While I’m not quite the conference afficionado that Stowe is, I nonetheless completely agree with his comments:

We have sacrificed too much for the sake of turning the conference experience into a product. At least the very best events should be orchestrated as artistic endeavors, a form of performance, a sublime experience where we are challenged, enlarged, and made wiser. Where the chance interactions with like-minded others are not stolen moments over poor coffee. Where attendees will look back on them as turning points in their thinking, their careers, their lives.

There are a few things wrong with conferences in my mind, most of which Stowe hit on:

1. Panels are nearly useless
2. Sessions are overly long, complex and useless
3. There isn’t enough actual interaction
4. There is little actual value to attendees
5. Very little actual networking happens

While I haven’t helped organize a conference in quite some time, maybe we need to break the mold just a little bit. Why not some of these ideas?

1. Reserve rooms as “open rooms” where anyone can pick a topic and then others can join in. This might, just might, ensure that topics that people are actually interested in take place. If you limit the time to half an hour or whatnot, you can get a fair number of these in over the course of a day.
2. I agree with Stowe that 1-1 style of “interrogation” would not only be lively, but would also allow the audience to write-in questions (which the interviewer can then choose to ask)
3. For when panels are necessary (because they CAN be good), rely heavily on audience questions, and don’t allow more than a couple of minutes for an answer. If you can’t make your point in 1 minute, it’s probably not worth listening to for 10 minutes.
4. Always, always, always have wireless, power and a “backchannel” (chat room). These not only keep audiences engaged, but also keep speakers accountable. If this is a panel session, the moderator should be able to see this. If it’s an interview, ditto. If you can put it up on a screen, that’s even better.
5. Provide networking sessions around topics of interest. Plan events. I can’t stress this enough. Conferences without events leave people who aren’t part of groups to just drink themselves to sleep.

As a final thought for conference organizers, everyone knows you can’t always pay a speaker, but how about covering airfare and hotel? Sorry, but I’m sick of bringing value to you, attracting audiences, contributing 2-5 days of my time and having to pay for it.

I know how expensive organizing a conference can be. But I also know that I don’t think I’ll ever spend 1000$ to speak at a conference again, unless it’s a truly great conference (SXSW for example).

It’s even worse when I have to pay an admission (as happened recently).

Sadly, I can’t read the article that stirred Stowe’s thoughts, because it’s locked behind the iron gates of premium content.

Either way, the reality is that conferences need to change if they’re going to stay relevant. Unconferences, nonconferences, etc will continue to grow in popularity, though they won’t hold the same potential value.

I’m happy to work with anyone who wants to, to try and fix this issue. Let’s hear what you have to say though. What would entice you to go to a conference? What’s the most you’d pay to go to a conference? Is it more important to have one big conference with ‘everyone’ there, or to have several small ones, one close to your home? Is there any reason audiences can’t be the speakers, and speakers can’t be the audiences?

Let’s stir this puppy up!