Learning Conversations

This post is in response to Clive Shepherd's thoughts on "Video Streaming brings events to a much wider audience"

Clive,

Live video streaming from conferences makes the assumption that conferences are all about delivering content.

I really don't understand why we've got into this way of thinking.

Conferences are the one time when I can have live face-to-face conversations with my peers and experts in the field.

If I was in the conference organising business here's what I'd do:

1. Get presenters to submit their presentations in advance as a video or narrated Articulate (or similar) package. Perhaps, if I was going for quality, this would be produced professionally, at a video studio, in front of a small live audience
2. Allow access to these presentations to paying delegates, along with a means of delegates raising questions or comment about the materials - that's price band A

3. Ensure that expectations are set for the face-to-face day. It will be about:

   • Conversations
   • Practising skills
   • Coaching
4. Have a face-to-face conference for delegates (price band B), offering them the chance to meet, in person, with the presenters and to engage with them about the presentations. No video streaming required, as there would be no presentations
5. Ensure that the f2f conference includes sessions for particular interest groups (as happened very successfully at the recent Learning & Skills Group)
6. Ensure that people can find each other, perhaps using a social networking / tagging (eg. Elgg) system that allows people with similar interests to get together. This would need a real-world mirror system to help people find each other without having to go around peering at each others name badges. Perhaps some sort of signage on conference tables so that delegates can create a conversation group at a specific table.

People learn through conversation. So let's build our face-to-face events around that.