Thoughts on Tech Knowledge 2009 and Conferences in General

So I just got back from ASTD's Tech Knowledge 2009 in guess where? The usual suspects did their usual great jobs (Brent Schlenker, Tony Karrer, Michelle Lentz) - I'm not trying to slight any other speakers - just don't want to name the whole program. (FYI - I did upload my slides here.) (Double FYI - You can also look at the slides for the ILS Design Challenge that I mentioned here).

I also think that Linda David at ASTD is probably one of the hardest workers in this industry and that Bob Mosher, et al served bravely on the conference committee. ASTD also stepped up and took a brave swing at extending the actual conference by having an ASTD Virtual Conference .

That's actually further than a lot of conferences go. They also had Michelle Lentz (@writetechnology) pushing hard for a Twitter presence for the conference. You can go here and check out the associated Tweets. 

I am also excited about the upcoming eLearning Guild's Annual Gathering and Game Developers Conference - both of which have been tremendously valuable experiences in the past and both of which I assume will be greatly valuable this year as well. I think I am just really beginning to want more out of my conferences. Here's a short list:

• Social media should be the default and should kick in as soon as I register and continue past the conference
• I should have the option to NOT get a printed guide that weighs 10 LBs. I know why you do it, for the ads not for the attendees - figure out an alternative model and save some trees - get creative w/ an iPhone app or a Flash app or something.
• Whether or not I'm a speaker or an attendee, I want input into what will be session outcomes. Asking me to pay, go to a session and then fill out an eval so that NEXT YEAR will be better is a little backward isn't it?
• FIGURE OUT WIRELESS!!!! I don't give a rat's ass how you do it, just freaking do it. Do you understand the good will and PR you will reap? Do you? I know this diff between simple and easy - this one might not be easy but it sure is simple - get it done.
• Keep the Expos. I actually like them. Do the vendors feel like they are getting value though? I don't know.
• Consider NOT holding a 'cutting-edge conference' on how we'll all learn in the future with everyone seated theater style or at rounds for 45, 60 or 90 minutes. Try some difference configurations - not all will work - jettison the ones that don't and use the ones that do to re-shape the face-to-face experience. 
• I'm also going to risk some wrath here and say NO to Vegas as a location. I'd actually rather be in Chicago or New York or San Francisco or Atlanta - if you want to hold a conference somewhere that has tourist appeal, then hold it somewhere with broader tourist appeal.

Let's see that's all for now...so kudos to ASTD and eLearning Guild and GDC for doing some really hard work to pull off these incredibly complicated logistical events...I just want it all.

Comments

[Don Bolen]

I attended the virtual TK. The "live" WebEx sessions were great with engaged chat and then follow up with the virtual TK LinkedIn group that you joined once the money changed hands. These sessions were skinny versions of the speaker's presentation. Appreciate the speakers that played and Anthony Allen's efforts from ASTD to make this happen.

Since it's been a few years since I've been to TK, this worked for me. My remoteness forced me to reach out to more people and make contacts across presenters and participants. Even connected with people in ATL I didn't know. Judging from the videotaped presentations, there is the same old, same old sessions. At least with the chat channel, I learned more from others as well as contributed.
Something about the 256 character limit that focuses the question and/or point.

Blogged about the experience at tinyurl.com/dbolen. More to come here as I digest.

[David Wilkins]

Hey Mark,

Great post as usual. I know you and I tweeted back and forth on this, but the wireless thing has to be solved. It's important for attedees; equally important for vendors. I wanted to show our new collaborative social authoring tools and our newly socialized LMS. Very cool stuff. And I couldn't demo a thing from our booth. Ouch. Double ouch that we paid to have a dedicated line.

As to the nature of the shows, I agree completely about room layouts and the general tenor of these shows. While there are champions like you and Michelle and others championing Twitter and the like, the vibe of this show (and nearly all of them) is still a "sage on stage." Part of it is room layout, part of it is presentaton style, part of it is the cookie cutter length of the sessions, the lack of interactivity beforehand and after. Most of these shows still have that episodic, knowledge dump feel. It's time to mix things up -- more audience involvement (before, during and after), new room configurations, presenters who don't present but engage instead...

Here's hoping. As a vendor, a frequent presenter, and a less frequent participant, I think these sorts of changes would help all of us find more value in these shows.

[Kevin Joens]

Here is my follow up on this great post: http://engagedlearning.net/post/rethinking-the-conference-structure-time-to-step-it-up/

Thanks for starting this. Let's keep the conversation and ideas coming!

[JRA]

Fair comments. While some will agree that Las Vegas has limited appeal to everyone; but frankly no location will meet everyones personal preferences. One of the things I like about Vegas in particular, in slower periods - it can be more affordable than other alternatives. In terms of the facility, the Rio did a great job in accommodating the group.

Amen to the constant criticism of wireless and connectivity.

[Tim Martin]

You asked for feedback from vendors, so, I figured, why not? Mike and I (Rustici Software) have elected to go to fewer and fewer conferences, frankly. This is partly because our products are ill suited to the things. (Our stuff is quite technical and more valuable to other vendors than attendees.)

Having said that, the level of interest/quality of interest at the shows is exceptionally low for us. It's gotten to the point that both Mike and I treat the shows as retreats of a sort where we are forced to work in isolation and occasionally without connectivity. (We are trying to embrace what is an exceptionally frustrating situation, but I'm with you, it sucks.)

So, to answer the question, our experiences have not yet made us anxious to go to more conferences.

[Alora Chistiakoff]

Mark:

I am the new Managing Editor of Social Commerce Magazine, working with Dion on establishing a regular publishing schedule for the magazine. One of the things we are looking for are regular conference reviews. I am wondering if you might be willing to write a slightly more robust/formal version of your experience at Tech Knowledge for us to post sometime in the next few days?

Please feel free to email me directly at alora@socialcomputingmagazine.com (sorry for the comment -- I couldn't find an email address for you).

Regards,

Alora
Sr. Managing Editor
Social Computing Magazine