Different types of information can best be learned in different ways. that’s why for conferences they offer different formats for topics, information and discussion that are important to you
application sessions
these sessions provide practical advice and action steps that can help you successfully address common challenges. you and your fellow participants will bring laptops and tablets and actively work during the session. sessions might include using excel to model incentives, or working in small groups to solve common challenges.
discussions
you and your fellow participants will engage in structured discussions on key learning topics and challenges in small, focused groups of colleagues. these sessions will be led by one or more senior executives, who will present mini-overviews of key questions and then engage participants in exploratory conversations.
panels
panel sessions provide an informative and entertaining approach to learning. you and your fellow participants will hear experts explore topics from a 360o perspective. a panel of leading practitioners will respond to questions asked by a moderator and you.
workshops
in a workshop, you get the opportunity to listen to a presenter tell stories of organizational success, failure and lessons learned. these are all up-to-date, honest, under-the-hood explorations of innovation and implementation in real companies.
3.the conference session is dead
the conference session is not the appropriate shell for most learning experiences. the sixty- or ninety-minute presentation was created for the convenience of the institution, not the learner. the conference session is a triumph of standardization. it’s the industrial revolution model, which puts a higher value of efficiency than on effectiveness. it clearly was not designed for the brain to be active and engaged. most conference sessions by their very nature are face-to-face talking head lectures. conference organizers seek everything possible to support their high-grade face-to-face experience which falls flat if the presenter is not dynamic. or it does not offer relevant takeaways.
most conferences provide a broadcast mode with one-way monologues and panelist dialoguing with each other. it’s undynamic and the attempt to take questions from the audience does not equate a discussion. the audience is creative, bright, and thoughtful and their brains are being numbed to death by one-way talk.
conferences should provide a variety of blended learning experiences for attendees. it may include storytelling, lectures, table discussions, group process, a site tour, openspace, content broken into chunks and dispersed throughout several days, hands-on exercises, simulations and more.
the key ingredient is interaction. interaction is the glue that holds all the pieces together. it comes in many forms–not just instructor to learner. it may be content-to-learner, learner-to-learner or learner-to-infrastructure.
i say, “conference sessions are dead,” for shock value. they have a role to play.we need to crush the old paradigm of workshop leader spoon-feeding participants in every conference session. we need to provide a blend of learning opportunities and let the attendees choose the type of learning experience they want.
don’t you think? or do you still want to attend a conference full of sessions with monologue lectures from talking heads?
what’s your take? and please do share some examples of great conference interaction that you’ve experienced lately.