engaged to learn.


That sounds so simple. No matter how much technology we get, no matter how many ways we have to connect electronically, it all pales compared with face to face communication. Think about the frustrations when we are forced to go through voice message after voice message when calling a company we want service from, and feel unable to get it. Then think about when something is going right, it usually involves a person or a group of people who have created an environment, an organization, a sports team, a social group, or a school, for example, where a community can flourish. A natural extension of community is when we come together at an event to celebrate, network and be recognized.

Once the goals are established, there are two main considerations, the content you will deliver and the methods of delivery, and the environment you will deliver it in. This may involve a traditional classroom style, being lectured at by a presenter, for example. But more and more research shows that these are not the methods that will increase our engagement, or aid in the retention of information, and most importantly, it is not the most effective way to affect change, and if we are not seeking a change, or at least a shift, then why are you meeting?  (well maybe for celebration and recognition but that is another blog)

The next time it comes to meet, determine the w's -

1. Who is involved in the meeting?

2. what are they there for - learning? Motivation? Reward?

3. where will you meet - what country / city / venue will be the most suitable?

4. when is the best time to meet - is there an immediate need, is it a trip they need time to earn or an annual meeting you are planning for?

5. Why is there a meeting - find clarity among your stakeholders! First, the goals of meeting. Are you seeking to educate? Motivate? Change perceptions? Affect change? Create a greater sense of community?

6. How are you going to accomplish your goals?

What about hybrid meetings?

While there is a place for "hybrid" meetings, where we combine electronic support such as a webinar or broadcast, with a place to come together and share an experience. Ideally in a hybrid situation we are able to engage before the meeting or event, during through either social networking or live chats, and then follow up with further interaction that supports the learning offered.

Any comments? Please share your thoughts!