If you're wondering what on earth I'm wittering on about with the title of this blog post, then I have just one thing to ask of you; hear me out. I'm going to talk about unconferences.
It seems to me that a good many of the 'events' that we (that's everyone, not just me and the other guys at MBS) go to leave us grumbling about content, the speakers, the format or the topics. This is after we've read the blurb, signed up, paid our money (in some cases), made our way to the venue and spent a few hours with the other delegates.
I'm not saying that this is true of all events, no siree. But, come on, we've all been through this scenario.
So, what's the solution to this? More precise detailing of the event focus by the organisers? Well, yeah, I guess that would help somewhat...but let's face it, event organisers are going to try and appeal to as many people as possible so they can get those seats filled. This may result in the event becoming less focused than it could be and you're expectations not being met. It may. That's all I'm saying (fends off event organisers arrows).
Or perhaps, it's just that the speakers don't cover what you think they will. Not much the organisers can do about that. Brief them better? It's possible that there'll always be a disconnect between brief and delivery...not least in the diverse minds of the attendees.
So, it's never going to satisfy everyone, let's just forget it and get on with spending our money on events that we aren't satisfied with.
But wait, perhaps there is another way? Oh yes...behold the 'unconference'.
If you've read this blog in the past you may remember my rattling on about Reboot, SHiFT and Lift - three European social media conferences that I've had the pleasure of attending. To some degree, these three all used 'unconference' techniques in some way.
So, what is this unconference word I'm using all about. Well, an unconference is a conference or event organised by the people who attend. You set the agenda, you set the topics, you decide who speaks and what they speak about. That speaker could even be you.
Unconferencing puts the people who have paid their money at the centre of the event. How far you go with that concept depends on how bold you want to be. So, consider...
- Lift allowed the attendees to organise in the gaps of the main conference. Short presentations on the main stage and break out discussions during the two days were voted on by the attendees. The most popular were provided space to speak. Plus, the workshops were voted on in a similar way. Note, that ALL voting took place before the event.
- Reboot allows the attendees to propose topics, discussions, and seminars during the main days of the conference. These then get given space in the programme alongside the main speakers. During the two days, attendees are encouraged to suggest what they want to talk about and groups of interested people organise themselves to discuss these topics.
- OpenCoffee is a phenomenon that has swept the technology entrepreneur world recently. Started in London by a chap named Saul Klein, OpenCoffee is a regular meetup of like minded people who just come together in a set location and talk. No agenda, no specific speaker...just people who may well be interested in what others have to say.
- The Barcamp series of events takes it one stage further. Again, this is an international phenomenon in the programming/tech entrepreneur world where the attendees make the agenda. There are no rules to Barcamp, but if you turn up you have to be prepared to speak or demo something. That's the first rule of
Fight Club Barcamp.
Here's what I'm proposing. I want to see these 'meetup' style of events gain some traction in the public sector. So, I'm proposing that we get one going...either in London or Manchester or wherever you can get yourselves together. This is OpenCoffee for the public sector.
I'll take the lead on doing the logistical organisation if you guys back me up in saying that you think this is a good idea.
I'm calling it 'SpeakUp' - it's your chance to come along and talk about some of the things that are going on in your public sector world. I'm going to come up with some loose 'titles' that we can bounce around as the topics for the first few and we'll see what we can come up with.
So, what do you think? Am I barking mad? Are you guys up for the challenge...and I know there's a great many out there reading this...I haven't racked up 20,000+ hits on this blog by hitting the refresh button repeatedly.
Let me know. You can vote below, but I'd be happier if you'd leave a comment and let me know who you are. That way we can get Speakup off the ground you see!
-pc.
| SpeakUp... (Log In to vote.) |
| Oooh, this is a cool idea...where do I sign up, Carruthers? |
| Paul, You've lost the plot. |
